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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.
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.
Seriously the best rolls I have ever made – I’m so glad I found this recipe! 5 stars from all family members. So easy to make, just follow the instructions and in no time you’ll be enjoying delicious rolls!
I don’t have honey, what can I use as a substitute? Ty
Jim —
I use turbanado sugar. About a tablespoon or so and mix it with the wet ingredients. Give it a bit of a wisk to stir it up and then add the yeast. It works great.
I am not good at making bread but this recipe was passed onto me so since Easter is this weekend I thought I would try it and this recipe is GREAT! Super easy and the rolls where sooooo good. Question : can the rolls be re-heated? If so how long? Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
Sbean —
I reheat rolls all the time. I store them with a paper towel on top and bottom of a ziplock bag, on the counter, then I reheat one for about 15-20 seconds in the microwave.
I’m allergic to honey. Can I substitute sugar for the honey? Also I have bread machine rapid rise yeast, can I use that or do I need to purchase a different yeast?
Sharla Stewart —
I only have unsalted butter on hand most days. Can I use that instead of just regular butter?
Finally got the recipe that agreed with me!!!????? after so many failed attempts this recipe gave me the excellent result ….. it tasted like dinner rolls, it’s crunchy from the outside but so fluffy in the inside . Thank you for sharing this excellent recipe…
Easy and fool proof! Made them for Easter and I am making them again right now. I followed the directions exactly and kneaded the dough by hand adding almost all the extra 1/4 cup of flour when kneading to get rid of the stickiness. I was in a rush and made 8 large rolls and they turned out delicious. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
I did exactly what the recipe said, and mine didn’t rise and my Yeast was good. I was disappointed. I’ll try to make it again and if it doesn’t turn out, I will look for another recipe.
Grit —
Did you mix salt in with your yeast? If you did, that may be the problem. Mix the salt with flour and then add the yeast mixture. If that wasn’t it, then it might have been the room temp. Make sure the room your in is warm, if it is cold the dough may take longer to rise. The yeast too, when your proofing the yeast make sure the water it’s in is NOT hot. Warm, not hot if it is hot it may kill the yeast.
Jenna —
These did not turn out at all. They didn’t rise. They didn’t cook properly, burnt on the top and undercooked in the middle. I threw them out. Would not recommend.
I make these about once a week now. They are hands down the best rolls ever and my family absolutely loves them!!! I brush and egg wash on them before they go into the oven just to make them nice and brown and a little bit shiny on top.
Great rolls–so soft and buttery. And they take less than half the time of my other roll recipe, which means I can make them anytime without having to plan very far ahead. My kids thank you, since they are always begging me for rolls!
I tried this recipe tonight and these rolls were excellent! My husband and I had them with a casserole and veggies. These were the perfect bread to serve with our simple meal! So quick and easy to make. I did use my stand mixer to mix the dough. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Absolutely the best!!! We were having company and stores were out of fresh rolls. I found this recipe and was super nervous to try this recipe for the first time for guests! Let’s just say that these rolls made me look like I’ve been making rolls my whole life! Absolutely fool proof! So easy to make and no need to feel intimidated to make!
This is a family recipe that I have made for years! I use 4 cups flour and they are absolutely delicious and ready in 1 hour! I make 12 rolls in my 9×13 glass dish and our family devours them in one sitting. They truly are amazing!
Love these rolls. They’re so quick to come together and delicious! I doubled the size of the rolls and used them as hamburger buns. I’ll never go back. I end up using more flour than the recipe to make the dough easier to handle but they e never been dense as a result. Today I made batch with 100% whole wheat flour. They still turned out great! Thank you Ali!!!
Super easy. I didn’t have any regular flour so I substituted self rising flour. Mixed a little honey, salt and butter to brush on top. They look great, can’t wait to pair them with some good ole’ fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Thanks for the recipe!
I made these tonight for the first time. We loved them. I shared them with neighbors, and they loved them too. It’s incredible how quick and easy they are to make. I made mine using white whole wheat flour. Thanks for sharing.
I have attempted this recipe two separate times and unsuccessfully made these dinner rolls. I followed the recipe exactly as stated but my dough is way too sticky. I even added a whole cup more but it’s still sticky. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong!
