This dinner roll recipe took Chef Rachel Farnsworth over 5 years of testing to develop. It has since been enjoyed by millions of people around the world with thousands and thousands of rave reviews, heralded as the best dinner rolls on the internet. In addition to being published in her best-selling cookbook The Stay At Home Chef Family Favorites, this dinner roll recipe is used in restaurants and bakeries around the world. And now, it’s all yours!
Why Our Recipe
- Tried and true recipe for soft, fluffy, buttery dinner rolls worthy of a bakery every time.
- This recipe works for any skill level. Use a stand mixer or knead by hand.
- Make ahead instructions and freezer instructions included!
Whether you are new to bread making or an experienced baker, this recipe is sure to please. These homemade dinner rolls deliver bakery-quality results every single time. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a beginner, this recipe has you covered. Use a stand mixer for convenience or knead the dough by hand if you prefer a more hands-on approach. You’ll get pillowy soft melt-in-your-mouth perfection either way!
Ingredient Notes
- Warm Milk: Make sure the milk is between 100°F to 110°F. Heat it on the stove or in the microwave. Use a thermometer for accuracy or test with your finger—it should feel warm but not hot. Use whole milk, 2% or 1% for best results. Skim and dairy milk alternatives can also work.
- Instant Dry Yeast: Instant yeast doesn’t need to be activated beforehand. If you only have active dry yeast, adjust the rising times slightly as noted in the instructions.
- Granulated Sugar: Yup, just regular old sugar. Brown sugar can also be used if you want to add in that hint of molasses.
- Salt: Stick with standard table salt for accurate measurements.
- Salted Butter: Make sure you use softened butter so it mixes in to the dough. If you only have unsalted butter, add an extra pinch of salt.
- Eggs: Grade AA large eggs will do.
- All-Purpose Flour: Start with 5 1/2 cups and gradually add more as needed. Bread flour can be used in the same amount for a slightly chewier texture, using the same amount.
- Melted Butter: Brushed on after baking for a shiny finish and buttery flavor.
No stand mixer? No Problem!
You can knead your dough by hand! Start out by stirring with a spoon until it becomes too difficult to stir. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead it with your hands, gradually adding in more flour and folding, pressing, and working the dough (kneading) until you have a soft and smooth dough ball that is tacky, but not sticky enough to stick to your hands.
Active Dry Yeast Vs Instant
Instant dry yeast can be added straight to dry ingredients and doesn’t require any waiting period or proofing. It also rises a bit quicker. Active dry yeast is a bigger size of granule and generally needs to be dissolved in a liquid before adding to a recipe. It activates a bit slower so expect 10-15 minutes extra in rising time.
Go by Feel
The exact amount of flour you add in bread making can vary a great deal so it’s important to go by feel. I like to say you can feel a soft roll just by touching the dough. The dough should be smooth and slightly tacky, but still very soft and pliable. If it is sticking to your hands or the sides of the bowl, you need more flour. If you add too much flour and the dough stiffens, your rolls will also get a little stiff so always add additional flour a small amount at a time.
Pro Tip: Equal Size Rolls
The best way to ensure that your rolls are equal in size is to weigh them. Weigh the entire batch of dough using a kitchen scale and divide that weight by 24. This will give you your target weight for each roll. Usually, this is somewhere around 2.5 ounces.
Shaping Rolls
Once you have your dough divided into 24 pieces you can shape your rolls. Place your hand into a cupping shape parallel to a clean countertop. Place the dough ball between the palm of your hand and the countertop. Roll the dough in a circular motion between your palm and the countertop for approximately 30 to 45 seconds until you have a smooth, round ball.
Measuring Flour
The flour you buy at the store these days is generally pre-sifted. There is no need to sift your flour. I prefer the scoop and sweep method as it is ultra-convenient. Simply give your flour a fluff, use your measuring cup to scoop out the flour, and level off the top. Weighing your flour using a kitchen scale is the only way to ensure complete accuracy. Even then, bread making is both fickle and forgiving and the actual amount of flour you add can change just due to the humidity in the air. When making this roll recipe, it is best to go by the touch and feel of the dough. 1 cup of flour is approximately 125 grams.
