Soft Dinner Rolls

Two dinner rolls displayed with others in a baking pan.

Soft dinner rolls are the best addition to your next family dinner or holiday meal. They're fluffy, buttery, and turn out perfectly golden brown on top.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 22

Resting time 2

Total Time 2 42

Servings or more rolls

Author Heather

Ingredients

1 cup (227 g) whole milk
¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter sliced into pieces
3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast one standard packet
3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (for brushing on top)

Instructions

In a microwave safe bowl, add milk and butter pieces. Microwave in 20 second increments until butter has melted and mixture is warm to the touch, but not hot (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit).
Whisk in sugar and yeast and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Mixture will look foamy and bubbly. (If it's not foamy after 5 minutes, your yeast may be expired and rolls will not rise properly.)
Meanwhile, add flour, salt, and egg to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or dough hook.
Add yeast mixture to the stand mixer. Mix on low until a soft, sticky dough forms.
Beat on medium speed until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl (this takes about 2 minutes). If dough looks wet and sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together and looks soft and slightly tacky, not sticky.
Beat for an additional 5 minutes. Dough should feel soft and slowly bounce back when pressed.
Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, tossing dough to coat all sides, and lightly cover. Allow to rise for about 1 hour at room temperature, or until doubled in size.
Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
Punch dough down to release air. Divide dough into 12 equal sized pieces (use a bench scraper for easy dividing). For smaller rolls, divide dough into 15-18 pieces.
Roll each piece into a round, smooth ball and place into the prepared pan.
Lightly cover rolls with a towel and allow to rise at room temperature, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350℉ and adjust rack to the center of the oven (so the tops and bottoms brown evenly).
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and brush over rolls. Bake for 22-26 minutes, or until golden brown across the tops and the centers reach 195F in the center. Allow to cool slightly.
Optionally, brush with more melted butter and top with flaky sea salt just before serving.

Video

Notes

Yeast: This recipe can be prepared with instant or dry active yeast. If using dry active yeast, your rise times will take slightly (15-20 minutes) longer.
To prepare without a stand mixer: Mix ingredients in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, knead the dough for 10 minutes. Dough will look smooth, slightly tacky, and slowly springs back when gently pressed.
Overnight directions: After you've shaped your dough into rolls and placed them in the 9x13 pan, cover and transfer to the refrigerator to rest overnight. This replaces the second 1-hour rise in the recipe card. When you're ready to bake your rolls, pull them out of the refrigerator while your oven preheats, then bake as directed in the recipe card.
Storage: Keeps 2-3 days at room temperature, frozen for up to 3 months

Nutrition