Ty —
This is my third time. I follow the recipe each time. First the, perfect, second and now this time my dough looks like soup🤷🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️. I’m going to keep trying though.
These are so versatile! Dinner rolls are great, but I also make hamburger and hot dog buns out of this recipe and every loves them!! Put egg wash one them instead of butter and sesame seeds on the hamburger buns. Thank you for sharing!
Mmmm me gusto mucho! I love how easy to follow and easy to make this recipe is, especially considering I’m not a seasoned baker. We tried it with the recommendation of grated cheddar and parmesan on top and that was perfect! Definitely a keeper!
Love this recipe, I’ve been using it for over a year now and it comes out perfect every time ! I’m curious, If I make them into knots instead of balls and use your garlic variation to make garlic knots would they still turn out the same, or does that call for a different recipe/process?
I only have bread machine yeast. Other sites say I can add the yeast to the flour, and then add the heated ingredients, and then let rise. This eliminates one rise. Do you know if that will work?
Thank you for this recipe. I made it and it was ok, but I wanted to ask why my bread came out looking soo get like underneath the bread and when you tear it into 2? I followed the instructions to a T. Please can you advice what the problem is? Thank you
Super easy to make and turns out light and fluffy every time! My go to if I need last minute rolls for dinner. You really can’t go wrong with these rolls.
I have never made homemade rolls until I used this recipe with mixer but by hand. They turned out awesome! Going to be traveling for a month in rv so can I either freeze baked dough or fresh dough?
I have never made homemade rolls until I used this recipe without mixer but by hand. They turned out awesome! Going to be traveling for a month in RV so can I either freeze baked dough or fresh dough?
Never do I leave comments on recipes but this recipe stays on my phone for continued use. These rolls are magical and so easy! Truly perfect for this busy mom!
This recipe works great with 100% spelt flour as well. I have trouble with regular flour, so I use spelt for all my breads. I can’t eat store breads. I’ve been baking my own for about 15 years, and this is such a wonderful addition. Great to make for breakfast because it’s so quick! I make my rolls a bit bigger, about hamburger bun size, so I can split in two and put them in the toaster. So yummy!!
I used bread flour because that was what I had on hand, added garlic powder, sweet basil, and parmesan cheese and they came out so tall and fluffy! Very tasty! A big hit with the family, and so easy to make!!!
Thank You!!!
Could I let my bread machine do the first rise on dough option then take out let rise second time I don’t own a stand mixer and have trouble kneading because of arthritis
My family is allergic to gluten so I made the rolls with Gluten free all purpose flour, they tasted great, didn’t have to mix dry and wet as long, and have a little less fluffy but that’s what happens when you go gluten free. Thank you
Made this for the first time. I did not have honey so I substituted for maple syrup and wow, this was so delicious and quick and easy! I will keep this and make it with honey next time! Thank you!
Regarding some failed non expired yeast rising issue other then temperature that was covered, we forget alot of recipes are handed down over the years and are area / culture specific that we forget being online and worldly, in my many years it’s more due to altitude and humidity. If you see today is 95% humidity don’t waste your time wait for lower and you’ll be happy with results. GL.
I absolutely adore this recipe! I’m making a double batch right now to bring to a party, everyone who has tried them, loves them! Absolutely perfect, as is, but as a twist, adding honey butter to the top after baking is just delightful. Thank you!
I’m not sure how the recipe.is, only that this was my first attempt at any kind of yeast bread, and the results are bad. Part of my problem was that I don’t have a stand mixer, so I kneaded by hand. The dough was so super moist, that I had to keep adding flour to handle it. The result is a dense, flavorless half biscuit, not a warm fluffy roll. Any advice?
Seriously the best rolls I have ever made – I’m so glad I found this recipe! 5 stars from all family members. So easy to make, just follow the instructions and in no time you’ll be enjoying delicious rolls!
I used this recipe to make garlic knots! They were wonderful!
I’m making them again this morning for cinnamon rolls.
I don’t have honey, what can I use as a substitute? Ty
I use turbanado sugar. About a tablespoon or so and mix it with the wet ingredients. Give it a bit of a wisk to stir it up and then add the yeast. It works great.