Freezer Instructions
You can freeze dinner rolls for later baking immediately after you shape them into rolls. When ready to eat, remove them from the freezer and allow to thaw and produce their second rise until double in size before baking. This can take anywhere between 1 to 2 hours, depending on the temperature in your home.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Need to make your dough ahead of time while you are busy doing other things? Make your dough as directed and let it rise for the initial 90 minutes. Shape the dough into rolls and place them on your baking sheet. Instead of letting them rise for an additional 60 minutes, cover the shaped rolls with plastic wrap and place the pan directly into the refrigerator. While it doesn’t stop it completely, the cool temperature of the fridge will slow the growth of your yeast. Your rolls will only rise slightly while refrigerated and you can hold them this way for up to 24 hours.
When ready to bake, remove them from the fridge and allow the rolls to rise at room temperature while your oven preheats, about 30 minutes. Continue to bake as directed.
Storage Instructions
Store in a plastic bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 72 hours.
More perfect bread recipes…
Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Ever
2 hrs 14 mins
Ultimate Guide to Homemade Bread
3 hrs 25 mins
Homemade Breadsticks
1 hr 18 mins
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
How much of an impact would there be if my tired self read 1/4 tsp of sugar instead of cup? Should I redo now? It how been proofing for 30 minutes so far.
Well they won’t be very sweet, but 1/4 tsp may be enough to feed the yeast. If it rises, you’ll know you are fine.
Thank you! I have enough time before dinner that if I need to redo I can! *fingers crossed* I will update!
Update: rolls did rise, but baked dense. Still taste good and will go great to jelly! Next time I will read directions!
It won’t give me the recipe, the directions or let me watch the video. Please email it to me….. please.
These rolls look delicious. I was wanting to make these for Thanksgiving but we eat rather early in the day. If I make them the day before, how do you recommend reheating them (temperature and how long)? Also, should I store them at room temperature?
You can just bake them the day before. They will still be soft and delicious. If you want to warm them just pop them in a pan, cover it with foil, and warm in the oven at 150 to 200 degrees.
How long do you mix it in the mixer? I’m new to making rolls so not sure when the dough is ready. It was all incorporated but still very sticky. I was afraid to overmix so I just took it out and letting it rise now. Hope it works!
If it is still sticky, add more flour. The amount of flour you add when baking bread is always an estimate and varies based on many different factors.
Thanks, Rachel. I baked them actually almost 15 mins because they don’t brown much. The texture is kind of doughy and not as light and fluffy as I thought they would be. Did I do something wrong? So if sticky I add flour until the dough can pull away from the side? Thanks!
Hi, can I put cheddar cheese (or any kind of cheese) inside the dough while baking?
Yes you can!
I skimmed all the comments, but didn’t see a question about using other liquids instead of milk, like pineapple juice to make them tase like homemade hawaiin rolls? Or, could I use part milk and part pineapple juice? Also, I wondered if you have a breakdown of the carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, fats, etc? This would be helpful for us diabetics. I’m also lactose intolerant, that’s why I was wanting to substitute the milk altogether if that’s possible. I’ll wait for your response before making thee. Thanks in advance. I’m so glad my best friend shared this video with me. I Can’t wait to try it. And, I agree whole heartedly about the raisins. Robin
Yes, you could do part milk and part pineapple juice for a more hawaiian roll effect, though I haven’t personally tested it. I do not add nutrition information to my recipes as I am not a registered dietician and any nutrition info I would give would be from an online calculator which are never completely accurate.
Best dinner rolls ever made! I did the weight measurements, but on,y got 21 rolls. I will try and do 2.3-2.4 next time. Thanks for a great recipe.
yummy love it send me some
Normally, I stink at making rolls. I have no idea why. I can rock out some drop biscuits, but rolls or bread… not so much. But these were absolutely AMAZING. So easy and so yummy! I cannot WAIT to make these again for the holidays!!!! Or for well… anytime! Thanks for sharing and I’d have never found it if it weren’t for an FB post. 😀 😀 😀
How much active dry yeast should be used (as a substitute)? If you proof the yeast in 1/4 cup of warm milk, should that 1/4 cup be a part of the 2 cups of milk in your recipe?
The same amount.