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Best Homemade Dinner Rolls made from scratch. Perfect dinner rolls made with simple ingredients. Steps on how to make the best dinner rolls ever. www.modernhoney.com
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5 from 3 votes

The Best Homemade Dinner Rolls

Buttery, fluffy homemade dinner rolls are always a huge hit!
Prep Time3 hours
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time3 hours 12 minutes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Keyword: homemade dinner rolls
Servings: 20
Author: Melissa Stadler, Modern Honey

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Yeast
  • 1/4 cup Warm Water
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Butter softened
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 cup Whole or 2% Milk best warmed
  • 4 3/4 cups Flour may need to add more
  • 2 teaspoons Salt

  • Brush on top of rolls:
  • 4 - 8 Tablespoons Butter softened

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, add yeast, warm water, and sugar and set aside to proof. Let the yeast bubble and foam for 10 minutes.
  • In a stand mixer or large bowl, cream butter and sugar for 1 minute. Add eggs and milk and mix for 2 more minutes. Add in proofed yeast mixture.
  • Pour in flour and salt. Mix for 5-7 minutes. Watch for the dough to start to come off the sides of the bowl. Add 1-3 Tablespoons of flour, if needed.
  • Cover bowl and set aside to rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1-2 hours. If you want to expedite the rising process, heat the oven to 200 degrees, turn off the oven, and place the oven-safe bowl to rise until double in size.
  • Once the dough is doubled, roll into small balls, about 16 - 20 depending on size preference. Place on greased or buttered baking sheet, close together to ensure the rolls rise upward and not spread, and brush rolls with softened butter. Cover and set aside to rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Bake for 14 - 18 minutes or until golden brown. Brush rolls with remaining melted butter.
  • Serve warm or store in air-tight container.

Video

Notes

What type of yeast should I use in the dinner rolls recipe?

The most popular types of yeast used in baking are traditional active dry yeast and instant fast-rising yeast.
Active dry yeast has been around for ages and is sold in packets and in jars. It is a slower-working yeast. It can be added directly to the dough with the dry ingredients and doesn't need to be proofed or activated with warm water.
Fast-rising or Instant Yeast is a finer granule and is known to work 50% faster than active dry yeast. The most popular brand is Fleishmann's instant dry yeast. This yeast can be proofed or be added to the dry ingredients. 
I always prefer to activate my yeast with warm water or warm milk and a sprinkle of sugar to ensure the yeast is working.
There is a Fleishmann's RapidRise Yeast that only requires one quick rise.

HOW TO KNOW IF THE YEAST IS WORKING?

The key to making any type of homemade rolls recipe is to ensure the yeast is working and activated.
I suggest mixing the yeast, warm water or milk (about 105-110 degrees), and a touch of sugar into a bowl. The sugar will help to "feed" the yeast and help it to activate quicker. Yeast loves sugar! The warm water or milk also helps to activate the yeast.
If the water or milk is too hot, it can kill the yeast, but if it is too cool, it won't incorporate with the other ingredients.
The yeast should start to become foamy or bubbles will begin to surface. This is a great sign that the yeast is working. Let it work for at least 5 minutes to see if it begins to proof. 
If nothing happens, start again with a new batch of yeast, warm water, and sugar.
One other tip when trying to get the yeast to begin to foam and bubble, make sure to keep it away from salt as the salt can kill the yeast.