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    Home » Recipes » Bread Recipes

    Classic Dinner Rolls Recipe

    Published: Nov 1, 2023 by Chef Ryan Littley. This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    97 shares
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    5 from 36 votes
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    Pinterest image for dinner rolls.

    Flaky, soft, and buttery, my classic dinner rolls are the perfect addition to your family’s dinner table. Serve these delicious soft dinner rolls at your next holiday meal, dinner party, or just to make a weeknight meal extra special. I guarantee my homemade dinner rolls will bring smiles to your table; they’re a simple pleasure your whole family will love!

    dinner rolls in basket with  white linen napkin.

    Made from simple ingredients, my homemade dinner rolls are easier to make than you might think. Just follow the simple step-by-step instructions; mix the dough, let it rise, make the rolls, let them rise, then bake till golden brown.

    dinner rolls in basket with white linen napkin.

    I’ve been making these soft, pillowy dinner rolls most of my life, and my no-fail dinner roll recipe has never let me down. It makes perfect buttery rolls every time. Just a FYI, they’re so good that most of the time, there will be no leftovers.

    If you love homemade bread make sure to try our Almost No-Knead Artisan Bread recipe and Naan Bread recipe.

    Table of Contents:
    • Ingredients to Make Classic Dinner Rolls
    • How to make Dinner Rolls
    • Recipe FAQ’s
    • More Recipes You’ll Love!
    • Recipe: Classic Dinner Rolls

    Ingredients to Make Classic Dinner Rolls

    Ingredients to make recipe.

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make classic dinner rolls. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

    Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    How to make Dinner Rolls

    Collage showing how to begin dough.
    • Add the milk to a small saucepan over medium-high heat and heat milk until hot (about 2-3 minutes). Don’t let the milk boil!
    • Remove the pan from the heat and add the granulated sugar, table salt, and shortening. Whisk until the shortening has been fully combined with the warm milk.
    • Heat the water to about 100 degrees, then add the active dry yeast to the warm water, mixing to activate the yeast. Let the yeast mixture sit for five minutes, giving it time to bloom.
    • Add the milk mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer)
    • Add one cup flour to the mixing bowl.
    • Beat for about one minute to combine the flour with the milk.
    Collage showing next steps in recipe.
    • Add the yeast mixture and room-temperature egg to the bowl and continue mixing for one minute or until everything is combined.
      *Make sure to use all of the yeast mixture.
    • Add the remaining flour to the bowl.
    • Mix at low speed to incorporate the flour and make the dough. The dough will be a little sticky.
      *Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
    • Lightly dust a large bowl with all-purpose flour (or greased bowl) and add the dinner roll dough to the bowl.
    • Cover the dough with a kitchen towel (or plastic wrap).
    • Let the dough rise for about an hour to an hour and a half until it has doubled in size.
      *Make sure to place the dough in a warm place, out of drafts or cold air.
    Collage showing final steps to make recipe.
    • Lightly grease a round cake pan or baking dish and set aside until needed.
    • When the dough has finished rising, remove it from the bowl and place it onto a lightly floured surface (pastry mat or countertop).
      *Make sure to start with a clean work surface before working with the soft dough.
    • Lightly coat the dough with flour and knead the dough by hand 15-20 times to remove the air bubbles, making a smooth dough.
      *Keep some extra flour nearby during the cutting and rolling process so you can keep your hands floured. It will make the dough easier to work with. A bench scraper can make the process easier.
    • Using a sharp knife, divide dough into equal pieces.
      *Using a pastry mat is very helpful with this because you want them to be as close to 2” as possible.
    • Shape the dough into smooth balls and place them close together around the outer edge of your greased round pan.
    • Then, continue adding the dough balls until the pan is full.
      *I used a cake pan, but you can use a baking dish.
    • Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter and, using a pastry brush, coat the top of the homemade rolls with the melted butter.
    • Cover the pan with a towel or cloth napkin and allow the dough balls to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size (rising time is about 30-45 minutes).

    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

    Collage showing final rise of dinner rolls and baked rolls in thepan.
    • When the dinner rolls have risen, place the baking pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
    • Remove the pan from the oven and place the baked rolls on a wire rack to cool.

    *For a change of pace, sprinkle sesame seeds or poppy seeds on top of the rolls before baking.

    dinner rolls in basket with white linen napkin.

