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1-Hour Soft and Buttery Dinner Rolls

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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.

1-Hour Dinner Rolls Recipe in Baking Dish

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

Dinner Rolls Bread Dough Before Baking

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!

Brushing Dinner Rolls with Melted Butter

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. :)

1-Hour Soft Dinner Rolls in Pan

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.)

Soft Dinner Roll Closeup

More Favorite Bread Recipes:

Looking for more easy bread recipes to add to your repertoire? Here are a few of my faves…

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1-Hour Soft and Buttery Dinner Rolls Recipe

1-Hour Soft and Buttery Dinner Rolls

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 465 reviews
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 15 servings 1x

Description

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.


Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.)
  3. 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.
  4. Add dry ingredients.  Add in 3 1/2 cups of flour (not all of the flour) and the salt.
  5. 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.
  6. Let the dough rise.  Cover the bowl with a damp towel or paper towel, and let it rise briefly for 15 minutes.
  7. 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.
  8. Bake. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly golden brown on top and cooked through.
  9. Brush with more butter. Transfer the baking dish to a wire cooling rack and brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter.
  10. Serve warm. Then serve warm and enjoy!


Notes

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.

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922 comments on “1-Hour Soft and Buttery Dinner Rolls”

  1. I made these on Christmas and they were good! I made them again today, but doubled the honey, made smaller dough balls, and did an egg wash. This was very good and similar to what you would find frozen at the grocery.

    I have made several recipes from this site and this is another that will be a go to for my family.

    Thank you!






  2. I’ve used soooo many different roll recipes over the years and this one is my new favorite by far! Only change I made was to let the rolls rise for 45 minutes each time. The dough was soft and easy to work with and the rolls were so soft, buttery, with a perfect golden crust. I’m tossing all my other roll recipes! Thank you!






  3. These are fabulous – we make them often and my two teenage boys eat every one!






  4. “Best dinner rolls ever” according to the ENTIRE family!






  5. Made these last night, turned out very well. So so, so easy. Thank you for such a great recipe.

  6. These sound wonderful! Can you use a food processor to mix the dough if you don’t have a dough hook mixer?
    Thanks

    • I love using my food processor to make and knead yeast dough! As long as your processor has the capacity (14 cup for this much flour), you can make this dough in 90 seconds. Add all the dry ingredients to your work bowl, including INSTANT yeast ( that does not need to be bloomed). Pulse a few times, then, with the machine running, add the warm (not hot) liquid ingredients through the feed tube. When a dough forms, stop the processor and check for consistency – too dry, add a little more liquid (milk or water) – too sticky, add a Tablespoon of flour. When you’re satisfied with the consistency, run the machine for 40-45 seconds to knead your dough to perfection. Form the dough into a smooth ball and place in an oiled bowl, cover loosely and let it rise as directed. Hope this helps.

  7. I’m making these rolls for dinner tonight to go along with a pot roast, potatoes and gravy. I made them last Sunday -they looked great, tasted great – my only concern is when I make the dough balls the dough seems too sticky. Same thing today so I did add almost the full amount of flour (4 c). Haven’t baked em yet so am hoping they aren’t dry from too much flour. Just wondering if you ever have this ‘sticky’ issue. Thanks for a very easy quick recipe!

  8. Ali: I was anxious to try your recipe but did something wrong. I have no idea what it is. I could not get the dough to come together. I started with the 3 1/2 cups of flour and quickly realized that there was no way that was enough. I finally stopped adding flour at 4 1/2 cups. It never did come together. I went back over the recipe and double checked that amounts of the liquids. I am dumbfounded. I even read a ton of your reviews to see if anyone else had this problem. I make my own bread all the time and am familiar with adding a quarter cup or so at a time until the dough cleans the bowl. I also weigh my ingredients. Do you have any idea what went wrong? Thanks.

  9. I made these yesterday. Delicious rolls. I did make a soft dough with 1/2 cup less flour and making only 8 larger rolls. I’ll make these again and again. Thank you

  10. I now use this basic recipe with a few additional tweaks for alot of my bread products. I add a Tablespoon of Vital Wheat Gluten added to the dry ingredients and let my Breadman Bread Machine do all the mixing for me on the basic bread setting. I have used a actual Bread Flour; 1/3 Rye flour & 2/3 Bread Flour; 1/2c Whole Wheat Flour, 1/2c Bread Flour, a handful of crushed pumpkin seeds & 1/2 c equal parts Oat Bran to Wheat Bran. All were successful & tasty. I just make sure to take out of the bread machine & knead with bread flour until soft nonstick dough is formed.






  11. Can I use 1-1 gluten free baking flour and oat milk? Thanks in advance!

  12. My go-to recipe for rolls. If I need hamburger buns or sandwich rolls I use this recipe and make 9 in a 9×9 pan (roughly 105g each). I sometimes brush the top with egg and sprinkles sesame seeds. Yum! I wish you could post pictures because mine were BEAUTIFUL and fluffy!






  13. Amazing flavor and so easy! Family new favorite. Im curious if theres a way to know how many calories?






  14. I love this so much.This is the first time I have really had success at making yeast bread. So easy. I make these all the time for the grands. I live at altitude so I decrease the Yeast to 1 package and decrease the rise time a little bit.






  15. I made these tonight with my son. They are THE SOFTEST rolls I’ve ever made or had. They were the perfect texture and deliciously flavored. These are going in my recipe tin!
    Thank you so much for sharing, I can’t wait to make them and eat them again!






  16. Made this recipe last night. Turned out great – fluffy and delicious. Followed the recipe to a T. Live alone and I’m not wanting to buy rolls unless i know ppl are coming over. But i don’t always have enough notice. Really happy to have a quick roll recipe to make now. Going to freeze the leftover rolls and see how they store.






