Classic Dinner Rolls

freshly baked dinner rolls in a baking dish.

4.76 from 25 votes

Classic Dinner Rolls

These Dinner Rolls are soft, fluffy, and buttery, a classic no fail recipe that requires very little effort to make. The perfect addition to any meal!

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Rising Time1 30

Total Time2 30

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: classic dinner rolls, dinner rolls, dinner rolls recipe

Servings:

Calories: 234kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

KitchenAid Artisan 5 Quart Stand Mixer

Ingredients

2½ teaspoon active dry yeast (1 package) or instant yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup milk warm to the touch, between 100 and 110 F degrees
8 tablespoons butter unsalted, melted
⅓ cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg white lightly beaten for brushing rolls
2 tablespoons poppy seeds optional
2 tablespoons sesame seeds optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Activate yeast: To the bowl of your mixer add the yeast, the 1 tbsp of sugar and the warm milk. Gently whisk it all together and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. After this time, if the yeast is good, it will froth.
Make dough: Add the butter, sugar, egg yolks, salt, and flour to the yeast mixture. Mix with the dough hook on low speed, until it's all incorporated. Increase to medium high speed and knead for another 5 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky but still soft to the touch.
First rise: Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, or the bowl from your mixer and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise until it doubles in size, about 45 minutes to an hour. See notes for rising.
Prepare baking dish: I normally use a 9x13 inch baking dish for these, so lightly grease your baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
Form rolls: Dust your work surface with a little flour, place the dough then press it down so that it deflates. Shape it into a ball. No need for additional kneading. Divide the dough in 16 equal pieces. To shape each piece into a roll, take a piece and flatten it with your palm or fingers. Fold it up into a ball by pinching the sides together, turn it over and roll it briefly. See video. Place the roll with the smooth side up onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.
Second rise: Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise again until it's doubled in size, another 30 minutes or so.
Prepare oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Brush rolls with eggs: Remove the plastic wrap or kitchen towel and brush the rolls with the egg white, so that they end up nice and shiny. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds, if preferred.
Bake: Bake the rolls for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Video

Notes

RISING: Preheat your oven to 200 F degrees, turn off the oven, then place the bowl with the dough in the oven until it doubles in size. Because this is a draft free environment and warm, the dough will rise faster, should take about 30 minutes.
INSTANT YEAST: If using instant yeast, no proofing is required. Simply add the yeast along with the rest of the ingredients.
Always check the expiration date on your yeast and make sure it hasn't expired. All your yeast products whether it’s in a jar or a package should be stamped with a “Best if Used by” date. Always make sure you check this date, even when you purchase the yeast, who knows it could have been on the shelf past its expiry date.
To keep your yeast fresh and longer lasting, unopened yeast packages or jars should be stored in a cool or dry place such as your cupboard. However, you can also store your yeast in the fridge or freezer. If you do store it in the freezer and need to use yeast for your baking, make sure you take out the amount you need and let it sit at room temperature for at least half hour before using.
Once your yeast package or jar has been opened, you must refrigerate the yeast or freeze it in an airtight container.
One thing to remember about your yeast, is that it is a living organism and over time it will lose activity, even if you’ve never opened the jar or package. So if you don’t bake often, buy the smaller yeast packages rather than a big jar of yeast.

Nutrition