So incredibly easy to make and wonderfully delicious, these 30-Minute Dinner Rolls are the perfect addition to any meal!
There is truly no smell as amazing as fresh warm bread or rolls coming out of the oven! I remember coming home from school to the smell of freshly baked buns or bread, ready and waiting as the perfect after school snack! To this day when I smell fresh baking, I am immediately transported to that happy time and place of my childhood.
Fast forward to today with busy work schedules, running to kids activities and trying to simply keep up with life, it is difficult to put together a meal – let alone add on the extras!
This 30-Minute Dinner Roll recipe is wonderful because it is truly so easy to prepare, the buns take a short time to rise and the result is such a delicious treat that it is worth the extra effort! What a great side to enjoy with a hot and tasty bowl of soup or chili!
I love the convenience of buying dinner rolls from the store and the quality is very nice. In most cases however, store bought items have additives or preservatives in order to keep a longer shelf life. Making these homemade dinner rolls from scratch ensures that nothing is added except wholesome goodness! And these tasty little buns never last long enough to have to worry about shelf life!
If you are lucky enough to have any left over the next day, they do stay fresh and are so wonderful served with butter and jam in the morning! I love to enjoy this special treat with my morning coffee – it is comfort food at it’s best!
Our sense of smell is one of the most highly acute of all our senses and tends to influence our mood. It is no small wonder that when we smell freshly baked dinner rolls, it makes us feel happy and excited in anticipation of these tender, tasty treats!
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour I use closer to 3
- ⅛ cup milk room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400*F.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup water, oil, sugar, and yeast. Let sit until yeast is bubbly (about 8 minutes). Stir in beaten egg, softened butter, and salt.
- With a stand mixer or by hand, add flour, one cup at a time until you have a soft dough that isn’t sticky. Knead by hand 10 minutes or 5 minutes with a stand mixer.
- Divide dough into 18 even pieces, and form into balls. Place in a greased pan and cover with parchment paper and a kitchen towel.
- Let rise 10 minutes in a warm place. (You can allow them to rise up to an additional 30 minutes if time allows).
- Lightly brush with milk and bake on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes or just until browned.
Video
Notes
- Combine 2 cups of flour with 2 packets of instant yeast (about 4½ teaspoons), sugar, and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together warm water, vegetable oil, melted butter, and egg. Add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Add the remaining 1 to 2 cups of flour, half a cup at a time, until you have a soft dough that isn’t sticky (you may not need all of it). Knead by hand for 10 minutes or 5 minutes with a stand mixer.
- Form dough into balls. Place in a greased pan and cover with parchment paper and a kitchen towel. Let rise for 30-40 minutes or until dough is double in size.
- Brush tops with milk and bake as directed.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
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Whether it’s a special occasion or you simply want a delicious addition to your weeknight meal, 30-Minute Dinner Rolls are perfect! Absolutely delicate, delicious and simple to make, you will want to bake them often. And your family will ask for them even more!
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Is the yeast quick rising or regular? I don’t have quick-rising on hand.
Thank you!
Hi Sandi, We use traditional Active Dry Yeast for this recipe.
Excellent and easy recipe! I added garlic powder to the mix and used some whole wheat flour mixed with regular flour. My whole family loved them!
Is the recipe supposed to read 2 tbsp. Yeast
Yes, we used 2 tbsp of yeast in this recipe!
I never leave comments on recipes but this one was pretty shocking, thank you for sharing! I decided last minute to do rolls (like steaks already on the grill, last minute) and found your recipe. I was pretty frantically throwing in ingredients and was very sloppy and they were SO forgiving. It was a rushed, hot mess, I thought I’d used enough flour but realized when I started putting them in my dish they were still pretty sticky but I went with it and put half the dough in the dish as sticky balls. Decided to add more flour, got a better consistency and plopped that off in a bread loaf pan. Whatever I could ruin, it seems I tried. And they turned out beautifully. Both my rolls and my loaf. We spent our dinner in awe that rolls this good could be made without rising for hours. (And persevere through all my mishaps) this is a keeper, for sure!
So happy these turned out great for you, Amber!
These rolls are amazing! They turned out so light and fluffy and were super soft, with a crisp top! Simple directions, and easy to follow. Thank you!
Holly,
So happy I ran across this great recipe! I am new at baking rolls and your recipe was simple, well written instructions. I only print out the best recipes and these yummy rolls made the list! They were great with our stuffed bell peppers tonite
Glad you enjoyed them, Amy!
