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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 422 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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826 comments on “1-Hour Soft and Buttery Dinner Rolls”

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  1. These rolls are excellent however I wanted more of a sandwich roll so changed the yeast to 1 1/2 tablespoons of yeast and added 1 egg. They are amazing! I rolled them out and cut them with a biacuit cutter and laid them on parchment paper individually. Other than that, I followed the directions. Highly recommend them made either way.

  2. I made these with bresd flour and they were amazing.






  3. I was wondering could I use all milk and omit the water. Could I use sugar instead of honey if so, how much sugar equivalent to honey? Last question, will one packet of Active Dry Yeast be enough?

    • I was wondering the same thing … Did you get a reply ? If so please share. Thanks

    • 1 pkt of yeast – 2 1/4 teaspoons/8g 1 Tablespoon = 10g
      Substitute sugar for honey? Yes
      Yes on the all milk which will change the crumb a bit. Should be fine.

  4. Tried these. Used unsweetened soy milk and vegan butter. I probably let them rise a bit more (made sure my oven was on for all rising portions) but wow. Stunning rolls. Took a bit longer than an hour as I don’t use microwaves and also let it rise more but okay with this recipe. It’s superb.






  5. I made these again and it’s still the same result. Hard top bread and very bubbly inside. Not fluffy at all. Please what could be the problem? I used Allison’s dried active yeast and I proved it as the recipe instructed

    • I think its time I finally comment on these. I have made these so many times (saved the recipe). My hubs and kids LOVE them and the recipe is easy to play with. I like to ad more honey or slather with butter and garlic salt depending on what I am looking for. We will keep making this recipe. SO yum and quick to make on a whim!

  6. These are the best dinner rolls I’ve ever made.






  7. I’ve made these twice. The first time I was sure they didn’t turn out bc of the yeast. So I went and bought all new stuff to make these again.
    My dough will not rise. This is not my first go round with yeast rolls. Mine usually turn out beautifully! I’m very disappointed.






    • I almost made a half recipe, and so glad I didn’t. Delicious and I’m already looking forward to making them again, maybe allowing a little more rise. But I am very pleased. Thanks for the recipe.






    • I’m thinking you might have had your water too warm or cold. That would account for your yeast not raising. Just a thought

  8. Made these today and they are delicious! The directions were very easy to follow. I will definitely make these again!






  9. These are THE SOFTEST rolls I have ever made. Was after something to cook fast to pair with a quiche for my husband and I was totally not expecting them to turn out this amazing. They are just as soft the next day and it’s blowing my mind. I don’t eat gluten but I couldn’t resist a little bite of one. 🤤
    I have saved this recipe and it will 100% be made regularly.
    Thank you 🙏 🙏🙏






    • I feel so bad for the people who say their rolls haven’t turned out, because I find this recipe amazing. I’ve used this so much. If you’re having trouble proofing, make sure you have the dough in a warm place. For example, I usually don’t turn on my oven until I need it towards the end, because my oven with the light on is usually a warm enough place for my dough to rise.






  10. These are AMAZING! I only made half of a batch because my bread never turns out for me, but this turned out perfect. Its so easy that I can make it any time. I don’t have a dough hook so I did it by hand. Normally the dough is so sticky I can’t get it kneaded properly, but not this dough. Also, we have the AC on because its Summer so I heated up the dryer and put it in there to rise.






    • I learned a bit ago that turning the oven on to preheat at 350F for literally 3 minutes and then immediately turning it off gives the dough a perfect warm temp to raise in!

  11. These were so, so, so good!






  12. I got these just right on the second try – they are so good. Word to the wise though, if your house is cold like mine, you naivety want to increase the rising and proofing time. I think it took about two hours overall for me. :) the easiest way to describe it is to wait until the rolls are a bit poofy before putting them in the oven rather than going by the times.






  13. I tried these. Very easy and quick to make, but l honestly would use a traditional recipe if you’re looking for the usual soft, buttery, fluffy dinner rolls. These were a bit on the dry side by themselves. More like a hotdog or burger bun. They are good if you’re in a pinch! Especially for sliders or as a vessel for any food/filling.

  14. These are DELICIOUS!! So soft & fluffy! I’ll be making this one of my go to recipes! Thank you so much for sharing it!!






    • I’ve made these twice now (once directly baked and once made about 30 hrs in advance) and they came out beautifully both times! I was worried when I made them ahead of time because they rose quite a bit in my fridge, but the texture came out great and they baked perfectly. Tbh I liked how they came out better when I made them in advance, which is usually the opposite for me with rolls. Definitely gonna add this to my recipe collection; thank you!






  15. I have made at least 10 different roll recipes in the last year, and this one is the best. My family sings praises when I bake these. They turn out perfect every time. I’ve been assigned to bring rolls to Thanksgiving this year and this is the recipe I’ll be using. Easy, quick, delicious.






  16. Tried your recipe! I think the extra half cup of flour is needed! Expected more of a sweeter taste instead of bread? I also used a metal pan and the bottoms browned! Is that normal? Texture was a little gummy! Will try again. Thanks for the recipe!






  17. These are perfect! A lovely dough that created a light and fluffy roll. I followed instructions to the letter. I made 2 batches; one with buttered tops and one with Italian herbs and butter on top. They were a hit!

  18. I read, and watched the video several times before I tried this recipe and no bubbles, and no rise. Boo hoo! No time to try again.