I am not good at making bread but this recipe was passed onto me so since Easter is this weekend I thought I would try it and this recipe is GREAT! Super easy and the rolls where sooooo good. Question : can the rolls be re-heated? If so how long? Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
I reheat rolls all the time. I store them with a paper towel on top and bottom of a ziplock bag, on the counter, then I reheat one for about 15-20 seconds in the microwave.
I’m allergic to honey. Can I substitute sugar for the honey? Also I have bread machine rapid rise yeast, can I use that or do I need to purchase a different yeast?
I only have unsalted butter on hand most days. Can I use that instead of just regular butter?
Golden syrup is good as a substitute.
Finally got the recipe that agreed with me!!!????? after so many failed attempts this recipe gave me the excellent result ….. it tasted like dinner rolls, it’s crunchy from the outside but so fluffy in the inside . Thank you for sharing this excellent recipe…
Easy and fool proof! Made them for Easter and I am making them again right now. I followed the directions exactly and kneaded the dough by hand adding almost all the extra 1/4 cup of flour when kneading to get rid of the stickiness. I was in a rush and made 8 large rolls and they turned out delicious. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
I did exactly what the recipe said, and mine didn’t rise and my Yeast was good. I was disappointed. I’ll try to make it again and if it doesn’t turn out, I will look for another recipe.
Did you mix salt in with your yeast? If you did, that may be the problem. Mix the salt with flour and then add the yeast mixture. If that wasn’t it, then it might have been the room temp. Make sure the room your in is warm, if it is cold the dough may take longer to rise. The yeast too, when your proofing the yeast make sure the water it’s in is NOT hot. Warm, not hot if it is hot it may kill the yeast.
These did not turn out at all. They didn’t rise. They didn’t cook properly, burnt on the top and undercooked in the middle. I threw them out. Would not recommend.
I make these about once a week now. They are hands down the best rolls ever and my family absolutely loves them!!! I brush and egg wash on them before they go into the oven just to make them nice and brown and a little bit shiny on top.
Easy instructions, just wondering how long they can be stored and refrigerator or counter. ?
Great rolls–so soft and buttery. And they take less than half the time of my other roll recipe, which means I can make them anytime without having to plan very far ahead. My kids thank you, since they are always begging me for rolls!
I tried this recipe tonight and these rolls were excellent! My husband and I had them with a casserole and veggies. These were the perfect bread to serve with our simple meal! So quick and easy to make. I did use my stand mixer to mix the dough. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
This recipe was awesome!
Absolutely the best!!! We were having company and stores were out of fresh rolls. I found this recipe and was super nervous to try this recipe for the first time for guests! Let’s just say that these rolls made me look like I’ve been making rolls my whole life! Absolutely fool proof! So easy to make and no need to feel intimidated to make!
I have made this recipe and absolutely adore it so easy and they are extremely easy I have used packet loaves act this is better.
Thank you for posting this recipe ? I have made these rolls several times now and my family LOVES THEM!!
Thanks again .. and
GOD BLESS ALL?
This is a family recipe that I have made for years! I use 4 cups flour and they are absolutely delicious and ready in 1 hour! I make 12 rolls in my 9×13 glass dish and our family devours them in one sitting. They truly are amazing!
Love these rolls. They’re so quick to come together and delicious! I doubled the size of the rolls and used them as hamburger buns. I’ll never go back. I end up using more flour than the recipe to make the dough easier to handle but they e never been dense as a result. Today I made batch with 100% whole wheat flour. They still turned out great! Thank you Ali!!!
Super easy. I didn’t have any regular flour so I substituted self rising flour. Mixed a little honey, salt and butter to brush on top. They look great, can’t wait to pair them with some good ole’ fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Thanks for the recipe!
So easy to make and I added fresh parsley to the dough. Perfect saved to my all time favorites for rolls!! I used soy milk!!
Wonderful rolls at my first attempt. Trying a double batch now
I have made many MANY bread recipes off the internet, this is the only one I will use again, absolutely awesome results.
This was the easiest bread to make ever. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe ?
I made these tonight for the first time. We loved them. I shared them with neighbors, and they loved them too. It’s incredible how quick and easy they are to make. I made mine using white whole wheat flour. Thanks for sharing.
I have attempted this recipe two separate times and unsuccessfully made these dinner rolls. I followed the recipe exactly as stated but my dough is way too sticky. I even added a whole cup more but it’s still sticky. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong!
