This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
My favorite 1-Hour Soft and Buttery Dinner Rolls recipe is easy to make by hand or with a stand mixer and absolutely heavenly served warm out of the oven.
Is there anything better than a freshly-baked pan of homemade dinner rolls?
Actually, yes — this easy dinner rolls recipe that can be ready to go in just one hour!
This recipe has been my go-to for years and always yields the most perfectly soft, fluffy, buttery rolls. But I especially love it because the ingredient list is simple, the rise times are minimal, and the dough can be easily made either by hand or with the help of a stand mixer. And everything can come together quickly in just an hour or so, which makes this recipe more do-able on busy weeknights when you’re craving some homemade bread, and also super-helpful on holidays when you’re trying to multi-task all the things.
Many of you have also asked about make-ahead options with this recipe over the years, so I have updated the post with instructions for how to make the bread dough in advance. And I have also included some fun variations if you would like to make your rolls more garlicky, herb-y, cheesy, or whatever other add-ins sound fun.
Bottom line, this dinner rolls recipe is a keeper and never lets me down. So if you are looking for a good one to add to your repertoire, bookmark this one and give it a try!
1-Hour Dinner Rolls Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Homemade Dinner Rolls Ingredients:
Before we get to the full recipe below, here are a few notes about the ingredients that you will need to make this homemade dinner rolls recipe:
Water and milk: These will serve as our base liquids for the bread dough. I used dairy milk, but you are welcome to sub in a plain plant-based milk (such as oat milk or almond milk) instead.
Melted butter: Which we will both bake into the rolls and brush on top.
Honey: To add just a hint of sweetness.
Active dry yeast: This recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of yeast. So if you are purchasing your yeast in 0.25-ounce packets, you will need slightly more than one packet.
Flour: I have only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour. But if you try out different flours, please let us know how it goes in the comment section below!
Salt: Which we will mix into the rolls to bring out all of those delicious buttery flavors. Feel free to sprinkle a bit of flaky salt on top of the warm rolls just before serving too!
Tips For How To Make Dinner Rolls:
The full recipe is included below for how to make these dinner rolls, but here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind too:
Be sure that your yeast has not expired. This is one of the most common reasons for why a batch of bread dough does not rise. Double-check the expiration date on any yeast that may be hanging out in your pantry. And if the yeast does not begin to puff and bubble up after 5 minutes once it has been added to the wet ingredients, toss out the batch and start over with new yeast.
Double-check the temperature of the liquid ingredients. When heating the liquid ingredients (water, melted butter, milk and honey), it’s essential that they be within the temperature range of 100-110°F. If the mixture is too hot, it can kill the yeast. If it is too cool, the yeast may not activate. The mixture should feel warm and not hot to the touch, but I always recommend testing the mixture with a cooking thermometer just to be sure.
Don’t skip the rise times. They are essential to helping the dough rise and create that soft and fluffy texture we’re going for.
No worries about perfection. When portioning the dough into 12 rolls, don’t worry about them all being perfectly equal in size. They will all bake up together in the pan, and if some are slightly larger or smaller, hakuna matata. :)
Possible Recipe Variations:
Here are a few other possible variations that you could make to this dinner rolls recipe:
Make-ahead option: For make-ahead dinner rolls, follow the recipe through the step that you shape the individual rolls and place them in the baking dish. Then tightly cover the baking dish and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Transfer the dish to the counter and let it warm up to room temperature for 2 hours before baking, and then bake as directed.
Make it vegan: Use plant-based milk and butter and your preferred sweetener in place of honey.
Add garlic: Add in 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the bread dough to make the rolls more garlicky, and/or you could also simmer some minced garlic with butter to brush on top of the rolls after baking.
Add herbs: Add in 1 to 2 tablespoons of finely-chopped fresh herbs (such as rosemary or parsley) to the bread dough to add flavor to the rolls, and/or you could also mix some fresh herbs in with the melted butter to brush on top of the rolls after baking.
Add cheese: You can also mix in 1/3 to 1/2 cup of freshly-grated cheddar cheese to make cheesy rolls. (Or I also love mixing in some freshly-grated Parmesan, and then sprinkling some on top of the rolls during the final 5 minutes of baking.)
