Make the Classic Soft Dinner Rolls of your dreams. Homemade rolls with a yeast dough that tastes good with just about everything. The perfect side dish! Soft, fluffy, buttery dinner rolls — the BEST recipe that can feed a crowd.
What are Classic Soft Dinner Rolls?
Classic Soft Dinner Rolls are soft and fluffy rolls—the classic, buttery kind that pull apart easily. A special yeast bread that is easy to make and so delicious. Spread on some butter and enjoy as the perfect addition to spaghetti, soup, casseroles—anything and everything!
The dough will be sticky and wet. The amount of milk, butter, and eggs creates a rich, flavorful dough similar to brioche. The end result are fluffy dinner rolls that are moist, rich, and so delicious!
The dough must also rise twice. It takes time, but this homemade bread recipe is well worth the effort. Make sure to create a warm, draft-free place for the yeast dough to rise.
The texture of these Classic Soft Dinner Rolls is reminiscent of Japanese Milk Bread. Or the soft and fluffy buns you eat at Hong Kong-style diners — a little sweet with eggy richness. The best dinner rolls in my humble opinion!
The portion for these homemade bread rolls is quite large — a great recipe for a holiday meal or potluck. Or for large family gatherings. Freeze leftovers to preserve that soft and fluffy texture. Or halve the amount and bake into an 8×8 pan instead.
Ingredients:
- Flour, Sugar, Salt. The dry ingredients.
- Milk, Butter, Eggs. The wet ingredients. Warm milk, melted butter, and room temperature eggs are best. I recommend whole milk but 2%, or 1% milk also works. I don’t recommend skim milk.
- Instant Yeast. Instant yeast doesn’t need to be activated or proofed by water — simply add to dry ingredients. If using active dry yeast, make sure to activate or proof by sprinkling the yeast on top of the liquid (water or milk). Add to dry ingredients only after it’s been activated by liquid first.
- Egg Wash. *Optional.* Brush with egg wash for shiny, brown tops.
Make-Ahead Options
There are two options for making ahead of time:
- Refrigerate overnight. Make the dough the night before. After placing the rolls in a greased baking pan (but before the second rise), cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight. The yeasted dough will continue to rise slowly in the fridge. The next day, remove the dinner rolls from the fridge. They should be doubled in size. Turn on the oven to preheat. As the oven preheats, keep the rolls at room temperature. Remove the plastic wrap, brush with egg wash, and bake, as per usual.
- Freeze. Make the dough and place the rolls into a greased baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. To bake, remove the baking pan from the freezer and store at room temperature (or in the fridge overnight) until the rolls are doubled in size. Remove the plastic wrap, brush with egg wash, and bake, as per usual.
Instructions:
Food Processor:
- Place dry ingredients in the food processor. With the machine running, slowly pour in wet ingredients. The end result will be a sticky, shaggy ball.
By Hand:
- In a large bowl, add dry ingredients. Whisk until well combined. Make a well or a hole in the center. Add wet ingredients into the hole. Using a stiff spatula, mix until the dough looks like a shaggy, rough dough ball.
Remaining Instructions:
- Knead. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes.
- 1st rise. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large bowl, preventing the dough from sticking to the bottom. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover. Place in a warm, draft-free place for the first rise, until the dough doubles, about 1-2 hours.
- Make into rolls. Transfer dough onto a clean counter. Using a dough scraper or knife, divide into 32 equal pieces. (I cut the ball into half and then into quarters. There should be 4 quarters in all. Cut 8 balls out of each quarter for 32 pieces.) Roll each piece into a ball on a clean work surface. Place in a greased 9×13″ baking pan.
- 2nd rise. Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap for the second rise. Place in a warm, draft-free place until the rolls are soft, fluffy and doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.
- Egg wash. In a small bowl, whisk one egg. Right before baking, brush the egg wash on the tops of the rolls.
- Bake. Transfer baking pan into a 350F oven. Bake until golden brown and puffy with shiny tops, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly for 10 minutes. Enjoy!
PRO Tips:
- Let the dough rise in a warm place. Preheat the oven to 175F to create a warm, draft-free area for the dough to rise. Once it reaches that temperature, turn off the heat. The residual heat will Store the covered dough in this warm, draft-free area.
- Butter the baking dish. For easier removal. Otherwise, the rolls will stick to the sides.
- Check the yeast. Yeast is tricky and easy to kill. To make sure it’s alive and active, sprinkle on top of lukewarm water. After 5 minutes, it should be foamy and puffy. That tells you the yeast is alive!
- Rise times will vary. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, the rise times will be different. For both rises, it can take anywhere from 1-2 hours to double in size.
Special Equipment:
- 9×13″ pan. A multi-functional baking pan. Choose a ceramic, glass, or metal baking dish. Choose one that looks good on the table. That way, transferring from the oven to the table will be easy.
- Food processor. *Optional.* Make sure it can hold at least 8 cups of ingredients.
- Large Bowl. The dough will rise enormously. Use the biggest bowl you have.