This is my third time. I follow the recipe each time. First the, perfect, second and now this time my dough looks like soup🤷🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️. I’m going to keep trying though.
These are so versatile! Dinner rolls are great, but I also make hamburger and hot dog buns out of this recipe and every loves them!! Put egg wash one them instead of butter and sesame seeds on the hamburger buns. Thank you for sharing!
I made the dinner rolls and they are perfect! I have tried other recipes and haven’t had the same results .. these are so nice and light !
Tried this with bread flour and brown sugar instead of honey. Came out really dense as expected. Needed more time to rise.Will try it APF next time.
Mmmm me gusto mucho! I love how easy to follow and easy to make this recipe is, especially considering I’m not a seasoned baker. We tried it with the recommendation of grated cheddar and parmesan on top and that was perfect! Definitely a keeper!
Love this recipe, I’ve been using it for over a year now and it comes out perfect every time ! I’m curious, If I make them into knots instead of balls and use your garlic variation to make garlic knots would they still turn out the same, or does that call for a different recipe/process?
I only have bread machine yeast. Other sites say I can add the yeast to the flour, and then add the heated ingredients, and then let rise. This eliminates one rise. Do you know if that will work?
Thank you for this recipe. I made it and it was ok, but I wanted to ask why my bread came out looking soo get like underneath the bread and when you tear it into 2? I followed the instructions to a T. Please can you advice what the problem is? Thank you
Super easy to make and turns out light and fluffy every time! My go to if I need last minute rolls for dinner. You really can’t go wrong with these rolls.
I have never made homemade rolls until I used this recipe with mixer but by hand. They turned out awesome! Going to be traveling for a month in rv so can I either freeze baked dough or fresh dough?
Thanks, Susanj
I have never made homemade rolls until I used this recipe without mixer but by hand. They turned out awesome! Going to be traveling for a month in RV so can I either freeze baked dough or fresh dough?
Thanks, Susanj
Never do I leave comments on recipes but this recipe stays on my phone for continued use. These rolls are magical and so easy! Truly perfect for this busy mom!
What can I use in place of the honey
Hi Ali,
Just wanted to tell you that this is an Awesome recipe and I make these all the time!
Thank you so much for sharing it with all of us!
This recipe works great with 100% spelt flour as well. I have trouble with regular flour, so I use spelt for all my breads. I can’t eat store breads. I’ve been baking my own for about 15 years, and this is such a wonderful addition. Great to make for breakfast because it’s so quick! I make my rolls a bit bigger, about hamburger bun size, so I can split in two and put them in the toaster. So yummy!!
I used bread flour because that was what I had on hand, added garlic powder, sweet basil, and parmesan cheese and they came out so tall and fluffy! Very tasty! A big hit with the family, and so easy to make!!!
Thank You!!!
Could I let my bread machine do the first rise on dough option then take out let rise second time I don’t own a stand mixer and have trouble kneading because of arthritis
These were the star of the dinner!
Great recipe. I make these often. Delicious!
My family is allergic to gluten so I made the rolls with Gluten free all purpose flour, they tasted great, didn’t have to mix dry and wet as long, and have a little less fluffy but that’s what happens when you go gluten free. Thank you
Made this for the first time. I did not have honey so I substituted for maple syrup and wow, this was so delicious and quick and easy! I will keep this and make it with honey next time! Thank you!
Regarding some failed non expired yeast rising issue other then temperature that was covered, we forget alot of recipes are handed down over the years and are area / culture specific that we forget being online and worldly, in my many years it’s more due to altitude and humidity. If you see today is 95% humidity don’t waste your time wait for lower and you’ll be happy with results. GL.
What % milk do you use?
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
I absolutely adore this recipe! I’m making a double batch right now to bring to a party, everyone who has tried them, loves them! Absolutely perfect, as is, but as a twist, adding honey butter to the top after baking is just delightful. Thank you!
Can i use instant yeast instead? And if i can, how many tablespoon?
I’m not sure how the recipe.is, only that this was my first attempt at any kind of yeast bread, and the results are bad. Part of my problem was that I don’t have a stand mixer, so I kneaded by hand. The dough was so super moist, that I had to keep adding flour to handle it. The result is a dense, flavorless half biscuit, not a warm fluffy roll. Any advice?