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My Buttery Dinner Roll Recipe is the ULTIMATE homemade roll! These are soft and fluffy with just a few simple ingredients – they’re the best side dish and they’re impossible to resist. Fluffy rolls like this are easy to make by hand or with a stand mixer – the best homemade dinner rolls are just a short time away!
In my house, it wouldn’t be dinner without dinner rolls. I look for an excuse to make homemade rolls all the time, and I can usually find a reason (we’re having soup, we’re having salad, it’s Tuesday…) This recipe isn’t just for Thanksgiving! When I was a kid we ate at my Nana’s house for dinner at least once a week. She knew me and my bread obsession; every meal was served with rolls or biscuits (bissy-cats, as she called them). Now, as a mom, Jordan has come to expect the same, and I’m always happy to oblige her.
Once I started blogging I taught myself how to make homemade rolls using yeast. You’ll want to make these over and over – they’re the best dinner rolls you’ll ever eat, with the perfect fluffy texture, and they’re the perfect addition to any meal. I’m going to show you how to do them step by step – and you can even make these in different shapes if you want!
Important Ingredients
- Instant Yeast: makes the process so much easier. There are two main kinds of yeast: Active Dry Yeast and Instant Yeast. Instant Yeast is required for this recipe – it’s also called rapid rise, depending on the brand you use. Using instant yeast cuts the rise time in half!
- Flour: all-purpose flour is best but you can substitute bread flour
- Sugar: to activate the yeast, but it won’t make your rolls sweet.
- Warm Milk, butter, salt, warm water to round out the ingredients. You can use any kind of milk (whole milk, nonfat, or nondairy). I always add butter to give them a buttery flavor.
How to Make Dinner Rolls Tips
- I always start with a bit of flour, the yeast, sugar, and salt. One of the differences between the types of yeast is that instant gets mixed in with the dry ingredients. Use a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
- You need to make sure your liquid is at the right temperature, so I always use my instant read thermometer to make sure it’s between 120-130°F. The butter won’t melt all the way; that’s totally fine.
- You’ll mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until mostly combined, then add more flour, 1 cup at a time, until the dough forms a ball. If you’re doing this with a wooden spoon it’ll be a shaggy dough and you’ll need to start the kneading process sooner. If you use a stand mixer it’ll come together and mostly knead it for you in the mixer bowl.
- If you’re using a stand mixer you’ll wait until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl before it’s ready. When doing by hand, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a dough ball forms. The smooth ball will bounce back when touched with two fingers.
- This is when the dough will rest for 10 minutes – that’s the magic of instant yeast – no need for a first rise in a mixing bowl.
- Once you’re ready to form your rolls you’ll divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll them into balls. Place shaped rolls in a 9-inch round or similar size pan.
- The rolls need time to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes before baking.
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Expert Tips
- If you want to make shaped soft dinner rolls, check the steps in and below the recipe card.
- If you’re using a stand mixer you’ll want to use the dough hook attachment.
- Hot out of the oven, I like to brush the warm rolls with melted butter to give them a nice buttery taste.
- You can also use this dough for cinnamon rolls, homemade crescent rolls, or Clover Leaf rolls.
Buttery Homemade Dinner Rolls Recipe
Buttery Homemade Rolls are the perfect dinner roll recipe! These are soft and buttery and perfect made four different ways!
Recipe Video
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rising Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 2-2 ¼ cups (248-279g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 1 envelope Fleischmann’s® RapidRise Yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (118ml) milk
- ¼ cup (59ml) water
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter plus more for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare pan as directed below.
- Whisk 3/4 cup flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Place milk, water, and butter in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Heat in 15 second increments until the mixture is between 120°F-130°F (very warm water).
- Add milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix for 2 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. (I like using a dough hook with my stand mixer for this.)
- Add 1/4 cup flour and mix for another two minutes, then add an additional 1 to 1 1/4 cups more flour, or until the mixture forms a ball in the mixer.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough is elastic and springs back when touched. Cover with a towel and rest for 10 minutes.
- Cut and shape dough as desired (see below for instructions), then cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Bake for 10-20 minutes depending on size and shape, or until golden and cooked through. Brush warm rolls with more melted butter.
For basic dinner rolls:
- Cut ball of dough into 12 pieces. Roll into balls. Place in a greased round 9-inch cake pan.
For twists:
- Cut ball of dough into 12 pieces. Roll each into a long thin rope. Fold in half. Twist the ends to form a twist. Place on a greased baking sheet.
For knots:
- Cut ball of dough into 12 pieces. Roll each into a long thin rope. Tie each rope into a knot. Place on a greased baking sheet.
For buttery rolled rolls:
- Roll ball of dough into large rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Slice into squares and roll each square up like a croissant. Place on a greased baking sheet.
Recipe Nutrition
Serving: 1roll | Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 118mg | Potassium: 44mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Homemade Roll Shapes
- For the buttery rolls: roll the dough into a flat sheet. Slice into squares, brush with butter and roll them up.
- For the twisty rolls, roll the dough into a long rope, fold in half and twist. The twists are golden brown and soft. The knots are thick and puffy (they’re my favorite shape!)
- For the knots, roll the dough into a long rope, then tie it in a knot.
Shaping Fluffy Dinner Rolls
- For the buttery rolls: roll the dough into a flat sheet. Slice into squares, brush with butter and roll them up.
- For the twisty rolls, roll the dough into a long rope, fold in half and twist. The twists are golden brown and soft. The knots are thick and puffy (they’re my favorite shape!)
- For the knots, roll the dough into a long rope, then tie it in a knot.
Other Dinner Roll Recipes
- My Cheesy Ranch Breadsticks are always a huge hit!
- Potato Rolls are another favorite
- We love Parker House Rolls
- Or, make Homemade White Bread instead!
This is a great recipe for easy, time friendly dinner rolls of whatever shape you decide to make. I had made these dinner “rolls” before with mixed, but generally good reviews. I made them tonight with one “tweak” to the recipe. After mixing the dry ingredients with the wet for a minute or two, I added one beaten egg before adding more flour and it changed the entire result. The end result was a softer much higher rising dough and a more tender, flavorful roll. I will be making more using this tweaked recipe.