Classic Dinner Roll Recipe

By
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich is a food writer, recipe video producer, and culinary school instructor with more than 20 years of experience in the food industry.
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Updated on 12/28/22
Classic Dinner Roll Recipe

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Prep: 2 hrs
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 2 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
121 Calories
3g Fat
21g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 121
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 7mg 2%
Sodium 108mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 23mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 53mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Homemade dinner rolls are surprisingly easy, and the taste is far superior to anything from a store. Few things make your kitchen smell as wonderful as fresh dinner rolls.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup warm water, 105 F to 115 F

  • 1 (2 1/4-teaspoon) packet dry active yeast

  • 1 cup milk

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Classic Dinner Roll Recipe ingredients

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Combine water and yeast in a large bowl. Whisk until dissolved, and set aside.

    Combine water and yeast in a large bowl

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Combine milk, butter, sugar, honey, and salt in another glass or plastic bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, or until milk is just warm. Set aside until butter is melted.

    Combine milk, butter, sugar, honey, and salt in a bowl

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Add the flour to the bowl containing the water and yeast, followed by the milk mixture. Stir until sticky dough forms.

    Add the flour to the bowl containing the water and yeast, and milk mixture

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  5. Turn dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Knead dough for about 6 minutes, adding enough flour, as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the surface, or your hands.

    dough ball on a floured surface

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  6. Stop kneading when you have a smooth, soft, elastic ball of dough. Grease a large bowl with oil. Place the dough into the bowl and turn over a few times so the dough is lightly oiled. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and leave to rise in warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

    dough in a bowl

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  7. Punch down the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a square and cut into 16 equal-sized sections.

    dough cut into pieces

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  8. Roll each piece into a ball.

    dough balls on a wood surface

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  9. Line an 18 x 13-inch baking sheet with a silicon baking mat. Place each ball, seam-side down, about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet (4 rows with 4 rolls each).

    dough balls on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  10. Put some flour in a fine-mesh sieve and tap to dust the top of each roll with a little flour. This is optional but gives that classic dinner roll look. Set the pan in a warm spot and allow to rise for 40 minutes. The rolls can be slightly touching each other after they've risen.

    dough balls on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  11. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake on the center rack for about 25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and let cool on a rack for 20 minutes before serving.

    baked Classic Dinner Roll

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack