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Making homemade yeast dinner rolls is easier than you think! These deliciously soft and buttery rolls are perfect for any occasion.
Serve them alongside Boneless Prime Rib, Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Zucchini for an impressive dinner that will wow your guests!
There’s no need to purchase dinner rolls when you can make your own! You’ll learn everything you need to know with this informative guide. You only need a few simple ingredients and some patience. So why not give them a try? You won’t regret it!
Why This Recipe Works
- Milk, eggs, and butter create an irresistibly rich, creamy flavor.
- Sugar helps to create a light and fluffy interior.
- Yeast creates a delicious, chewy texture.
- Salt balances out the sweetness of the rolls.
What Yeast Is Best
For this recipe, dry yeast is best. Dry yeast comes in two types, active and instant. Active dry yeast requires activation before use, whereas instant yeast is ready to use as soon as it is opened.
Active and instant dry yeast can be used interchangeably (although active dry yeast tends to rise slower). For this recipe, you can use whichever you have on hand.
Ingredient Notes
Milk: Any type of milk will work in this recipe, but whole milk will create the richest flavor. You can also use evaporated milk, almond milk, or soy milk.
Butter: Any type of butter you like best will work in this recipe, but I recommend using unsalted butter to control the rolls’ saltiness. You can also use margarine or vegetable shortening.
Sugar: This recipe calls for granulated sugar, but you can also use caster sugar, brown sugar, honey, or even maple syrup in its place.
Yeast: Use dry yeast. Active or instant yeast will both be suitable for this recipe.
Salt: You can use any type of salt in this recipe you like best.
Water: Be sure your water is warm (not hot). A temperature of 110 to 115?F (43 to 46°C) is ideal.
Step By Step Instructions
To Make The Dough
Bring milk and butter to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat, stir in sugar, and set aside to cool.
Mix the yeast into the warm water and set aside until it starts to foam this should take 2 or 3 minutes. If it doesn’t foam, your yeast is inactive, and you should start again with new yeast.
Be sure your water is warm (not hot). A temperature of 110 to 115?F (43 to 46°C) is ideal.
Mix the yeast with the cooled milk mixture, eggs, and salt, then add it to a mixer fitted with the dough attachment.
Add half of the flour to the bowl with the egg and milk mixture.
Mix until smooth.
Add the remaining flour, a quarter cup at a time, while continuing to mix until the mixture forms a dough ( you may not need all of the flour).
Knead on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes. Check the consistency and add more flour if necessary. You want a soft, moist dough, but it shouldn’t be sticky.
Knead on low speed for five more minutes or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough by hand for about 30 seconds.
Place the kneaded dough into an oiled bowl and cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This will take about 60 to 70 minutes.
Making The Rolls
Transfer the dough to a floured surface, press it down, and divide it into 12 pieces.
Take one piece of dough at a time. Smooth the dough by pulling it from the top with your fingers. Pinch it underneath and place it on the work surface. Gently roll it on a floured surface and guide it into a round ball.
Place the balls into a greased 9×13 baking dish.
Cover the pan and leave the dough balls to rise in the pan until doubled in size. This should take about 30 to 40 minutes.
Beat one egg with one tablespoon of water and brush a thin eggwash layer over each roll’s top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden brown on top. Tent the pan with aluminum foil if you notice the tops browning too quickly.
Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter before serving.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can prepare these yeast dinner rolls the day before you plan to serve them and bake them on the day. Just follow the simple instructions below.
- Prepare the dinner rolls as directed up to step eight of the recipe.
- Instead of letting them rise in the pan, place the pan in the fridge overnight.
- When ready to bake, take the pan from the fridge and place it in a cold oven. Set the oven temperature and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. When the oven reaches baking temperature, the dinner rolls will have had their second rise.
Erren’s Top Tips
- Use room-temperature eggs in the dough: Using cold eggs in yeast dough could affect the yeast activating.
- To knead by hand, knead the dough on a floured surface for five to eight minutes or until smooth.
- Be careful not to over-knead. Otherwise, your rolls will be tough. Stop kneading in the mixer when the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.
- When proofing the dough, place the bowl near a heat source such as an oven or heating vent to speed up rising.
- Don’t skip greasing the bowl – putting oil in the bowl makes it easier to remove the dough after rising and allows the dough to rise higher as it won’t stick to the sides.
- Give your dough enough time to rise – patience pays off with soft, tender dinner rolls!
- Grease your baking dish with butter or oil so that your rolls don’t stick!
- It is best to serve dinner rolls the same day they are baked since they lose flavor and texture the next day after being frozen and thawed.
- After brushing your rolls with melted butter, sprinkle them with sea salt or toasted sesame seeds for added flavor.
- Enjoy your homemade yeast dinner rolls fresh out of the oven – they’re best when served warm!
Storage & Freezing Instructions
As with most home-baked yeasted bread, these rolls are best eaten the same day they are baked.
It’s important to let the rolls cool completely before storing them, as warmth can cause condensation. Cool on a wire rack and cool for about an hour. When fully cooled, store at room temperature in an airtight bag.
To Freeze: Cool completely and then freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for an hour before you plan to serve them.
To Reheat: Wrap loosely in foil and warm in the oven at 350°/180°C for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve while warm to avoid drying out.
FAQs
Why are my dinner rolls not light and fluffy?
This can be caused by not giving your rolls enough time to rise. The dough should rise until doubled in size, no matter what the recipe states.
Why are my homemade dinner rolls hard?
Bread can turn out hard if you use too much flour, overwork your dough, or use the wrong kind of flour. Overbaking can also be the culprit.
Recipe
Homemade Yeast Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- ¾ cups milk
- 4 Tablespoons butter cut into pieces (plus more for brushing)
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast One packet
- ¼ cup warm water
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (plus more as needed)
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over low heat, bring milk and butter to a simmer. Remove from heat, stir in sugar, and set aside to cool.
- Mix the yeast into the warm water and set aside until it starts to foam (2 or 3 minutes).
- Mix the yeast with the milk mixture, eggs, salt, and half of the flour until smooth in a mixer fitted with the dough attachment.
- Add the remaining flour, a quarter cup at a time, while continuing to mix until the mixture forms a dough ( you may not need all of the flour).
- Knead on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes. Check the consistency and add more flour if necessary (the dough should feel soft and moist, not sticky). Knead on low speed for five more minutes or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough by hand for about 30 seconds.
- Place into an oiled bowl and cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 60 to 70 minutes).
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface, press it down, and divide it into 12 pieces.
- Take one piece of dough at a time. Smooth the dough by pulling it from the top with your fingers. Pinch it underneath and place it on the work surface. Gently roll it on a floured surface and guide it into a round ball.
- Place the balls into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Cover the pan and leave to rise until doubled in size (about 30 to 40 minutes).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C
- Beat the egg and water together for the eggwash and brush a thin eggwash layer over each roll’s top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden brown on top. Tent the pan with aluminum foil if you notice the tops browning too quickly.
- Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter before serving.
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