I’m going to try to make these tomorrow. Can I substitute bread flour for the ap flour??
Hi Marilyn, bread flour has an increased protein amount which could result in a drier finished dinner roll but other readers have used it with great results.
I bake to relax on non-busy weekends. I tried many recipes that were good the first try, but not always as good when I made them again. Probably operator error, but THIS recipe is consistently perfect. I take my time, so they definitely take a couple of hours. This is my sixth double batch I am making today. Last time, something came up and I threw it in the fridge. When I got them the next day, the bowl was almost overflowing, but the rolls still turned out perfectly. I add more salt and less sugar. Thanks for the perfect recipe!
So happy you love these Tamara! We love hearing that recipes have become your ol’ faithful ♥️
I made these gluten free and dairy free. They worked really well!! I’m impressed!
Hello! My buns turned out doughy like someone else had mentioned in the comments. I watched your video and used 3.5 cups of flour in the end. Do you think it might have something to do with the quality of the yeast? The buns were fluffy when pulled apart, but they turn doughy as you eat them. Definitely not undercooked… would love some help troubleshooting as this is a great recipe!
These are a softer yeast bun, but so delicious. It may have been your yeast though, for best results we recommend using fresh yeast.
What a novel idea that buns can be made so quickly. I always think of bread as an all day thing. These were great and I stuff some cheddar cubes into some of them.
Thé only thing I’d change is to turn the oven on a bit later, as mine is quick to heat up. Thanks so much for the recipe!
These are my go to buns for sure. Just wondering if you’ve ever made them the night before and put in the oven the next day?
Hi Christie, they should be fine in the fridge for a few hours but we haven’t tried leaving them overnight. If you do, please let us know how it turns out!
Really quick and easy and yummy! Both my little boys asked for more :-) Thanks for the recipe, it saved me from running to the grocery store thinking I don’t have enough time to make from scratch! A keeper for sure.
I have been making yeast rolls for years got my mom’s recipe but I needed something a little bit faster so I came across this one this is the best yeast roll recipe ever and so easy!! Thank You
So flipping delicious. Toddlers can be so picky and he ate so much better than he usually does. I’m going to have to keep this recipe!
I have made these rolls many times now, and have adapted the recipe to my needs. I have increased everything by about 50%. The yield is 25 rolls that are about 2 ounces each. I use unsalted butter in place of oil. My proportions:
1.5 Cups water. 6 TBSP butter. 1/3-1/2 Cup sugar, 3 TBSP Yeast. 1 tsp Salt, 6 Cups AP Flour. 2 Eggs. Mix water, yeast and sugar in mxer first – let rest for 10 mins. Add remaining ingredients (salt last). Mix dough in mixer until smooth elastic ball. Measure out 2 ounce balls onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper (2 pans roughly 12 x 16). Rise up to 30 mins. Brush with milk – no puddles! – and bake 10-12 minutes @ 400 F until desired brown.
I initially tried to double the original but in wouldn’t fit in my mixer! Quite the mess I made!!!
Quick and easy bun recipe. I’ve always had some trouble with bun recipes but this one was great! I am trying for a second time so hoping they turn out just as they did the first time. I doubled the recipe this time though.
Very yummy though!
I followed the recipe to the T. They came out a little too doughy and the texture was off. Are you supposed to put them on the pan touching? I did this and am wondering if that was the problem.
Did you take a look at the video Amanda? It shows exactly how I make them! They are not touching before they rise, but they touch a bit once they do rise. Hope that helps!
I made these tonight for hamburgers. I should have made them smaller, as I made 8 and they came out huge. They came out soft and airy. I used 1 cup of whole wheat flour and the rest AP, about 3.5 cups total. I decreased the sugar to 3 T and the fat to 3 T butter. I used 1 T quick rise yeast. Awesome and easy. I let them rise 20 minutes, covered with plastic wrap, after I oiled the tops. Will definitely make these again. Thank you for an easy recipe!!!
My go to recipe when wanting fresh rolls!
I have experimented with this recipe numerous times:
– made with an egg replacement (1 tbsp chia seeds + 2.5 tbsp water)
– using GF flour ( ended up using 8 cups and they were super hard)
Thank you very much!!
You’re welcome Shelby! Thank you for sharing!