- Cover. Cover the bowl tightly while it rises. Good covers: plastic wrap, a stock pot lid, or a silicone cover . A towel does not work well, as air can flow through to create a skin on the surface of the dough.
- Dough Scraper. *Optional.* Makes cutting the dough easier. You can also use a knife if you don’t have it.
- Pastry brush. For the egg wash at the end. I prefer silicone over a boar brush because it’s dishwasher friendly and you don’t have to worry about bristles that fall into the food.
Serve with:
- Braised Lamb Shanks with Figs and Red Wine
- One Pan Pizza Chicken with Mozzarella
- Slow Cooker Gochujang Pork
FAQ
Yes, absolutely! This recipe makes a large amount. To make a smaller portion, halve all the ingredients and bake in an 8×8″ square or 9″ cake pan instead.
Yes, this recipe freezes very well. You can freeze them 2 ways: after they are baked OR before they are baked.
AFTER they are baked, cool completely. Then transfer to a ziploc baggie and store in the freezer. They should stay good for 1-2 months. To reheat, bake in a 350F oven until soft and warmed through.
BEFORE they are baked, roll into balls and place inside the 9×13″ pan. Cover tightly with saran wrap and transfer to the freezer. When ready to bake, simply remove from the freezer and let stand at room temperature until defrosted and puffy, about 1-2 hours. Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes, as per usual.
Working with yeast is notoriously tricky. If your dough is not rising, it’s probably because of the yeast. Some common problems:
Dead yeast. To determine if your yeast is active and alive, sprinkle on top of warm water. After 5 minutes, it should be foamy and bloated. That tells you its alive. If not, it’s time to buy new yeast!
Over-heated yeast. To ensure you don’t accidentally kill the yeast, add lukewarm liquid (110F).
Yeast can be slow to rise. Cover tightly and transfer to an oven that’s been preheated to 175F. Don’t forget to turn off the oven though — you only need the residual heat! And be patient — the suggested time for rising depends on many factors and can range from 1-2 hours.
More recipes with yeast:
- Twisted Korean Donuts
- Everything Bagel No Knead Focaccia
- Scallion Star Bread with Duck Fat
- Kimchi Pizza with Bacon
Classic Soft Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- Food processor (optional)
- 9×13" Baking Pan
- Large Bowl
- Cover — plastic saran wrap, stock pot lid, or silicone cover
- Bench Scraper (or knife)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 5 cups flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 tsp (instant) yeast *see note below if using active yeast
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup milk, warm (whole, 2%, 1% all work; I don't recommend skim milk)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
Egg Wash:
- 1 large egg, beaten well
Instructions
Food Processor Instructions:
- Attach the dough blade to a food processor. Place dry ingredients in the bowl: flour, sugar, salt, instant yeast (if using active yeast, see note below).
- Combine wet ingredients in a large measuring cup: milk, eggs, butter. (A 2 cup measuring cup will be very full. A 4 cup measuring cup is better, but not everyone has one.) As the machine runs, carefully pour the wet ingredients in a slow and steady stream until a rough ball forms. Let dough rest 2 minutes. Then pulse for 30 seconds more. The dough will be sticky and rough looking.
Regular Instructions:
- In a large bowl, add dry ingredients. Whisk until well combined. Make a well or a hold in the center. Add wet ingredients into the hole. Using a stiff spatula, mix until the dough looks like a shaggy, rough dough ball.
Remaining Instructions:
- Knead. Transfer dough ball to a clean, lightly floured counter. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes.
- 1st Rise. Transfer to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap, lid, or silicone cover. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
- Make into rolls. Transfer dough onto a clean counter. Using a dough scraper or knife, divide into 32 pieces. (I cut the ball into half and then into quarters. There should be 4 quarters in all. Cut 8 balls out of each quarter for 32 pieces.) Roll each piece into a ball. Place in a greased 9×13" baking pan. They can be lightly touching each other.
- 2nd Rise. Cover the rolls and until fluffy and doubled in size, about 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven. While the rolls are rising for a 2nd time, preheat the oven at 350F.
- Egg wash. Right before baking, brush each the dinner rolls with egg wash.
- Bake. Bake until the rolls are golden and the tops are shiny and brown, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
-
- Refrigerate overnight. Make the dough the night before. After placing the rolls in a greased baking pan (but before the second rise), cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight. The yeasted dough will continue to rise slowly in the fridge. The next day, remove the dinner rolls from the fridge. They should be doubled in size. Turn on the oven to preheat. As the oven preheats, keep the rolls at room temperature. Remove the plastic wrap, brush with egg wash, and bake, as per usual.
-
- Freeze. Make the dough and place the rolls into a greased baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. To bake, remove the baking pan from the freezer and store at room temperature (or in the fridge overnight) until the rolls are doubled in size. Remove the plastic wrap, brush with egg wash, and bake, as per usual.
Lis, can you freeze these? They look delicious, but not sure that my family of little ones could finish a whole pan at once and unfortunately company is out of the question right now.. 🙁
Yes! These rolls freeze beautifully! Just cool completely and wrap them well. Enjoy!