Soft Homemade Dinner Rolls
These soft homemade dinner rolls are so light and tender that “pillow soft” is the only way I know to describe them. Fresh from the oven and brushed with melted butter, they’re the perfect addition to weeknight dinners, holiday meals, or whenever you’re craving warm homemade bread.
Don’t let the sticky dough fool you. It’s exactly what gives these rolls their wonderfully soft texture. With a little patience during kneading, you’ll be rewarded with bakery-quality dinner rolls that stay soft for days and taste just as delicious when gently reheated.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Exceptionally soft and fluffy texture.
- Made with simple pantry ingredients.
- Perfect alongside soups, stews, pasta, or holiday dinners.
- Freezes and reheats beautifully.
- Great for sliders and sandwiches the next day.
While Testing This Recipe
These tips made all the difference when baking these rolls:
- The dough should feel sticky at first—avoid adding too much extra flour.
- Knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, even if it still feels slightly tacky.
- Give the dough enough time to rise; this is what creates the light, airy texture.
- Brush the rolls with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven to keep the crust soft and add extra flavor.
- Enjoy them warm, or store them in an airtight container and warm them for a few seconds before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my dough so sticky?
That’s completely normal. This is a high-hydration dough, which helps create exceptionally soft dinner rolls. Resist adding too much flour while kneading.
Can I knead the dough by hand?
Yes. It takes a little patience, but the dough will gradually become smoother as you continue kneading.
Can I freeze these dinner rolls?
Yes. Once cooled, freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Warm them before serving.
How do I store leftovers?
Keep the rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. After the first rise, refrigerate the dough overnight, then shape, proof, and bake the next day.
Soft Homemade Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon room temperature unsalted butter
- ½ cup warm milk
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Sesame seeds to sprinkle on dinner rolls before baking optional
Instructions
- Mix warm milk with yeast and sugar, keep aside for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, add the flour and salt. Add the butter and rub with flour for one minute.
- Pour the wet ingredients and knead for 10 minutes. The dough will be sticky but will get firmer the more you knead. The dough will still be little sticky but won’t leave pieces of dough in your hand.
- Cove the dough and leave in warm place to double in size, around 1 and half hour.
- Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Line 8×8” baking pan with parchment paper.
- Knead the dough gently for few seconds, then form nine equal size balls and place in the baking pan. Sprinkle sesame seeds and press gently. Cover and let it rise again for 30 minutes.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes. Brush with melted butter. Enjoy while still warm.
Notes
- The dough should feel sticky at first—avoid adding too much extra flour.
- Knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, even if it still feels slightly tacky.
- Give the dough enough time to rise; this is what creates the light, airy texture.
- Brush the rolls with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven to keep the crust soft and add extra flavor.
- Enjoy them warm, or store them in an airtight container and warm them for a few seconds before serving.
Nutrition
.
Very soft and delicious…they are fantastic.
Oh yes! These rolls were soft and delicious 😀 … Thanks Angie.
These look so goooood yuummmmm ? maybe I’ll fill them with some spicy chicken filling
Sounds delicious! Let me know when you make some, or better send me a picture 🙂
Muna, those dinner rolls look amazing. Love it!!!
Thank you my friend, hope you try these rolls <3
Hi Munaty, First time writing in. Love the way u cook and take pictures. There being so much of variables in flour etc. and also in cup sizes. Would u be kind enough to add a conversion table so it would be easy for me who is used to gms and ml.
Thank you and so looking forward to your receipes everyday
Hey Gracy, thank you so much for the kind comment, I hope you enjoy these rolls and other recipes I have on my blog. I will try to find a way to add a conversion table on my blog to make it easy on many.
Hello Muna! Love your recipes especially the eggless ones. Please can i mix the dough overnight so i can bake for breakfast the next day?
Hi dear, I didn’t refrigerate this dough overnight but I think you can do it. Let the dough come to room temperature before baking. Let me know how it came out 🙂
hi Munaty,
i tried this recipe and it turned out sooo amazing. my daughter and i ate it the second it cooled a bit, and she loved it! thanks for sharing and keep sharing yaaa 🙂
cheers~~
ups forgot to mention that i added 1 tablespoon of wheat germ, half tablespoon of flaxseed (grounded), and 3 tablespoons of water to this recipe to add some more nutrients 🙂
Thanks for your feedback, I’m happy that you and your family enjoyed it 🙂
Do these rolls freeze well?
Yes, the rolls freeze well.
I made this last night, one of the best recipe I’ve made! Came out so soft, fluffy and tasty stayed soft! I’m actually going to make it again tonight which is now the following night after my first attempt at this. Thank you for your recipe 🇹🇹👌🏾👍🏽👍🏽
Thank you for your feedback. I’m happy that you liked the rolls 🙂
What should be the setting for the oven. My oven has upper and lower heating coil. So I should switch on both or any one and which one.?
Hi Ali, the upper heating (broiler) can be used if and when the rolls are baked but didn’t get a golden color. You can then turn on the broiler for a minute just to get that color on the rolls. I hope this helped 🙂