Fresh & Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls

Fresh homemade dinner rolls for dinner makes a meal special. You sit down and breathe in the toasty bread aroma and reach out to grab a round roll that feels soft with a light crusty firmness.  It isn’t long before the layers of bready goodness are gone!  Dinner rolls fresh from the oven are the best and we have an easy recipe that will help make this dinner roll dream a reality!

Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls Recipe

I am a sucker for freshly baked rolls, steaming from the oven, butter melting as soon as it’s spread on–yum!

It’s so easy to make dinner rolls from scratch! You can also make a few batches at once and freeze them for added convenience during busy nights.

Even better, this recipe is made with basic pantry and fridge staples! This post contains affiliate links.

This Homemade Rolls Recipe:

• Yields: 24 rolls
• Prep: 20 minutes, plus rising time
• Cook time: 12-14 minutes

Ingredients Needed For Homemade Dinner Rolls Recipe

• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 package (¼ oz) active dry yeast
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 ½ to 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs

How To Make Homemade Dinner Rolls

Once you have assembled all of your ingredients (and your kitchen helpers!), these dinner rolls are so easy to bake, and then freeze for a quick reheat on busy nights! 

This roll recipe is perfect for a last minute meal idea!

Step 1

In a small saucepan, combine milk, water and butter. Heat to 120 degrees F.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, yeast, salt, and 2 cups flour.

Step 3

Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes.

Step 4

Add eggs and mix on high for 2 minutes.

Step 5

Gradually add flour 1 cup at a time until mixture forms a soft ball.

Step 6

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, 5-8 minutes adding more flour until the dough becomes elastic.

Step 7

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl.

Step 8

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 90 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.

Step 9

Spray 2 baking dishes (13×9 size) with cooking spray.

Step 10

Punch down the dough and form into 24 rolls.

Step 11

Place each ball into baking dish, 12 in each.

Step 12

Cover and let rise 60-90 minutes or until the rolls double in size.

Step 13

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 14

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.

Step 15

Brush with melted butter if desired.

Step 16

Store leftovers in airtight container.

Recipe Notes:

Let the dough ball rest in a warm place or room temperature. They will rise quicker and get bigger. Making very soft dinner rolls. 

Use some of the remaining flour to flour your work surface to keep the rolls from sticking if you knead by hand.

How Do I Make Gluten Free Dinner Rolls?

This recipe can be adapted to a gluten free diet! Just swap out the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free all purpose flour. Make sure that your gluten free all-purpose flour has xantham gum in it, as it is binding and agent that does what gluten would do in a regular bread recipe, by holding everything together and adding elasticity to the dough. I prefer using King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour. 

Be sure to check all labels to ensure the remaining ingredients are gluten free, especially if you are cooking for someone with an allergy or Celiac disease, to prevent cross contamination. 

Are These Dinner Rolls Vegan, Dairy-Free, or Egg-Free? 

• It is easy to make these dinner rolls vegan and dairy-free by swapping out a few ingredients. Replace the cow’s milk with a plant-based milk. I prefer almond milk as it doesn’t leave any extra flavor.
• You will also need to replace the butter with vegan butter, and then omit the eggs, using a store bought egg replacement, or you can make your own! So, this recipe can be tailored to be egg-free, too. 
• There are a couple of ways to make an egg replacement. You can use 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce along with 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to make “one egg”.
• If you are worried about the applesauce affecting the flavor of a bread or roll recipe, try a flax meal egg substitute. Mix one tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal and three tablespoons of water to make “one egg”. 

Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas

If you’re as busy during week nights as my family is, you will love these simple and delicious dinner ideas that can be meal prepped ahead of time! I usually spend the weekend meal prepping as much as possible so that i only have to reheat things during the busy week.

What dish would you serve these homemade dinner rolls with? Comment below! I love dipping them into a steaming bowl of potato soup!