Description
These Best Homemade Dinner Rolls are soft, fluffy, and buttery with a perfect golden-brown crust. Made from scratch with simple ingredients like yeast, milk, butter, and flour, they’re the ultimate accompaniment to any meal. Perfect for holiday dinners, family gatherings, or cozy weeknight meals, these rolls come out warm, tender, and utterly irresistible every time.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- ½ cup warm water (about 105°F)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 6 tablespoons salted butter (melted and cooled)
- 1 cup whole milk (room temperature)
- 1 egg (room temperature, lightly beaten)
- ½ tablespoon sea salt
- 3-4 cups all-purpose flour
Topping
- 2 tablespoons salted butter (melted)
- Coarse sea salt (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Line the pan: Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper; set aside to prepare for baking the rolls.
- Proof the yeast: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine warm water, granulated sugar, and active dry yeast. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Make the dough: Once the yeast is foamy, add melted butter, whole milk, and lightly beaten egg to the mixer bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add flour and salt: Add 3 cups of all-purpose flour and sea salt to the wet ingredients. Use the dough hook to knead the mixture, adding more flour gradually until a slightly tacky dough ball forms, soft but manageable.
- First rise: Grease a large bowl generously and transfer the dough into it. Cover it with a damp cloth and set the bowl in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size.
- Deflate and shape: After the dough has doubled, lightly flour your hands and gently press the dough to remove any trapped gas. Divide the dough evenly into 12 equal pieces (using a food scale for precision), and roll each piece into a smooth ball.
- Arrange dough balls: Place the 12 dough balls onto the prepared baking pan, spacing them evenly in four rows of three.
- Second rise: Cover the shaped dough balls with a damp towel, making sure it doesn’t touch the dough, and allow them to rise again in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 to 60 minutes.
- Preheat oven: When the rolls have risen about halfway through the second rise, preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Bake: Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the rolls sound hollow when tapped or reach an internal temperature of 185-190°F.
- Brush with butter and salt: Immediately remove the rolls from the oven and brush generously with melted butter. Sprinkle coarse sea salt over the top while warm.
- Cool and serve: Let the rolls cool slightly before serving warm to enjoy their soft, buttery texture.
Notes
- Ingredient substitutions: Whole milk is recommended but 2% or half and half can be used. All-purpose flour is preferred for the best texture; for whole wheat options, try a dedicated whole wheat roll recipe. Granulated sugar can be replaced with honey if desired. Unsalted butter can be substituted for salted butter.
- Make ahead and freeze: After shaping the dough into balls and placing them in the pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil or a lid before the second rise. Freeze for up to 1 month.
- Baking after freezing: Thaw frozen rolls completely at room temperature and allow them to rise fully before baking as per recipe instructions. Alternatively, bake directly from frozen at 325°F for 25 minutes, then increase oven to 375°F and bake 10 more minutes.
- Storage: Store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Alternatively, freeze baked rolls in airtight containers or ziplock bags for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
