If you're craving Soft, buttery, fluffy, and absolutely delicious bread, these Soft Dinner Rolls are just what you need! With a golden, slightly crispy outside and a warm, buttery inside, these rolls are the best ones you'll ever have!
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Soft dinner rolls are the best type of bread to have, and they also go with almost everything! What's best is that they're not only delicious but also easy to make at home.
I love baking bread for dinner, and if you're anything like me, you'll love my Focaccia bread recipe, pita bread recipe, and ciabatta recipe. They're just as easy to make and taste incredible!
❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
Delicious: The combination of warm milk, butter, and yeast gives these rolls a delicious, slightly sweet, and buttery flavor.
Goes with everything: These rolls are incredibly versatile. They can be served with various dishes, from Hearty Soups and Different Salads to Main Courses.
Family-favorite: These Soft Dinner Rolls are a sure hit with the whole family. The soft, fluffy texture and subtle flavors from the butter and yeast make them a comfort food everyone will love.
🍊 INGREDIENTS
More details about the ingredients and measurements are in the recipe card below!
All-purpose Flour: This is the main ingredient of our dinner rolls. It gives structure to the rolls, making them sturdy yet soft.
Dry Yeast: Yeast is the leavening agent that helps the rolls rise, giving them a light and fluffy texture. I have used dry active yeast.
Sugar: Besides adding sweetness, sugar feeds the yeast, encouraging it to work magic and raise the dough.
Warm Milk: Milk not only adds moisture to the dough, but it also helps create a soft, tender crumb. We’ll also use it to brush our bread before baking for a beautiful golden-brown crust.
Butter: The fat in this recipe gives the rolls a rich, buttery flavor. It also contributes to their tender texture. Like milk, we’ll use it to brush on top of our bread after it is baked.
Olive Oil: A little olive oil in the dough helps keep the rolls moist and tender. It also lends a subtle, savory note to the flavor.
Medium Egg: Eggs add richness to the dough and help to give the rolls their golden color. They also contribute to the structure of the rolls, making them light and fluffy.
🔪 INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1
Prepare the Yeast Mixture: In a small bowl, combine butter and milk and microwave until the butter melts. Ensure the milk is warm, not hot, then add yeast and sugar. Stir this mixture, cover it, and set it aside for about ten minutes.
Step 2
Combine Flour and Egg: In a larger bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Create a well in the center of this dry mixture and crack an egg into it. Beat the egg without mixing it with the flour. Pour the yeast mixture over the beaten egg and stir well, gradually combining it with the flour.
Step 3
Knead the Dough: At this point, your dough will be quite sticky. Continue to mix for at least three minutes. Sprinkle a teaspoon of flour over the dough and knead lightly for a few seconds, just enough to stop the dough from sticking.
Step 4
Let the Dough Rise: Cover your dough and place it in a warm area for about one to a half hours.
Step 5
Shape and Second Rise: After the first rise, knead the dough briefly and divide it into eight equal-sized balls. Place these on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil, cover, and let them rise in a warm place for another half-hour.
Step 6
Bake the Rolls: Brush the top of the rolls with milk and bake in a preheated oven at a temperature of about 190C/375F for about seventeen to twenty minutes.
Step 7
Final Touch: Once baked, remove the rolls from the pan and brush them with melted butter for a glossy finish.
Your delicious soft dinner rolls are now ready to serve!
👩🏽🍳 PRO TIPS
Activate the yeast properly: When adding the yeast to the warm milk, make sure the milk is not too hot. Yeast thrives best in temperatures around and above room temperature but not too hot. This will ensure your yeast is activated and your dough rises properly.
Don't rush the rising process: The rising time for your dough is crucial. It's important to give your dough enough time to rise in a warm place. This process can't be rushed, so be patient and let it rise for the recommended time.
Use the right temperature for baking: Preheat your oven to the right temperature before baking. The right temperature will ensure your rolls bake evenly and come out soft and fluffy.
Brush with milk and butter for a golden finish: Before baking, brush your rolls with milk. This will give them a beautiful golden color. After baking, brush them with melted butter for added flavor and a soft, shiny finish.
📋 VARIATIONS
Go Whole Wheat: If you're looking for a healthier option, try using whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Garlic Butter Rolls: If you love garlic bread, this variation is for you. Add a teaspoon of garlic powder to the dough for a subtle flavor. After baking, brush the rolls with melted butter and minced garlic instead of plain melted butter.
Add Some Herbs: To give your rolls a unique flavor, add dried herbs to the dough. A teaspoon of dried rosemary or thyme would work wonderfully.
🍽️ HOW TO SERVE
- Start your day on a sweet note by slathering our soft dinner rolls with a generous spread of your favorite homemade jam. Paired with a hot cup of coffee, it's a truly delicious way to kick-start the morning!