    Once cooled, separate the rolls from each other and place the warm dinner rolls in a napkin-lined serving bowl. Don’t forget the salted butter for these pillowy bites of deliciousness!

    Store leftover dinner rolls on the countertop in an airtight container for 1-2 days. The rolls freeze well and can be kept in a well-sealed, freezer-safe container for up to two months. To refresh the rolls, warm them in a 325-degree oven for 2-3 minutes.

    Recipe FAQ’s

    Why are my dinner rolls not light and fluffy?

    The two main reasons your dinner rolls didn’t come out light and fluffy are: -Too much flour. Either it wasn’t measured correctly or you added too much during the kneading and forming process.
    -Overmixing. The more you mix the dough, the more the gluten activates and the tougher the rolls will be.
    The other reason could be the type of flour used. Typically bread flour and high protein all purpose flours will not yield the type of roll you are trying to make.

    What is the best shape for dinner rolls?

    The classic round shape is hard to beat when it comes to dinner rolls, but you can be creative and create other shapes.
    Crescents, knots, and cloverleaf rolls can also be made using this recipe.

    More Recipes You’ll Love!

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    • Stack of Naan Bread.
      Homemade Naan Bread Recipe
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    • Banana bread sliced on a cutting board.
      Best Banana Bread Recipe

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    dinner rolls in basket with white linen napkin.
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    5 from 36 votes

    Classic Dinner Rolls

    Flaky, soft, and buttery, my classic dinner rolls are the perfect addition to your family's dinner table. Serve these delicious soft dinner rolls at your next holiday meal, dinner party, or just to make a weeknight meal extra special.
    Prep Time30 minutes mins
    Cook Time25 minutes mins
    Rise Time2 hours hrs
    Total Time2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: American, French
    Servings: 18
    Calories: 118kcal
    Author: Chef Ryan Littley

    Ingredients

    • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon table salt
    • 1 package active dry yeast
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • ¼ cup warm water
    • 2 tablespoon shortening I use plain crisco
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add the milk to a small saucepan over medium-high heat and heat milk until hot (about 2-3 minutes). Don't let the milk boil!
    • Remove the pan from the heat and add the granulated sugar, table salt, and shortening. Whisk until the shortening has been fully combined with the warm milk.
    • Heat the water to about 100 degrees, then add the active dry yeast to the warm water, mixing to activate the yeast. Let the yeast mixture sit for five minutes, giving it time to bloom.
    • Add the milk mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer)
    • Add one cup flour to the mixing bowl and beat for about one minute.
    • Add the yeast mixture and room-temperature egg to the bowl and continue mixing for one minute or until everything is combined.
      *Make sure to use all of the yeast mixture.
    • Add the remaining flour to the bowl and mix at low speed to incorporate the flour and make the dough. The dough will be a little sticky.
      *Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
    • Lightly dust a large bowl with all-purpose flour (or greased bowl) and add the dinner roll dough to the bowl.
    • Cover the dough with a kitchen towel (or plastic wrap) and let the dough rise for about an hour to an hour and a half until it has doubled in size.
      Make sure to place the dough in a warm place, out of drafts or cold air.
    • When the dough has finished rising, remove it from the bowl and place it onto a lightly floured surface (pastry mat or countertop).
      Make sure to start with a clean work surface before working with the soft dough.
    • Lightly coat the dough with flour and knead the dough 15-20 times to remove the air bubbles, making a smooth dough.
      *Keep some extra flour nearby during the cutting and rolling process so you can keep your hands floured. It will make the dough easier to work with. A bench scraper can make the process easier.
    • Lightly grease a round cake pan or baking dish.
    • Using a sharp knife divide dough into equal pieces.
      *Using a pastry mat is very helpful with this because you want them to be as close to 2” as possible.
    • Shape the dough into smooth balls and place them close together around the outer edge of your greased round pan. Then continue adding the dough balls until the pan is full.
      *I used a cake pan but you can use a baking dish.
    • Melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter and using a pastry brush coat the top of the homemade rolls with the melted butter.
    • Cover the pan with a towel or cloth napkin and allow the dough balls to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size (rising time is about 30-45 minutes).
    • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
    • Place the baking pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
    • Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool.
    • Once cooled, separate the rolls from each other and place the warm dinner rolls in a napkin-lined serving bowl.

    Notes

    While the rolls are best when first made, they can be made a day ahead of time and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 37IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

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    My name is Dennis Littley or “Chef Dennis” as I’m known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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