Description
These easy homemade dinner rolls are soft, fluffy, and golden brown, perfect for any meal. Made from scratch with simple ingredients, they involve basic yeast dough preparation, kneading, rising, and baking to create classic, pillowy rolls that are buttery and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for kneading)
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm milk (110°F/45°C)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
For Brushing
- Melted butter
Instructions
- Activate yeast: Combine warm milk, active dry yeast, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Let the mixture rest for 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
- Mix wet ingredients: Stir in the melted butter, egg, and salt into the yeast mixture until well combined.
- Add flour: Gradually mix in the all-purpose flour, one cup at a time, until a soft dough forms that starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Knead dough: Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until it becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
- First rise: Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Shape rolls: Punch down the risen dough to release air, divide it into 12 equal portions, and shape each portion into a smooth ball.
- Second rise: Arrange the dough balls on a greased baking sheet or in a 9×13-inch dish. Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes until they puff up.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes, or until they turn golden brown on top.
- Finish: Remove the rolls from the oven and brush them with melted butter to give a glossy, rich finish. Serve warm.
Notes
- Make sure the milk is warm (not hot) to properly activate the yeast without killing it.
- Kneading develops gluten which gives the rolls their soft and stretchy texture.
- Allow the dough to rise in a draft-free, warm environment for best results.
- For softer crust, brush the tops with butter right after baking while rolls are still warm.
- You can store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze for longer storage.
