Yeast Dinner Rolls
This yeast dinner rolls recipe makes 12 soft, golden, pull-apart rolls with a simple double-rise and seven ingredients. Adapted from a brioche-style bun recipe developed through extensive testing, these rolls work beautifully for holiday dinners, weeknight meals, or for sliders.
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Store-bought is fine, but there’s something special about the smell of fresh bread baking in your kitchen. These yeast dinner rolls are soft, buttery, and pull-apart perfect, and they’re more approachable than you might think for a from-scratch yeast dinner rolls recipe.
This recipe is adapted from a brioche-style bun I made nearly every day for an extended period, and that repetition is what produced the version you’ll find here. Pantry-first baking is how I learned to cook, and a reliable dinner roll recipe is exactly the kind of foundational recipe that philosophy produces. Seven ingredients, a simple double-rise, and rolls that work for holiday tables, Sunday dinners, and everything in between.
Serve them warm with whipped herb butter straight from the oven, or drizzle on some hot honey for a sweet and savory finish.
Why you’ll love these Yeast Dinner Rolls
- Soft and pillowy texture: Light but rich with buttery flavor, with a pull-apart quality that makes them hard to stop eating.
- Beginner-friendly: Minimal kneading and a simple two-rise process make this a reliable go-to for first-time bread bakers and more experienced ones alike.
- Versatile and make-ahead friendly: Serve fresh from the oven or prep the rolls the day before. They also freeze well and double as slider buns.
Ingredients you’ll need
These yeast dinner rolls only require 7 simple ingredients, plus egg wash to brush the tops for a golden finish.
- Warm water: About 120 degrees F, warm to the touch but not scalding. Water that’s too hot will kill the yeast before it has a chance to activate.
- Instant or rapid-rise yeast: One packet (2¼ teaspoons). You’ll know it’s working when it turns foamy after a few minutes in the warm water.
- Granulated sugar: Feeds the yeast and adds a slight sweetness to the dough.
- Bread flour: This recipe specifically calls for bread flour, not all-purpose. The higher protein content builds more gluten structure, which gives the rolls their soft, chewy texture. Measure by weight (540 grams) for the most consistent results.
- Kosher salt: Balances the sweetness and strengthens the dough structure.
- Baking powder: Just ¼ teaspoon helps encourage a lighter, fluffier crumb.
- Unsalted butter, softened: The flavor star of this recipe. Make sure it’s fully at room temperature before you start, as cold butter won’t incorporate evenly into the dough.
How to make This Yeast Dinner Rolls Recipe
Making homemade dinner rolls is simpler than it sounds. It requires patience for the rises more than any technical skill.
Activate the yeast. Add warm water (about 120 degrees F) to the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let stand for about 5 minutes until foamy. This confirms the yeast is active before you build the rest of the dough.
Mix the dough. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3½ cups (420 grams) of the bread flour, salt, and baking powder. Reserve the remaining 1 cup (120 grams). Add the sugar and flour mixture to the mixer bowl fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low to combine.
Add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing until fully incorporated. Add the reserved cup of flour and continue mixing until a smooth, elastic dough forms, about 5 to 7 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and feel tacky but not sticky to the touch.
First rise. Gather the dough into a ball, place it back in the bowl, and cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Shape the rolls. Punch down the dough gently to release air bubbles. Divide into 12 equal portions, about 3 ounces each. A kitchen scale is the most reliable way to ensure uniformity. Roll each piece into a smooth ball by cupping your hand and using a circular motion on the counter. Arrange evenly in a lightly greased 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish in three rows of four.
Second rise. Cover loosely and let the rolls rise for 45 minutes, until puffy and nearly doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with a rack in the center position.
Bake. Whisk together the egg and water for the egg wash and brush over the tops and sides of each roll. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Serve warm.
Tips for perfect dinner rolls
- Don’t rush the rise. Both rises matter. The first builds structure and flavor; the second gives the rolls their soft, pillowy volume. A warm kitchen speeds this up. If your kitchen runs cool, the rises may take longer than the times listed.
- Tacky is fine, sticky is not. When the dough finishes mixing it should feel soft and slightly tacky but not stick aggressively to your hands. If it’s sticking more than you’d like, add flour one tablespoon at a time (up to an additional ¼ cup) until it becomes smooth and manageable. Humidity, altitude, and how you measure flour can all affect this. Avoid adding too much, as it will make the rolls dense rather than soft.
- Use a kitchen scale. Weighing the flour at 540 grams and dividing the dough portions at 3 ounces each removes the two most common sources of inconsistency in this recipe.
- Egg wash is essential. It’s the difference between pale rolls and the golden-brown finish that makes these look as good as they taste.
- Serve warm. These are at their best straight from the oven. If you need to reheat, wrap loosely in foil and warm at 300 degrees F for about 10 minutes.
Make-Ahead instructions
Prepare the dough through the first rise, then shape the rolls and arrange them in the greased baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, up to 16 hours. When ready to bake, remove the pan and let the rolls rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until nearly doubled in size. Brush with egg wash and bake as directed.
Using the rolls as slider buns: Split and toast leftover rolls in a skillet over medium heat. They make excellent brioche-style slider buns for breakfast sandwiches, small burgers, or melty cheese sandwiches, which is how this recipe got its start.
Yeast Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1½ cups warm water, about 120 degrees F
- 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) instant or rapid-rise yeast
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 4½ cups (540 grams) cups bread flour, plus up to ¼ cup more if needed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
For Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Activate the Yeast
- Add warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
Make the Dough
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 3½ cups (420 grams) of the bread flour, salt, and baking powder. Reserve the remaining 1 cup (120 grams). Add the sugar and flour mixture to the mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low to combine. Add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time.
- Add the reserved flour and mix until a smooth, elastic dough forms, about 5 to 7 minutes. The dough should pull away from the bowl sides and feel tacky but not sticky.
- Shape into a ball, return to the bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
Shape the Rolls
- Punch down the dough. Divide into 12 equal portions (about 3 ounces each). Roll each into a smooth ball and arrange in a lightly greased 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish in three rows of four.
- Cover loosely and let rise for 45 minutes, until puffy and nearly doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with a rack in the center.
Bake the Rolls
- Whisk together the egg and water. Brush over the tops and sides of each roll. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant.
Notes
- Flour adjustment: If the dough feels sticky after the full mix time, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, up to ½ cup additional, until smooth and tacky. Humidity and altitude can affect absorption.
- Stand mixer vs. by hand: No stand mixer? Mix with a wooden spoon and knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Make-ahead: Shape rolls after the first rise, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight up to 16 hours. Bring to room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before baking.
- Slider buns: Split and toast leftovers in a skillet for brioche-style slider buns.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat wrapped in foil at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes.
- Freezing: Freeze baked rolls in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm before serving.
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