These homemade dinner rolls are soft, buttery and pull apart in fluffy pieces. You need seven simple ingredients, one bowl and a 9×13 pan. The dough comes together in about 20 minutes, rises twice, and bakes in 20 more. The recipe makes 15 rolls, and you can shape them the night before so they are ready to bake when the turkey comes out.

Jump to Recipe

Store-bought rolls are fine. But a pan of warm rolls you made yourself makes any dinner feel like a holiday, even a Tuesday with soup. If yeast makes you nervous, this is a good place to start. The dough is soft and forgiving, and there is nothing fancy to learn.

Why These Homemade Dinner Rolls Work

• Milk, butter and an egg make them soft. These enrich the dough, so the rolls stay tender and fluffy instead of chewy like a crusty bread.
• All-purpose flour works. No need to buy bread flour. All-purpose gives a light, cottony middle.
• Baking them close together keeps the sides soft. The rolls rise into each other in the pan, so you get golden tops and pillowy pull-apart sides.
• They are easy to plan around. Shape them the night before, chill them, and bake them the next day. Or bake ahead and freeze.
• A mixer is optional. You can knead by hand in about 10 minutes, or let a stand mixer do the work.

Ingredients and Easy Swaps

The full amounts are in the recipe card below. Here is what each one does and what you can use instead.

• Whole milk. Warm it to about 110°F, which feels like warm bath water. Hotter milk can kill the yeast. Two percent milk works too. The rolls will be a little less rich.
• Sugar. Just 1/4 cup. It feeds the yeast and gives the rolls a soft, slightly sweet taste. Honey works in the same amount.
• Yeast. One packet, which is 2 1/4 teaspoons. Instant yeast and active dry yeast both work in this recipe. Check the date on the packet. Old yeast is the top reason rolls do not rise.
• Egg. It adds richness and helps the rolls hold their shape. Let it sit out for a bit so it does not chill the dough.
• Unsalted butter. Four tablespoons go in the dough and two get brushed on top after baking. Salted butter is fine. Just cut the salt in the dough to 3/4 teaspoon.
• Salt. Fine salt mixes in evenly. If you only have kosher salt, use 1 1/2 teaspoons.
• All-purpose flour. You need about 3 1/2 cups. Spoon it into the cup and level it off, or weigh it (440 grams). Bread flour also works and makes the rolls a bit chewier. For whole wheat rolls, swap 1 cup of the flour for white whole wheat flour.

Homemade Dinner Rolls at a Glance

Plan on about 2 1/2 hours from start to finish. Most of that is rise time, when the dough does the work and you get to do something else.

1. Wake up the yeast. Stir the yeast and sugar into warm milk and wait 5 to 10 minutes, until it looks foamy.
2. Mix and knead. Add the egg, butter, salt and flour. Knead until the dough is smooth and soft.
3. First rise. Cover the bowl and let the dough double, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
4. Shape. Divide the dough into 15 pieces, roll them into balls and set them in the pan.
5. Second rise. Let the rolls puff up for 30 to 45 minutes.
6. Bake and brush. Bake at 375°F for 18 to 22 minutes. Brush with melted butter while they are hot.

The Key Step: Knead Until It Feels Right

Kneading builds the stretchy gluten that traps air and makes the rolls rise tall. Do not watch the clock too closely. Go by feel instead.

• By hand: Push the dough away with the heel of your hand, fold it back over, turn it a quarter turn and repeat. It takes about 8 to 10 minutes.
• With a stand mixer: Use the dough hook on medium-low speed for 5 to 6 minutes.
• How to tell it is ready: The dough should be smooth, soft and a little tacky, like the back of a sticky note. Press it with a finger. It should slowly spring back.

The dough will feel sticky at first. Resist the urge to dump in more flour. Too much flour is what turns soft rolls into hockey pucks. Add it only 1 tablespoon at a time, and only if the dough is still sticking to your hands after a few minutes of kneading.

Shaping Rolls That Bake Up Even

After the first rise, press the dough down gently to let the air out. Cut it into 15 equal pieces. A kitchen scale makes this easy, since each piece is about 57 grams. No scale? Cut the dough into 3 equal strips, then cut each strip into 5 pieces.

To shape each roll, pull the edges of the dough under to make a smooth top. Then cup your hand over it and roll it on the counter in small circles until it is a tight ball. Set the balls in a greased 9×13 pan in 3 rows of 5. They do not need to touch yet. They will after the second rise.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

• The yeast never got foamy. Either the yeast is old or the milk was too hot. Start over with fresh yeast and milk that feels warm, not hot, on your wrist.
• The dough is not rising. Your kitchen may be cold. Set the bowl in the oven with just the oven light on, or next to a warm (not hot) stove. Give it more time. Cool dough still rises. It is just slower.
• The rolls are dense. This usually means too much flour or not enough rise time. Next time, spoon and level the flour or weigh it, and wait until the dough has fully doubled.
• The tops browned before the middles were done. Your oven may run hot. Lay a sheet of foil loosely over the pan for the last 5 minutes. An instant-read thermometer takes out the guesswork. The center of a roll should read 190°F.
• The rolls are dry by the next day. They were likely baked too long. Pull them as soon as they are golden and hit 190°F, and store them in a sealed bag once they cool.

Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing

Big dinners are a juggling act, and the oven is always busy. Here are three ways to get the rolls done early.

• Overnight in the fridge. Shape the rolls, cover the pan tightly and chill for up to 18 hours. The next day, set the pan on the counter for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the rolls are puffy. Then bake as usual.
• Freeze before baking. Set the shaped balls on a lined sheet pan and freeze until firm. Move them to a freezer bag for up to 1 month. To bake, put them in a greased pan, cover and thaw in the fridge overnight. Let them rise on the counter for 1 to 2 hours, then bake.
• Freeze after baking. Cool the rolls all the way, then freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw them on the counter, wrap them in foil and warm them at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes.

Baked rolls keep in a sealed bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. Skip the fridge, since it dries bread out faster. To bring back day-old rolls, wrap them in foil and warm them at 350°F for about 10 minutes.

Easy Variations

• Garlic herb rolls. Stir 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley into the melted butter before you brush it on.
• Cheesy rolls. Knead 1/2 cup of shredded sharp cheddar into the dough after the first rise. Sprinkle a little more on top before baking.
• Honey butter rolls. Mix 1 tablespoon of honey into the melted butter for a sweet, shiny top.
• Slider buns. Divide the dough into 24 smaller pieces and bake for 15 to 18 minutes.
• Small batch. Cut every amount in half. For the egg, beat it and use half (about 2 tablespoons). Bake 8 rolls in an 8×8 pan.

What to Serve with Dinner Rolls

A basket of warm rolls belongs on the holiday table next to our Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping. Still building the menu? Browse these 29 Thanksgiving sides and our big list of Thanksgiving menu ideas. For December, they go with any of these Christmas dinner main dishes.

On a regular weeknight, rolls turn soup or a casserole into a real dinner. Try them with a bowl from our cozy autumn soup recipes or a pan of Chicken Pot Pie Casserole for wiping up every bit of sauce.

Recipe