These homemade dinner rolls have been a favorite in our family for generations. We serve them with soup, salad, and of course, Thanksgiving dinner!
Our mom made these homemade rolls as far back as I can remember on Sundays and special occasions. They are definitely a favorite of our family and always get devoured. They are so soft, fluffy, buttery, and go perfectly with ANY meal!
How to make dinner rolls fluffy and soft
If you follow this recipe, you will get soft, fluffy dinner rolls every time. The best way you can tell if you are going to get soft rolls is by how the dough rises. If your dough isn’t rising well, your rolls are going to be more dense. Make sure your yeast is activated in the warm water and sugar mixture before you add it to the bowl of other ingredients. It should look foamy, not liquid-y. Always check the labels on your yeast packages to make sure they aren’t expired and that you are using it within 4-6 months from the first use. Also, be sure to keep yeast refrigerated or frozen after breaking the original seal.
How to make dough without a stand mixer
No stand mixer? No problem. After you add the flour, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead the dough by hand until it is soft and smooth. Add a flour a little at a time as needed, but not too much. You want the dough to be soft but not too dense or the rolls won’t be as fluffy as you would probably like.
What to put on homemade rolls
When we were growing up, we always served these rolls with butter and honey. Of course you can just serve them with butter or with a little jam. You can also turn dinner rolls into sliders. We love making extra rolls at Thanksgiving so we can make leftover turkey sliders the next day. So many possibilities!
How to store homemade dinner rolls
We have found the best way to store homemade dinner rolls is to allow them to cool and then place them in a Ziploc bag. Seal the bag tightly and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If you would like to re-heat them in the microwave, you can wrap them one at a time in a paper towel and heat for 7-8 seconds.
Can dinner rolls be frozen?
Absolutely! When you prepare the rolls, use COLD milk. Make them as you normally would but form them before they rise. Remove them from the mixer and knead the dough by hand on a floured surface until you can form the balls. Place them on a greased baking sheet and freeze them right away. You don’t want them to rise at all. Once frozen, place them in a plastic sealed bag and store for up to 6 months.
How to reheat frozen dinner rolls
You would re-hear these much like you would Rhodes frozen dinner rolls. Place them in a greased 9×13 baking dish at room temperature, cover, and allow them to thaw rise for anywhere from 2-6 hours depending on how warm it is where they are thawing. Once they have risen, bake them as you normally would per the instructions below. Don’t forget to butter them when they come out of the oven!
How to Make Dinner Rolls
Homemade dinner rolls are SO easy to make. The hardest thing about this recipe is just having a little patience while the dough rises. First you combine the ingredients.
Add flour and mix.
Let the dough rise
Form into rolls and let rise again.
Bake, butter, and serve!
The Best Dinner Rolls From Scratch
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp yeast active, dry
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 c. warm water
- 1 c. whole milk scalded (microwave for 1.5 min)
- 1/2 c. butter softened
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 5-6 c. flour
- 2-3 Tbsp butter melted
Instructions
- Combine yeast, 1 Tbsp sugar, and warm water in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large stand-mixer bowl combine, add scalded milk, softened butter, 1/2 c. sugar, salt, and egg. Stir until well combined.
- Stir in yeast mixture.
- Add 4 c. flour and mix using the dough hook attachment.
- Add 1/2 c. flour at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, it should still be slightly sticky. You may need more flour or even a little less than the full amount-- it is best to eyeball this and go by feel than exact amounts.
- Slightly oil a large mixing bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn once to lightly cover dough in oil.
- Cover lightly with plastic wrap or light kitchen cloth.
- Allow dough to rise for 1 hour.
- Punch down dough. Lightly knead on a floured surface if dough is too sticky.
- Break off sections to form into small rolls. They should be roughly the size of a ping-pong ball (or approximately 2 oz.).
- Pinch the bottom of the rolls (so you have a smooth, round top) and place seam-side down in a greased 9x13 glass baking dish. You should be able to get 6 rows of 4 rolls (24 rolls total) and possibly a few extra.
- Cover lightly with plastic wrap (greased so dough doesn't stick to it) or light kitchen towel and allow to rise 30-45 minutes or until rolls have at least doubled in size.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops of the rolls become light golden brown.
- Remove from oven and brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter. Cool slightly and serve.
Rita says
what wattage microwave for the milk? or what watt micro did you use?
Favorite Family Recipes says
We have a 1,000 watt microwave. Hope this helps!