Warm, homemade dinner rolls make any meal feel like a special one. These are soft, fluffy and lightly sweet, brushed with butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
A batch costs very little. Flour, milk, yeast, sugar and butter are the whole recipe.
If you’ve never baked with yeast, this is a friendly place to start. The dough is simple, there’s one short rise and one shorter one, and most of the 75 minutes is hands-off.
Ingredients and Swaps
- Milk: Warm, about 105–110°F. It should feel like warm bath water. Too hot and it kills the yeast.
- Yeast: Active dry yeast, one standard packet. Instant yeast works too and can be mixed straight in without waiting for it to foam.
- Flour: All-purpose flour. Bread flour makes a chewier roll.
- Sugar: Feeds the yeast and adds a hint of sweetness. Honey works too.
- Butter: In the dough and brushed on top.
Tips for Soft, Fluffy Rolls
- Check the yeast. If the milk mixture isn’t foamy after 5–10 minutes, the yeast is old or the milk was too hot. Start again with fresh yeast.
- Don’t add too much flour. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky. A stiff dough makes dense rolls.
- Knead until smooth. Five to seven minutes by hand, until the dough is elastic and springs back when poked.
- Find a warm spot to rise. An oven with just the light on works well.
- Let them touch. Rolls baked close together in a dish rise up, not out, and stay soft on the sides.
Prices are from Walmart’s and ALDI’s websites for stores in Columbus, Ohio, checked in October 2026. Ohio’s grocery prices are within about 1% of the national average, so you may pay more or less depending on where you live, and prices change often. Here’s how we price our recipes.
Cost: Ingredients – $1.18 from Walmart, $1.13 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.14 to $0.15
Soft Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
Method
- Stir the warm milk, sugar and yeast together in a large bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes, until foamy.
- Add the melted butter, salt and flour. Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Knead on a lightly floured surface for 5–7 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm spot for 30–40 minutes, until doubled.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, shape them into balls and arrange in a greased 9-inch round or 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Cover and let rise for 10–15 minutes while the oven preheats to 375°F.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, until golden on top.
- Brush with butter right away and serve warm.
Notes
- Brush with garlic butter for savory rolls.
- Add 1 tablespoon of honey to the dough for slightly sweeter rolls.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt before baking.
How to Make Them Ahead
- Overnight: Shape the rolls, place them in the dish, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 18 hours. Let them sit at room temperature for 45–60 minutes before baking.
- Freeze baked rolls: Cool completely and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm at 300°F for 5–8 minutes.
Storage and Reheating
- Store in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Warm in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes, or microwave a roll for 10 seconds.
- Day-old rolls make very good sliders. See our Ham and Cheese Sliders.
Serve them with Roasted Whole Turkey with Herbs, Pineapple-Honey Glazed Ham or a bowl of Easy Chicken Noodle Soup.
Dinner Roll Questions
Can I double the recipe?
Yes. Double everything and bake 16 rolls in a 9×13-inch dish. The baking time stays about the same.
Can I use a stand mixer?
Yes. Knead with the dough hook on medium-low for 4–5 minutes.
Why are my rolls dense?
Usually too much flour, yeast that didn’t activate or a rise that was cut short. The dough should roughly double in size on the first rise.