  19. These rolls taste ok, but mine were dense – not light and airy. I followed the recipe exactly. ;-(






  20. CAN SOMEONE TELLME IF I CA.N MAKE THESE THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING IM SO BUSY ON THANKSGIVING PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO MAKE AND SAVE TO BAKE ON THANKSGIBG THANS TO ALL LOVE ALL HER RECIPES

  21. I haven’t attempted to bake it yet but you should review this recipe. Do you use melted in the recipe or do you melt it with the liquids? There’s a contradiction there. The dough needed more flour but you say only up to 4 cups. I need more flour this is more like a thick gloopy batter. I’m not sure how this is showed to work






    • I needed more flour too, I kept putting in 1/4 cup until it wasn’t sticking to the bottom of my mixer.

    • I melted my butter with the liquid, but then you need to mixture cool off a little. My butter got melted at about 120, so I needed to let it cool to 110 before adding the yeast.
      My yeast breads got a lot less tricky when I started using a thermometer!

  22. Made these rolls and we loved them very simple to make with my stand mixer. Will be making them again. I don’t have a microwave don’t care for them heated on the stove, used thermometer to keep from overheating.






  23. This is my new recipe for homemade buns. It’s quick and easy and no-fail. And they’re delicious. The only thing I do differently is I let them rise longer. It makes 15.






  24. Can you make these in muffin pan and can you use sugar instead of honey and how much sugar

  25. I made this recipe last night and it turned out fantastic!
    I plan on making these for thanksgiving !
    Thanks for sharing






  26. The texture was good but will use sugar next time instead of honey. I put extra honey but I still didn’t get the little sweetness that I was looking for.






  27. I had some much hope for this recipe! I made the recipe exactly as is and the rolls looked and smelled great. They were also light and fluffy, but the taste was just not there. They tasted bland and did not have a buttery flavor. Is there something I can do to make them taste better for next time?

    • I agree. I was excited for this roll recipe, but they are so bland. I’m going to try a different recipe instead.

  28. Why does the oven need to be on so long before the roils are ready to bake? Seems like a waste of energy.

    • I also question the length of time needed to preheat the oven. This step should be much much later because I don’t know of any oven that needs a half-hour to come up to 400F!

  29. We’ve made these rolls dozens of times and they always turn out perfectly! For extra flavor, try brushing browned butter on top too. Fabulous!






  30. These are the easiest and best rolls. I made mine with bread flour and they was so soft and fluffy. My husband said I can never buy store bought rolls again. So I telling you they was a hit, because he has always just wanted u bake rolls. Thanks for this recipe.

  31. First time trying rolls of any kind and my dough is super sticky. Do you scoop or spoon the flour when measuring? I added four cups and still sticky. I threw the wet sticky balls onto a baking sheet and will bsle them, but it doesn’t look good!

  32. Can you give some ideas to make them vegan? Can you use oat or soy milk maybe? And what should I use instead of honey? Lastly, can I use vegan butter?

  33. oops – I just saw your vegan suggestions!
    That’s what I get for jumping to the recipe.
    thanks,
    annie

  34. Made this recipe last night for the first time and it came out pretty good. I think next time I need to knead it some more. My family liked it so that’s good.






  35. I have made these several times. They are wonderful.

  36. Wonderful rolls. Absolutely delicious!!!!! Has anyone made them up and refrigerated the rolls to bake the next day?

    • I did and they turned out just fine. The only tweak I would make is to put the melted butter on the tops before baking instead of after. My rolls are a bit pale and I think that they’d brown nicely if topped with butter before baking






  37. We make these every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas and they are always delicious!






  38. Quick for a yeast roll. And tasty.






  39. WONDERFUL☆☆☆☆






  40. This dough is SO wet. I have already added the extra 1/2 cup allowed and can’t do anything with it. I added another 1/2 cup and it’s still so sticky I’m losing half of it on my hands trying to get it shaped. I’m using all of the recommended ingredients, any help???

  41. I made these for Thanksgiving dinner just now and they turned out really nice!






  42. At what point can we freeze the dough to save for next day? After the first rise?

  43. These are awesome! My rise times were both about 35 minutes each,which was perfect as was preparing other dishes at same time. Then baked @325 degrees for 15-20 minutes as that was my Turkey cook temperature but will use recipe again!






  44. This recipe saved our thanksgiving — rolls turned out great! Nice and soft. Added honey to the butter at the end for extra delicious-ness.

  45. These were super simple and SO delicious.

  46. I made these last night. I made a couple slight changes – I used white sugar instead of honey and regular table salt instead of sea salt (only because that is what I had on hand). I was really happy with the texture – they were nice and light and fluffy. I did however find them a little bit bland – and perhaps that is because of my substitutions. I am really looking forward to making these again, with some of the extra variations mentioned to give a bit more flavor. Thanks for the recipe!






  47. Just made these and they turned out absolutely perfect. Great recipe! Thank you 🥰






  48. The #1 step shouldn’t be preheating the oven. Because you’re not going to be putting the rolls into the oven for about an hour. Preheat the oven once you’ve formed the rolls and put them aside for the 2nd rising.






  49. I did use all milk 1 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 packet of the Active Dry Yeast. They turned out really good. I even used 5 tablespoons of butter. Everyone loved them they asked me to make more.

  50. These are tender and delicious!!!
    Make 9 out of the dough….let them rise with flour rubbed wax paper in a greased cake pan so the tops don’t stick. I leet mine rise fir 2 hours.
    The rising time on the recipe is wrong but just give them time. Use fast rising yeast not the regular. I only used one
    Package dry.