Homemade Yeast Dinner Rolls - Butter & Baggage (2024)

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Published: Feb 12, 2016 · Modified: Oct 25, 2023 by Barbara Curry

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You can make the most amazing pillowy soft homemade dinner rolls with just a few steps. Great for Sunday dinners and a must for Holiday meals. This technique for forming the rolls will give you perfectly light buttery yeast rolls that will melt in your mouth.

These Yeast Rolls Will Become Your Favorite Dinner Roll

There is really nothing better than yeast rolls. I like any and all versions, rolls with dill, sightly sweet pineapple rolls, rolls with sour cream or mashed potato rolls – a meal just isn’t complete without one. For those occasions where you want a light and airy dinner roll, this is the recipe to choose.

What makes them so light is that instead of making dough balls, you will cut the dough into squares and roll them into a cylinder. I saw this technique used on America’s Test Kitchen and can’t believe what a difference this makes when forming a yeast roll.

With this method you’ll be amazed at how much softer they are, they just melt in your mouth! 🥰

I’m not the only one who loves these easy yeast rolls, here’s what just two fans had to say:

“I have been a chef/pastry chef for 25ish years. I have made thousands and thousands of dinner rolls using what was ONCE my favorite recipe. I wish I could go back 25 years and use THIS recipe!”

“I found this recipe by chance a few years ago and it has been my “go to”ever since…despite having many other recipes. I make them almost weekly for sunday supper for my kids and I, but making some now and putting a cinnamon roll filling in before i roll them to see how that works out. thanks so much for this easy perfect fool-proof recipe!- Kimber and kids”

You may shy away from making yeast rolls because they are best served warm and it’s hard to coordinate having warm rolls when you are making multiple dishes. The slow cooker will save the day when it comes to dinner rolls. You can keep dinner rolls warm in a slow cooker and save the oven for all of your favorite casseroles.

Everyone Loves Homemade Yeast Rolls

• This technique will help you perfect your homemade dinner rolls
• These are so soft and light that you won’t be able to eat just one.
• These can be made and frozen so you can pull some out later.
• You can make the dough the night before and bake just before serving.

The recipe makes a dozen, you can double the recipe and freeze for later.These are the rolls you’ll always see at my Thanksgiving table and any time I’m making a special meal.

Ingredients for this Buttery Recipe

• Bread flour – its high protein makes for a light and fluffy roll. All purpose flour still produces a great roll.
• Yeast – either instant yeast or active dry yeast will work for this recipe.
• Whole milk and butter – this is not the time to be concerned about fat, buy whole milk.
• Sugar and an egg

How to Make the Best Yeast Rolls

Step 1: Make a flour paste

First you make a paste with water and flour and thicken it in the microwave then add it to the yeast and flour mixture.

Step 2: Make the dough

Add the paste to a stand mixer and mix with milk and an egg. Add flour mix it together and let it rest for 15 minutes then add a little sugar, salt and softened butter. Let it rise for about an hour.

Step 3: Prepare the rolls

Once the dough has risen and you are ready to make them into rolls, instead of forming into balls, roll out the dough andcutit with a knife into 4 inch by 2 inch strips. Roll each strip into a cylinder and placed in a round cake pan for a second rise.

Step 4: Bake

Bake and when golden brown remove and brush with butter.

Rolling them like this instead of in a ball yields a tender and extremely light and airy dinner roll. It only takes a minute or two more than forming them into balls, but the difference is just amazing.

You get rich buttery rolls from the milk and butter in the dough, don’t try to substitute.

Pro Tip: You can refrigerate the dough after formed into rolls. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake or overnight but not longer. Remove from the refrigerator and let them warm to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

Working with yeast can be a little finicky, but this recipe is pretty much fool proof. Check the expiration date to be sure the yeast has not expired and you should be set. Let the dough rise in a warm humid place and you’ll have light and fluffy rolls every time.

My favorite place to let yeast rolls rise is in a warm microwave. Just boil some water in the microwave, and then add the bowl of dough to the warm microwave and shut the door. It will create a warm and humid environment that yeast doughs love.

How to Store Yeast Rolls

Store leftover rolls in an airtight container on the counter for a couple of days. After that freeze them. Storing them in the refrigerator will dry them out.

To Freeze: They will stay fresh in the freezer for 2-3 months if they are store in an airtight container. Just let them cool completely first.

To Reheat: If frozen, let them thaw first then wrap in aluminum foil and warm in the oven.

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me onInstagramusing the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.