- For an appetizing lunch, use these soft rolls to make a hearty sandwich. Fill them with slices of roasted turkey, crisp lettuce, and a dollop of tangy mustard for a satisfying midday meal.
- Looking for a savory dinner option? Serve these dinner rolls alongside a bowl of creamy soup or stew. They're perfect for dipping and soaking up all those delicious flavors!
💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If you don't have dry yeast, you can use instant yeast. The ratio is normally the same, but you don't need to dissolve instant yeast in warm milk. You can add it directly to the flour.
Absolutely! You can replace the milk with almond milk, soy milk, or any other non-dairy milk of your choice. Just make sure it's unsweetened and unflavored to keep the taste of the rolls as close to the original as possible.
The rolls are done when they have a golden-brown color on top and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
🌡️ STORING
Freeze: You can freeze your leftover soft dinner rolls for up to a month. Make sure they're cool before popping them in a freezer bag or airtight container. To enjoy them again, you'll need to thaw them properly in the fridge.
Refrigerate: If you plan on eating your soft dinner rolls within a week, the refrigerator is the best storage place. Wrap them in plastic or place them in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
Reheat Instructions: To reheat your soft dinner rolls, wrap them in foil and place them in a preheated oven for about ten minutes. This will ensure they regain their soft, warm center and slightly crisp exterior.
📣 MORE BREAD RECIPES YOU'LL LIKE
⭐PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW
If you have tried this recipe and liked it, please give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment below with your experience!
📖 Recipe
Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon dry active yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup warm milk
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium egg
BUSHING THE ROLLS
- 1 ½ tablespoon milk For brushing the rolls before baking.
- 1 teaspoon melted butter for brushing the rolls after it is baked.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the butter and milk, and microwave until the butter melts.
- While the milk is warm, add the yeast and sugar, stir, cover, and keep aside for 10 minutes to proof.
- In a bigger bowl, whisk flour and salt. Create a well in the middle and crack an egg in it.
- Beat the egg without combining it with flour. Pour the yeast mixture on the egg and beat well.
- Start combining the yeast and egg mixture with the flour.
- You will have a sticky dough, but keep on mixing for at least 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle a teaspoon of flour on the dough. Knead lightly for a few seconds. The dough will be smooth and won't stick.
- Cover the dough and place it in a warm place for 1 to 1 and half hours.
- Knead the dough for a few seconds, and divide it into eight equal-size balls. Place the balls over a lined baking sheet. Cover the balls and let them rise in a warm place again for about 30 minutes.
- Now is the time to preheat the oven to 190C/375F.
- Brush the rolls with milk and bake them for 16 to 20 minutes, or until they are done.
- Remove the rolls from the oven and while hot brush them with melted butter.
Notes
- After kneading the dough the first time, you can cover it and place it in the fridge, then follow the rest of the steps the next day.
- You can use bread flour for this recipe as well.
- Instead of olive oil, you can use any flavorless cooking oil.
- Let the oven preheat for 30 minutes before baking the rolls.
Medeja
Your rolls look so perfect.. 🙂
munatycooking
Thanks dear, I love homemade bread it always taste good 🙂
Indre @ cupcakesnmiracles
How beautiful! I started to think why I never baked them at home. Definitely have to do it this weekend. Thank you for sharing 😉
munatycooking
Let me know how it turned out when you bake some 🙂
Angie (@angiesrecipess)
Muna, these rolls look really soft and delicious. Ain't the homemade bread the BEST?!
munatycooking
I can't agree more, also your beautiful bread loafs and baking inspired me to bake more and more!
Chris @ The Café Sucré Farine
These are just beautiful and I can only imagine the amazing aroma. I would eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner!!
munatycooking
Thank you Chris, They are great to have at anytime.
Vimitha
Hi Muna, I am planning to try this... If I use instant yeast how do I substitute it...
munatycooking
Hi Vimitha, Instant yeast doesn't need proofing, so add it with the dry ingredients. You should decrease the amount of yeast so instead of 1 1/2 teaspoon dry yeast, use around 1 or 1 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast.
Ayesha
Hi Muna! Your recipes are so simple and easy to follow, and the dish turns out dekicious. Thanks for all your recipes, specially the breads. I dreaded baking before I came across your recipes.
I have a request for you, could you plz give a recipe for a healthy oatmeal bread?
munatycooking
Hi Ayesha, thanks so much for kind comment and feedback, I'm glad you liked my blog and recipes. I will try to come up with Oatmeal Bread recipe soon 🙂
Nagi@RecipeTinEats
These are beautiful! I can eat them anytime! I can smell the aroma of freshness from them 😀
munatycooking
And these rolls made my house smell heavenly 🙂
nithu
Can we use the same recipe for bread.
munatycooking
Hi Nithu, Yes you can, but the baking time will be longer, so keep an eye on it while baking.