More Favorite Bread Recipes:
Looking for more easy bread recipes to add to your repertoire? Here are a few of my faves…
My favorite 1-Hour Soft and Buttery Dinner Rolls recipe is easy to make by hand or with a stand mixer and absolutely heavenly served warm out of the oven.
Prep your oven and baking dish. Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, and set aside.
Heat the liquids. In a microwave-safe bowl (or saucepan, see below), stir together the water and melted butter, then add in the milk and honey and stir until combined. Microwave the mixture for 1 minute and give it a stir. Continue microwaving the mixture in 15 second intervals, until it reaches 110°F. It will be warm but not hot to the touch. (*Alternately, you can heat the mixture over medium-low heat in a saucepan until it reaches 110°F.)
Add yeast. Pour the liquid mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast evenly on top, give it a quick stir with a fork to combine, and let the yeast activate for 5 minutes until it is foamy.
Add dry ingredients. Add in 3 1/2 cups of flour (not all of the flour) and the salt.
Mix. (See alternate instructions in the notes below for how to knead the dough by hand.) Use the dough-hook to mix in the dry ingredients on medium-low speed until combined. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add in 1/4 cup more flour at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is only slightly sticky to the touch. (Only use up to 4 cups of flour total.) Continue mixing on low speed for 4-5 minutes until the dough is smooth. Then form the dough into a ball with your hands and transfer it to a greased bowl.
Let the dough rise. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or paper towel, and let it rise briefly for 15 minutes.
Form the rolls. Gently punch the dough down and divide into 15 equal-sized pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place the dough balls in the greased baking dish. Cover the dish again with a damp towel or paper towel and let the dough balls rise for an additional 15-20 minutes.
Bake. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly golden brown on top and cooked through.
Brush with more butter. Transfer the baking dish to a wire cooling rack and brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter.
Yeast: I typically purchase my yeast in bulk. But if you are using the 0.25-ounce packets, they each contain 2.25 teaspoons of yeast. So you will need slightly more than one packet to yield 1 tablespoon.
How to knead the dough by hand: If you do not have a stand mixer, no prob! For step 5 (mixing the dough), simply stir the dry ingredients into the dough as much as possible. Then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth, adding up to 1/4 cup of extra flour if the dough is too sticky.
These turned out great! I’m pinning this so I can find it again later. Can’t wait to take them to our family dinner!! I doubled the recipe but I think I may need to triple it next time. They will inhale these!
This is my third time making them. The only variation is I cut the recipe in half (not enough mouths to feed) and I do knead by hand. Best recipe! Bravo!
What a perfect, beautiful, fluffy, flavorful dinner roll! I bake various breads for my family weekly. I had a sick child today, and fell behind on my elaborate multi rise yeast roll recipe. I stumbled upon this as an alternative, and am angry at myself for not searching earlier! This is in my opinion, the PERFECT yeast roll! I’ll never use another recipe!
Really wonderful recipe. I tried making a double batch and think it would be better to make one batch at a time – it seemed like there was a bit too much flour and I had to adjust by adding in some additional warm milk later in the process. I had no trouble with the yeast – I made sure the house was warm before starting the baking process and I also heated up water and put it in the metal mixing bowl to warm the bowl before adding the wet ingredients and yeast. I wouldn’t try this recipe without ensuring the mixing bowl is warm. I also tried this with 50% bread flour and 50% all purpose flour, and the texture is very good, although I’m going to try 100% bread flour next time. Other commenters suggested using muffin tins, which was also very helpful.
I needed a quick (real quick) dinner roll recipe, and I found this one. It’s very good. I made eight and froze the rest of the dough for future use, but this is a keeper. Thanks!
I made these Christmas Day as I needed some bread for dinner. Recipe went together as described like a charm. Rolls were soft and warm. I might cut the bake time by one minute next time. I am getting used to my oven. This recipe could be used to make a couple of hotdog or hamburger buns.
For years in my family, I’ve been know as the bread lady. However,
I started my rolls with a Jiffy white cake mix. They no longer make that product.
This recipe is so close to mine, and I was so shocked it only takes an hour. I’m used to starting mine the night before and getting up early to finish. No more!!! My family loves these!
Today I decided to try this in a loaf pan. We used all 4 cups of flour, and baked it an hour. My husband and I ate it in no time.
So I found this recipe last minute right before dinner. Hubby was smoking ribs and I had to be ready when he was or I’m in trouble, haha.
