Ultimate Dinner Rolls

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Soft, golden, and buttery — these homemade dinner rolls turn any meal into something special, especially around the holidays. I love them at Thanksgiving, but whether I serve them with a holiday turkey or a weeknight roast, they disappear quick.

If you’ve ever felt nervous about baking with yeast, I promise this recipe will change that. With my step-by-step tips, make-ahead instructions, and an easy shaping video, you’ll have pillowy, bakery-style rolls that’ll impress your family (and yourself)!

Ingredients Needed

Every ingredient in this recipe plays a key role in creating soft, fluffy, and buttery homemade dinner rolls. Here’s why each one matters:

• Water: Lukewarm water activates the yeast, which is essential for helping the dough rise. If it’s too hot, it kills the yeast and prevents the dough from rising. Too cold, and the dough will take forever to rise. I make sure it’s around 100-110°F.
• Milk: Whole milk adds richness and tenderness. The fat in the milk helps soften the rolls while giving them a slightly sweet flavor that balances the butter and sugar. The milk should also be warmed to 100-110°F so the yeast is properly activated.
• Butter: Melted butter adds flavor, moisture, and a tender crumb. I also use a little for greasing the bowl and pan to prevent sticking and enhance browning. 
• Eggs: Eggs enrich the dough and contribute to structure and flavor. I lightly beat them before adding to ensure they mix evenly. I also use an egg wash before baking to give the rolls a shiny, golden-brown finish.
• Granulated Sugar: Don’t skip this one! There’s just a touch in these dinner rolls to help make them tender and golden brown. I wrote a whole guide to sugar’s role in baking, as it does SO much more than simply sweetening!
• Salt: Fine sea salt enhances flavor and balances the sweetness. I sometimes sprinkle flaky sea salt on top for an extra layer of flavor.
• Instant Yeast: I use instant yeast to simplify the process and skip proofing. It ensures a consistent rise and fluffy texture, but you can also use active dry yeast. Add it to the dry ingredients, like you would with instant yeast. Just know the dough will take about 20% more time to rise.
• Bread Flour: Bread flour has more protein than all-purpose, which gives the rolls structure while keeping them soft and chewy. You can swap with the same amount of all-purpose flour, but the rolls may take longer to knead and rise, and be less chewy.

Recommended Equipment

I use a stand mixer with a dough hook for these Thanksgiving rolls because it makes kneading the enriched, slightly sticky dough much easier and faster.

That said, you can absolutely knead it by hand. Make sure to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic so the rolls hold their shape and bake up soft and fluffy. If you’re not using a stand mixer, see my full tutorial on how to knead dough.

For baking, I generally use a 9×13-inch pan. I usually prefer metal because it conducts heat efficiently and helps the rolls bake evenly. I also love ceramic or glass for holiday presentations. Either works beautifully, but keep an eye on the bake time

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make the Ultimate Dinner Rolls

I tested and tweaked this recipe until every batch came out perfectly soft, fluffy, and golden. The steps are approachable, even for beginners. My bonus tips will help your rolls turn out beautifully every time.

1. Mix the Dough

Start by combining warm water and milk (100–110°F), melted butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and yeast in a stand mixer bowl. Add 2 cups of flour first to form a rough dough, then gradually knead in the remaining flour using the dough hook. 

Expert tip: When you measure out your flour, I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale for accuracy. If you don’t have one, use the spoon and level method to ensure you’re not accidentally compacting too much flour in your measuring cups.

The dough should feel soft, slightly tacky, and elastic. If it’s sticky, dampen your hands with water rather than adding extra flour, which could make the rolls too dense. I use a stand mixer to save my arms, but you can also knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic.

2. First Rise

Lightly grease a large mixing bowl and place the dough inside, turning it to coat the top with oil so it doesn’t dry out. Cover the greased bowl loosely and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it roughly doubles in size. That process usually takes about 60-90 minutes. 

I check readiness with the “ripe” finger test: if my fingers leave a lasting indentation, the dough is ready. If not, I give it a little more time.

3. Shape the Rolls

Once the dough has risen, gently deflate it and transfer it to a clean, unfloured surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces using a bench scraper or knife. Then pinch and roll each piece into a tight ball to create the rolls.

Don’t flour your work surface when shaping the rolls; you want some resistance to form them into taut balls. My video on shaping dinner rolls is a great visual guide to see my technique in action.

You can also get creative with shaping your dough! Check out my guide for 5 ways to shape bread rolls.

4. Second Rise

Place the shaped rolls in a greased 9×13-inch pan and lightly cover them. Let them rise again until they double in size. If I plan to bake later, I’ll refrigerate the shaped rolls for up to 24 hours. The slower rise actually helps the flavor develop. Let the rolls come to room temperature before baking.

You can use the same finger test here. Here’s what my dough looked like before and after rising:

How to Make

Ultimate Dinner Rolls

By: Tessa Arias

4.94 from 264 votes

Yield: 12 dinner rolls

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Rising time: 2 hours hrs

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Review Print

These soft, golden, and buttery dinner rolls come together easily and bake up perfectly every time. They’re ideal for holidays or everyday meals!

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Ingredients 

• ▢ ¼ cup (59 grams) lukewarm water (100 to 110°F)
• ▢ 1 cup (237 grams) warm milk (100 to 110°F)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
• ▢ 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
• ▢ 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast
• ▢ 4 ½ cups (572 grams) bread flour

For egg wash & finishing

• ▢ 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ▢ Melted butter
• ▢ Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions 

• Combine the water, milk, 1 tablespoon of the melted butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Add 2 cups (254 grams) of the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a rough, shaggy mass.
• Attach the dough hook to the mixer, turn to medium-low speed, and gradually add the remaining flour, kneading until a mass of dough begins to form.
• Continue kneading on medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes until a soft, smooth ball of dough is formed. The dough ball should feel elastic and slightly tacky to the touch.
• Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel.
• Let dough rise for about 1 hour to 90 minutes at room temperature or until the dough is big, puffy, and about doubled in size.
• Grease a 9×13-inch or similarly shaped baking pan with butter. Gently deflate the dough.
• Use a bench scraper, knife, or pizza wheel to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place it in the prepared pan.
• Lightly cover the dough with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for about 1 hour, or until about doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Brush the rolls gently with the beaten egg. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 days.

Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

Recipe Notes

Much like milk bread or a brioche, this dough is enriched with milk, butter, and sugar, which can make the dough a little sticky. Your instinct might be to add extra flour, but that will create a denser, tougher roll instead of the fluffy dinner roll you want.

If you find the dough tricky to handle, dampen your hands with water. If you use instant yeast and don’t want to wait extra time for the dough to rise, you can speed the process up slightly. Combine it with the warm water and milk called for in the recipe and allow it to proof for 5 minutes before adding it to the bowl.

If you’re looking for bread machine recipes, this one could work. Just add the ingredients in the order recommended by your machine, use the “dough” setting, and let it handle the mixing and first rise. Follow my instructions from there!

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This recipe was originally published in 2013 and has been updated with new photos and more baking tips. Photos by Joanie Simon.