Making homemade dinner rolls is a rewarding process that results in soft, fluffy, and delicious bread perfect for any meal. Follow these step-by-step instructions to prepare, knead, shape, and bake your rolls to perfection. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a beginner, this guide will help you create bakery-quality rolls right in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to approximately 110°F (43°C)
- 2 & 1/4 teaspoons (1 standard packet) Platinum Yeast from Red Star instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour or bread flour* (spooned and leveled)
- Optional Topping
- 2 tablespoons (28g) melted unsalted butter mixed with 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
1. Prepare the Dough
Start by whisking warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a large mixing bowl and mix the dough with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. While a hand mixer can work, the sticky dough often gets stuck in the beaters, so mixing by hand is a better option.
Add the remaining sugar, egg, butter, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Using a dough hook or paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the remaining flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough is too wet to knead, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it becomes workable. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky but manageable with lightly floured hands.
2. Knead the Dough
Continue kneading the dough in the mixer for 5 minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. If you’re new to kneading, refer to a video tutorial for guidance. If the dough becomes too sticky, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or work surface to achieve a soft, slightly tacky texture. Avoid adding too much flour, as this can dry out the dough.
To check if the dough is ready, poke it with your finger—it should slowly bounce back. You can also perform a “windowpane test”: tear off a small piece of dough and gently stretch it until it’s thin enough for light to pass through. If it doesn’t tear, the dough is ready to rise.
3. First Rise
Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm environment for 1-2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
4. Prepare the Baking Pan
While the dough rises, grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or two 9-inch square or round pans. You can also use a cast iron skillet or a lined baking sheet.
5. Shape the Rolls
Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release the air. Divide it into 14-16 equal pieces (eyeballing is fine). Shape each piece into a smooth ball and arrange them in the prepared baking pan.
6. Second Rise
Cover the shaped rolls with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Let them rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
7. Bake the Rolls
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and adjust the oven rack to a lower position to prevent the tops from burning. Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through. If the tops brown too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. Once baked, brush the rolls with optional honey butter topping and let them cool slightly before serving.
8. Storage
Store leftover rolls tightly covered at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Additional Notes
Freezing Instructions
Unbaked Rolls: After shaping, place the rolls in a greased baking pan, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to a freezer bag if needed. To bake, arrange them in a greased pan, cover, and let them thaw and rise for 4-5 hours before baking as directed.
Baked Rolls: Allow the baked rolls to cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, and reheat in a 300°F (149°C) oven for about 10 minutes.
Overnight Instructions
Refrigerate Shaped Rolls: After shaping, cover the rolls tightly and refrigerate for up to 15 hours. Remove them 3 hours before baking, let them rise on the counter for 1-2 hours, and then bake.
Refrigerate Dough: Alternatively, let the dough have its first rise in the refrigerator overnight. Cover it tightly and refrigerate for up to 15 hours. Remove, let it rise for 2 more hours, and proceed with shaping and baking.
Special Tools
Electric stand mixer or glass mixing bowl and wooden spoon/spatula
9×13-inch glass baking pan (preferred for even browning)
Bench scraper
Pastry brush
Ingredient Tips
Yeast: Platinum Yeast from Red Star is recommended, but active dry yeast can also be used (rise times will be slightly longer).
Flour: All-purpose flour works well, but bread flour will yield chewier rolls. Both options produce soft and fluffy results.
Enjoy your homemade dinner rolls!