  17. I’ve made these multiple times. We love these either plain or with everything bagel seasoning. If you use the seasoning either make your own.. sprinkle lightly because it is vdry salty.
    5/5– thank you!






  18. These came out perfect! I followed your instructions exactly and am so proud of how the rolls turned out…nice and fluffy! Thank you!!!






  19. Simply amazing! I am new to baking and these turned out perfect. I just need to work on my portioning of the rolls.






  20. I’m excited to try the dinner rolls for my precious friend & neighbor who needs gluten, sugar,, soy free. I use butter instead of shortening or margarine. Cooking for her is tricky but she’s 90 years old and a God-given gift to family, friends!

  21. I made these dinner rolls last week and added 2tsp of garlic powder with my dry ingredients. I’m an avid baker – these are the BEST and easiest rolls I’ve made. We are making them again tonight. Absolutely delicious!






  22. Im trying for my first time. Im praying it turns out good.

  23. These were so easy, and excellent I made them into 8, delicious!

  24. Just wanted to say thank you for this recipe!! I make it regularly and often get asked for your recipe!
    it’s become a staple in our home and it’s very flattering when asked to bring them to holidays/parties ☺️






  25. I made those today… thought I’d test the recipe before making a double batch for Easter…. Yes they were easy to make and yes they tasted good…. I melted butter and grated some garlic in it and brushed over the top of hot rolls…. They received my families seal of approval..






  26. The only variation I used agave instead of honey. Mixed by hand, used 4 and a half cups of flour to try to get it not so sticky. I couldn’t work with it because it was so sticky. Granted, this is my first attempt at dinner rolls. Any tips you can give me?

  27. Came out really well.. Perfectly soft.. Thank you!!






  28. Made these the first time and didn’t realize I killed my yeast! So they were terrible. Second time I made them and they were so good! I used instant yeast and read somewhere no more than 100 degrees so I added them at 95 degrees and they rose beautifully. Going to try bread flour and more salt like someone suggested.

    Question: has anyone tried these as a bread loaf? I’m looking for a great bread recipe in a loaf pan and the texture of these was perfect for what I’m looking for.

  29. This recipe will become my go-to! Fast, easy, delish.






  30. My daughter made these and they were beyond awesome! She mixed together then put on dough setting in our bread machine. Then made into hot rolls. She’s also using some of the dough for cinnamon rolls which I know will turn out great!






  31. I cooked these tonight and they turned out great. I turned out only needing 3 1/2 cups of flour. The liquid was a little hot, so I added one ice cube to cool it to 110 degrees. I will definitely make these again. Thanks for the recipe.

  32. I thoroughly enjoyed these quick and easy rolls. Will definitely be making it again soon😋

  33. These rolls turned out perfect! I needed something fast as I spent a lot of time prepping a turkey for Father’s Day today. The only thing I changed is I added a bit more butter and 2 tablespoons of sugar because I was out of honey. The rolls were a crowd pleaser for my 4 guests. Thanks for helping make Father’s Day less stressful!






  34. I have made this recipe 3 times and every time I ended up with soupy dough. There is no way you can’t add more than 4 cups of flour to this recipe. I had to add at least a total of 5 cups.

  35. Hi
    I made these rolls today, followed the recipe exactly. DELICIOUS 😋!!!!!!!!
    Thank you
    Carol

  36. I made these tonight with homemade chicken noodle soup – they were delicious and so easy! Will be making again and again for sure.






  37. Awesome rolls and so easy Thank you

  38. These buns were incredible and everyone loved them.






  39. This was incredibly simple and absolutely delicious! It will become a family go to.
    Heavenly is right!






  40. Delicious and relatively quick to make! I replaced the honey with maple syrup. My family loved them.






  41. I made these rolls with 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1.5 cups of bread flour. They were excellent! I had to bake for about 5 mins longer. I had already brushed them with the melted butter when I tasted them and found them a smidge doughy still. So, baking the extra five mins with a layer of garlic butter on top made them extra golden and delicious! My whole family loved them! I loved that they were so fast! Nice to have warm, fresh rolls with our pasta dinner! I will definitely make these again!






  42. This has got to be my favourite in a pinch or short notice bread/ bun recipe. It’s always a hit and super easy to make. Also do not need many ingredients. I usually let them rise a bit longer but that is just what I found works best for me in Alberta Canada. Nice light and fluffy buns that are perfect every time.

  43. I’ve made this recipe several times and it is my favorite white roll recipe. I’ve never had an issue with it. They’re always a hit at family dinner. I have never left a review on a recipe before but had to come back and add this. Thank you!






  44. They were absolutely delicious! I will make them again! Thank you for sharing!






  45. This was so easy and delicious I wish I could post a photo of my 1st attempt! I made a double batch and the were light fluffy sweet and super soft !






  46. Wow!! These were so easy to make! The dough was easy to work with and rose well both times. I just dropped them off with some homemade soup and cookies to my daughter and her university housemates. She just texted and said ” the gals said the rolls tasted like a hug and a kiss on the forehead”. It doesn’t get better than that!






  47. These rolls are SOOO friggin delicious that I had 3 with my dinner tonight!🤦🏾‍♀️ But I don’t even care… they’re irresistible!!! A friend recommended and sent the link to this recipe when I told her I wanted to make rolls but was out of time(thinking I needed hours and hours)… So happy I tried it tonight! Quick, easy and again irresistible!!!






  48. I have made this recipe twice. 1st time as rolls as described, and then made up dough before going to bed…rose beautifully over night in the refrig. I then made cinnamon rolls….light and fluffy. Will definitely make these again. 🙂






  49. Can you tell me how many grams the flour is.

  50. if I wanted to make these even more ahead of time (to last longer than 48 hrs) could they be frozen after being formed into dough balls?