Name: Dinner Rolls Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 77 min
Ingredients: 4-5 cups all-purpose flour; 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (instant, rapid-rise (1 packet)); 1/4 cup sugar; 2 tablespoons honey; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 large egg (room temperature); 1 1/2 cups whole milk (warmed to 110º F); 1/2 cup butter (melted )

Easy dinner rolls recipe makes light, fluffy, buttery, and the best dinner roll! They are the perfect addition to any meal!

Dinner rolls have always made a favorite part of my family’s holiday meals, such as Easter, Mother’s Day, and Christmas. But I must admit, they make any night’s dinner feel even more special!

Photo of buttery dinner rolls in a white baking dish on a marble counter.

This dinner roll recipe comes together quickly and easily with simple ingredients that I generally keep on hand. They are hands down a crowd favorite! Serve them with a slather of softened butter and watch them disappear!

These dinner rolls are right up there with my husband’s Cinnamon Rolls as family favorites!

How to Make the Best Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.

For these dinner rolls, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Flour – I use all-purpose flour for these rolls. If you use bread flour, it will produce a chewier roll.
Yeast – I use a rapid rise, instant yeast in this recipe. This allows the dough to rise more quickly.
Sweetener – The sweetener feeds the yeast to help it grow and the rolls to rise. I use both sugar and honey in my dinner roll recipe as it gives the best flavor, in my opinion. If you do not like the taste of honey, you can increase the sugar used in the recipe to make up for the honey.
Salt – The salt adds flavor to the rolls. I use kosher salt in this recipe.
Milk – the milk is what helps activate the yeast. You’ll want to be sure that the milk is 110ºF.
Butter – I use melted butter in the dough, to brush the bowl I use for the dough to rise, to brush the baking dish I use for baking the rolls, and then I love to brush a few tablespoons on the warm rolls.
Egg – allow the egg to reach room temperature to help it mix more easily into the dough.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Ingredients to make dough for dinner rolls in a stand mixer.

Make the dough. Add 3 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, honey, salt, yeast, milk, butter, and egg to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.

Dough in a stand mixer with more flour added to it.

Add flour. Slowly add 1/2 cup more flour at a time to the dough until the dough begins to pull away from the edges of the bowl.

Knead and cover the dough. Knead the dough until it is smooth and place into a lightly buttered glass bowl. Cover with wrap and place in a warm, draft-free area and let it rise until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.

Formed rolls in a baking dish ready to rise and be baked.

Shape into rolls and rise. Portion the dough into 24 similarly sized pieces and place them into a buttered baking dish or baking sheet. Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.

Baked dinner rolls brushed with butter and sprinkled with salt.

Bake and serve. Place the rolls in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt, if desired. Serve warm.

Photo of buttery, tender dinner roll on a white plate with baking dish in the background.

Homemade Dinner Rolls Overview

Make the dough.

Knead the dough.

Cover the dough and let it rise.

Punch down the dough to release the air and shape it into rolls.

Let the rolls rise.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Storage Tips

To make ahead. Allow the rolls to cool. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days.

To freeze. Portion the rolls and place them into a freezer-safe baking dish or on a baking sheet. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then foil. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then allow to sit on the counter to reach room temperature as the oven is preheating. Bake as directed.

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