Soft Dinner Rolls
Soft, fluffy homemade dinner rolls with active dry yeast and buttery golden tops. Easy enough for a beginner and good for Thanksgiving.
16% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 30 min
- Cooking
- 22 min
- Resting
- 2 hr 15 min
- Serves
- 12
- Calories
- 215
- Protein
- 5 g
- Per serving
- $0.21
Why this recipe works
Homemade dinner rolls take a few hours, but almost all of that is the dough rising on its own. Hands-on work is about 30 minutes. For a holiday, shape them the night before and bake them the next day while the turkey rests.
- Milk, butter, sugar and an egg make an enriched dough that bakes up soft and tender rather than crusty.
- Proofing the yeast in milk warmed to 110°F proves it's alive before you add the flour, so the rolls are sure to rise.
- Baking the rolls close together in one pan makes them rise up instead of out, with soft pull-apart sides.
Ingredients
You will need
- Stand mixer with dough hook (or a large bowl)
- 9x13-inch baking pan
- Instant-read thermometer
- Pastry brush
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Proof the yeast
Stir the warm milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in the mixer bowl. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. No foam means the yeast is dead or the milk was too hot.
Make the dough
Add the remaining sugar, egg, softened butter, salt and 3 cups of the flour. Mix with the dough hook on low, then add flour a little at a time until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Knead on medium-low until smooth, elastic and slightly tacky, 6 to 8 minutes (10 minutes by hand).
First rise
Shape into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, 1 to 1½ hours.
Shape
Grease the pan. Punch the dough down, divide into 12 equal pieces (about 2.7 oz each) and roll each into a tight, smooth ball. Arrange in 3 rows of 4.
Second rise
Cover and let rise until puffy and touching, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Heat the oven to 375°F during the last 20 minutes.
Bake
Bake until golden brown and the center roll reads 190°F, 20 to 24 minutes. Brush with melted butter as soon as they come out.
Cook's notes
- Milk above 120°F can kill yeast. Without a thermometer, it should feel just warm on your wrist, like a baby's bottle.
- Add flour sparingly. Slightly tacky dough makes soft rolls; stiff, dry dough makes dense ones.
- To make ahead, shape the rolls, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. Let them rise at room temperature for 1 to 1½ hours before baking.
Nutrition per serving
215 calories
$0.21 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 9% of calories | 5 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 61% of calories | 32 g |
| Fat | 30% of calories | 7 g |
| Fiber | 1 g | |
| Sodium | 210 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Why didn't my dinner rolls rise?
Usually the yeast was old or the milk was too hot and killed it, or the kitchen was cold. Proof the yeast first: if it foams, it's alive. A warm spot such as an oven with just the light on speeds a slow rise.
Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry?
Yes, use the same amount. You can skip the proofing step and mix it straight into the flour; the first rise may be 15 to 20 minutes faster.
Can you make dinner rolls ahead for Thanksgiving?
Yes. Shape and refrigerate them overnight, then rise and bake the next day. Or bake them up to a day ahead and rewarm, covered in foil, at 350°F for 10 minutes.
