Want to learn how to make homemade dinner rolls? This dinner roll recipe is so easy, even novice cooks can make them! These dinner rolls are soft, buttery, and delicious! Homemade dinner rolls go well with some many entrée dishes and will surely impress your friends and family! This homemade dinner roll recipe is a staple in my house, and I’m sure this dinner roll recipe will quickly become a staple in yours too!

Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls Recipe

Fresh homemade dinner rolls for dinner makes a meal special. You sit down and breathe in the toasty bread aroma and reach out to grab a round roll that feels soft with a light crusty firmness.  It isn’t long before the layers of bready goodness are gone!  Dinner rolls fresh from the oven are the best and we have an easy recipe that will help make this dinner roll dream a reality!

I am a sucker for freshly baked rolls, steaming from the oven, butter melting as soon as it’s spread on–yum! It’s so easy to make dinner rolls from scratch! You can also make a few batches at once and freeze them for added convenience during busy nights. Even better, this recipe is made with basic pantry and fridge staples!

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Related: Check out this Bread for Dummies Guide! It’s a super easy yeast bread recipe!

This Homemade Rolls Recipe:

• Yields: 24 rolls
• Prep: 20 minutes, plus rising time
• Cook time: 12-14 minutes

Ingredients Needed For Homemade Dinner Rolls Recipe

• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 package (¼ oz) active dry yeast
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 ½ to 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs

How To Make Homemade Dinner Rolls

Once you have assembled all of your ingredients (and your kitchen helpers!), these dinner rolls are so easy to bake, and then freeze for a quick reheat on busy nights! 

This roll recipe is perfect for a last minute meal idea!

Step 1

In a small saucepan, combine milk, water and butter. Heat to 120 degrees F.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, yeast, salt, and 2 cups flour.

Step 3

Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes.

Step 4

Add eggs and mix on high for 2 minutes.

Step 5

Gradually add flour 1 cup at a time until mixture forms a soft ball.

Step 6

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, 5-8 minutes adding more flour until the dough becomes elastic.

Step 7

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl.

Step 8

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 90 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.

Step 9

Spray 2 baking dishes (13×9 size) with cooking spray.

Step 10

Punch down the dough and form into 24 rolls.

Step 11

Place each ball into baking dish, 12 in each.

Step 12

Cover and let rise 60-90 minutes or until the rolls double in size.

Step 13

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 14

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.

Step 15

Brush with melted butter if desired.

Step 16

Store leftovers in airtight container.

Recipe Notes:

• Let the dough ball rest in a warm place or room temperature. They will rise quicker and get bigger. Making very soft dinner rolls. 
• Use some of the remaining flour to flour your work surface to keep the rolls from sticking if you knead by hand.

How Do I Make Gluten Free Dinner Rolls?

This recipe can be adapted to a gluten free diet! Just swap out the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free all purpose flour. Make sure that your gluten free all-purpose flour has xantham gum in it, as it is binding and agent that does what gluten would do in a regular bread recipe, by holding everything together and adding elasticity to the dough. I prefer using King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour. 

Be sure to check all labels to ensure the remaining ingredients are gluten free, especially if you are cooking for someone with an allergy or Celiac disease, to prevent cross contamination. 

Are These Dinner Rolls Vegan, Dairy-Free, or Egg-Free? 

• It is easy to make these dinner rolls vegan and dairy-free by swapping out a few ingredients. Replace the cow’s milk with a plant-based milk. I prefer almond milk as it doesn’t leave any extra flavor.
• You will also need to replace the butter with vegan butter, and then omit the eggs, using a store bought egg replacement, or you can make your own! So, this recipe can be tailored to be egg-free, too. 
• There are a couple of ways to make an egg replacement. You can use 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce along with 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to make “one egg”.
• If you are worried about the applesauce affecting the flavor of a bread or roll recipe, try a flax meal egg substitute. Mix one tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal and three tablespoons of water to make “one egg”. 

Easy Dinner Roll Recipe

These easy dinner rolls are delicious. They are perfect for any big dinner and there are so many ways to eat them! Add:

• Butter
• Honey Butter
• Honey
• Compound Butters

These rolls are perfect just before or for big dinners like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter.

Why Use Active Dry Yeast?

There are so many different types of yeast like instant yeast, rapid rise yeast. So why active dry yeast? By using active dry yeast you have to bloom it guaranteeing it is still alive.

Why Are My Homemade Rolls Tough?

If your homemade rolls are tough, then there could be a couple things.

1. You may have overmixed the bread. I know many of us use a dough hook instead of doing it by hand, but it’s easy to overmix.
2. You didn’t mix enough. Yes, dough is finicky, but if you don’t knead the dough enough the gluten can’t develop properly.
3. You used too much flour and now the texture is heavy.

How Do I Freeze Raw Roll Dough?

Don’t want to make a big batch of rolls? No problem! Put your rolls on a baking sheet and let them freeze in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Take them out and then put them in a freezer bag. To thaw, remove the dough a day before you want to bake them. Arrange them on your baking pan and cover them and let them thaw overnight in the fridge.

Yield: 24 rolls

Homemade Dinner Rolls

Print

Often, I opt for store bought over homemade because I am short on time. This homemade dinner rolls recipe is quick, easy, and yummy!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes 12 seconds

Total Time 34 minutes 12 seconds

Ingredients

• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 package (¼ oz) active dry yeast
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 ½ to 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, combine milk, water and butter. Heat to 120 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, yeast, salt and 2 cups flour.
3. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add eggs and mix on high for 2 minutes.
5. Gradually add flour 1 cup at a time until mixture forms a soft ball.
6. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, 5-8 minutes adding more flour, until the dough becomes elastic.
7. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl.
8. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 90 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.
9. Spray 2 baking dishes (13x9 size) with cooking spray.
10. Punch down the dough and form into 24 rolls.
11. Place each ball into baking dish, 12 in each.
12. Cover and let rise 60-90 minutes or until the rolls double in size.
13. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
14. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.
15. Brush with melted butter if desired. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

More Delicious Homemade Bread Recipes From Kids Activities Blog

• Don’t miss our traditional Irish soda bread recipe.
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• I love this easy bread recipe for kids.
• What’s better than homemade cheesy bread?!
• You really have to try this easy cinnamon swirl bread.
• This super easy monkey bread recipe is out of this world.

Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas From kids Activities Blog

If you’re as busy during week nights as my family is, you will love these simple and delicious dinner ideas that can be meal prepped ahead of time! I usually spend the weekend meal prepping as much as possible so that i only have to reheat things during the busy week.

• Start with 5 healthy one pan meals for a week.This literally gives you everything you need to prepare a week’s worth of meals!
• Simplistically Living‘s one pan rosemary chicken dinner is delicious, easy, and healthy! 
• If you’re looking to save time, a slow cooker will be your best friend! Here are 25 healthy slow cooker recipes to try. 
• Taco tater tot casserole is a Taco Tuesday hit in my house! 
• Check out these 15 minute dinner recipes for quick dinner ideas. 
• If you want something to perfectly pair with these rolls, check out this list of One Pot Pasta Recipes!
• We have super yummy sheet pan sausage dinner!

What dish would you serve these homemade dinner rolls with? Comment below! I love dipping them into a steaming bowl of potato soup!