So I kind of rushed the raise times, my balls were kind of wonky and not real round. I also used rapid yeast instead of active and added a bit too much for the conversion I found out AFTER the fact, lol.
But after I took them out and bit into them?? YES MAAM. They were great. Fluffy and yummy. And I was so proud of myself!
Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Absolutely delicious!
It’s 23°F in Virginia today so mine took about twice as long to rise both times.
I only needed 3 1/2 cups of flour and never needed to add the additional half a cup as my dough after mixing was soft and slightly sticky and perfect.
I did brush the tops with a beaten egg prior to baking because I like a shiny top to my rolls.
And because mine took longer to rise both times, I preheated my oven as directed initially before starting the recipe, and it sat preheated for an hour or more. I would not preheat my oven next time until after the sixth step was completed, not the first step!
I will definitely make these again,
I cannot say enough about this recipe!!! I hardly ever write recipe reviews, but this one deserves it! I have been making this most weeks this winter to go with various soups or chilis. My husband and I absolutely love the texture and flavor. I love them because they are so easy, and they are fast enough to do when I get home from work. Usually making bread is quite time consuming, but this one is not!
What a perfect recipe this is. Fast, easy and delicious. Absolutely the best yeast roll I have ever tasted. The moist, soft but still dense texture is hard to accomplish. This will be my go to recipe. I plan on using this recipe to make cinnamon buns soon. It will also make a great sandwich loaf. Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve been a baker since I was 14. Im 80 now and still love to turn out the masterpiece!
They were really tasty! The problem I had, was that I adjusted the quantities X2 and had some troubles because of that.
My stand mixer had issues with the dough, as it was a bit heavy for kneading, later I didn’t realise on time the instructions didn’t adjust and the baking pan was too small – that resulted in over baked tops, with gooey sports in the middle. I managed to save them, though.
So, if using adjusted quantities-knead by hand or with a powerful mixer, and choose large enough pan. The results are great!
I’ve made these before and they are awesome. Making these now. But I have a question. There is just my husband and me, can we freeze some of these as dough balls and bake another time?
These were excellent! I used quick rise yeast so no need to proof it. Also, I used bread flour. I did not have to add more than 3.5 cups of flour and the dough was perfect.
This recipe is amazing made with bread flour instead of AP and split into 2 loaf pans. It tastes great and is soft like a slightly denser sandwich bread. I’m trying 3/4 bread flour 1/4 whole wheat today!
Best dinner rolls ever! I figured I’d try something different for a change after having made the same homemade dinner roll recipe for years, which my family loved. But I have to say, these were even better. So I guess out with the old and in with the new! Thank you!
These turned out great! I’m pinning this so I can find it again later. Can’t wait to take them to our family dinner!! I doubled the recipe but I think I may need to triple it next time. They will inhale these!
This is my third time making them. The only variation is I cut the recipe in half (not enough mouths to feed) and I do knead by hand. Best recipe! Bravo!
What a perfect, beautiful, fluffy, flavorful dinner roll! I bake various breads for my family weekly. I had a sick child today, and fell behind on my elaborate multi rise yeast roll recipe. I stumbled upon this as an alternative, and am angry at myself for not searching earlier! This is in my opinion, the PERFECT yeast roll! I’ll never use another recipe!
Really wonderful recipe. I tried making a double batch and think it would be better to make one batch at a time – it seemed like there was a bit too much flour and I had to adjust by adding in some additional warm milk later in the process. I had no trouble with the yeast – I made sure the house was warm before starting the baking process and I also heated up water and put it in the metal mixing bowl to warm the bowl before adding the wet ingredients and yeast. I wouldn’t try this recipe without ensuring the mixing bowl is warm. I also tried this with 50% bread flour and 50% all purpose flour, and the texture is very good, although I’m going to try 100% bread flour next time. Other commenters suggested using muffin tins, which was also very helpful.
I needed a quick (real quick) dinner roll recipe, and I found this one. It’s very good. I made eight and froze the rest of the dough for future use, but this is a keeper. Thanks!
I made them for Thanksgiving and they worked out great! Can I replace the butter with avocado or coconut oil if I don’t have any butter though?
Love these rolls!! So easy & turn out every time
I made these Christmas Day as I needed some bread for dinner. Recipe went together as described like a charm. Rolls were soft and warm. I might cut the bake time by one minute next time. I am getting used to my oven. This recipe could be used to make a couple of hotdog or hamburger buns.
I made these tonight to eat with our left over ham. These were absolutely delicious!
For years in my family, I’ve been know as the bread lady. However,
I started my rolls with a Jiffy white cake mix. They no longer make that product.
This recipe is so close to mine, and I was so shocked it only takes an hour. I’m used to starting mine the night before and getting up early to finish. No more!!! My family loves these!
Today I decided to try this in a loaf pan. We used all 4 cups of flour, and baked it an hour. My husband and I ate it in no time.
Thanks for a great recipe!!!!!
There rolls were perfect!! Could cinnamon rolls be made from this dough?
My favorite rolls!
So I found this recipe last minute right before dinner. Hubby was smoking ribs and I had to be ready when he was or I’m in trouble, haha.
So I kind of rushed the raise times, my balls were kind of wonky and not real round. I also used rapid yeast instead of active and added a bit too much for the conversion I found out AFTER the fact, lol.
But after I took them out and bit into them?? YES MAAM. They were great. Fluffy and yummy. And I was so proud of myself!
Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Absolutely delicious!
It’s 23°F in Virginia today so mine took about twice as long to rise both times.
I only needed 3 1/2 cups of flour and never needed to add the additional half a cup as my dough after mixing was soft and slightly sticky and perfect.
I did brush the tops with a beaten egg prior to baking because I like a shiny top to my rolls.
And because mine took longer to rise both times, I preheated my oven as directed initially before starting the recipe, and it sat preheated for an hour or more. I would not preheat my oven next time until after the sixth step was completed, not the first step!
I will definitely make these again,
What would be good warming instructions for these rolls ?
I used bread flour for these rolls and they are amazing! My husband said “this is my favorite roll now, don’t lose the recipe!”
Hi Nancy ~ Have you tried the rolls with all purpose flour? Are the bread flour rolls much different?
These rolls are absolutely amazing!!! I was wondering if there was a way to adapt this recipe into loaf bread?
I cannot say enough about this recipe!!! I hardly ever write recipe reviews, but this one deserves it! I have been making this most weeks this winter to go with various soups or chilis. My husband and I absolutely love the texture and flavor. I love them because they are so easy, and they are fast enough to do when I get home from work. Usually making bread is quite time consuming, but this one is not!
Yummy and fast
What a perfect recipe this is. Fast, easy and delicious. Absolutely the best yeast roll I have ever tasted. The moist, soft but still dense texture is hard to accomplish. This will be my go to recipe. I plan on using this recipe to make cinnamon buns soon. It will also make a great sandwich loaf. Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve been a baker since I was 14. Im 80 now and still love to turn out the masterpiece!
So glad I found this recipe.. so quick and easy and so delicious!!
They were really tasty! The problem I had, was that I adjusted the quantities X2 and had some troubles because of that.
My stand mixer had issues with the dough, as it was a bit heavy for kneading, later I didn’t realise on time the instructions didn’t adjust and the baking pan was too small – that resulted in over baked tops, with gooey sports in the middle. I managed to save them, though.
So, if using adjusted quantities-knead by hand or with a powerful mixer, and choose large enough pan. The results are great!
I’ve made these before and they are awesome. Making these now. But I have a question. There is just my husband and me, can we freeze some of these as dough balls and bake another time?
Literally the best rolls ever!! These are so easy to make and soooooo yummy. 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍🏽👍🏽
I’m not sure what I did wrong. They tasted good but were heavy.
These were excellent! I used quick rise yeast so no need to proof it. Also, I used bread flour. I did not have to add more than 3.5 cups of flour and the dough was perfect.
This recipe is amazing made with bread flour instead of AP and split into 2 loaf pans. It tastes great and is soft like a slightly denser sandwich bread. I’m trying 3/4 bread flour 1/4 whole wheat today!
Best dinner rolls ever! I figured I’d try something different for a change after having made the same homemade dinner roll recipe for years, which my family loved. But I have to say, these were even better. So I guess out with the old and in with the new! Thank you!
Amazing recipe – 5*!
One question, can the honey be swapped out for sugar?; If so how much? As we don’t always have honey available.
Came out delicious! However, was wondering if I can use buttermilk?
I add a little more butter and a tablespoon of sugar but absolutely love this recipe it a family favorite.