So incredibly easy to make and wonderfully delicious, these 30-Minute Dinner Rolls are the perfect addition to any meal!

dinner roll on plate with butter

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!

 

dinner rolls stacked

 

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!

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
dinner rolls stacked
4.86 from 2008 votes

30 Minute Dinner Rolls

Servings 18 rolls
There is no better smell than freshly baked bread. These 30 Minute Dinner Rolls are easy to make and incredibly tender and fluffy, making them the perfect addition to any meal.
Servings 18 rolls
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
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Ingredients  

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 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
  • 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

Note: 
If baking in a 9x13 pan, I make 15 rolls.
If baking in a 10x15 pan, I make 18 rolls.
 
To make with instant yeast:
  1. Combine 2 cups of flour with 2 packets of instant yeast (about 4½ teaspoons), sugar, and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer.
  2. In a large measuring cup, whisk together warm water, vegetable oil, melted butter, and egg. Add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Brush tops with milk and bake as directed.
4.86 from 2008 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 134 | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 36IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American

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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collage of dinner rolls, one cut open with butter and a whole bun
dinner rolls with text

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
See more posts by Holly

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4.86 from 2008 votes (1,431 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. I seriously can’t wait to try this tonight for hamburger steak!! One question, all I have enough of is unbleached flour, will that work instead!! Very new to all of this so I appreciate your recipes, recommendations, and the videos 🙏

  2. I made them (exactly as directed) once already last week, and I am happy to report that they came out PERFECTLY! So happy because now I am about to make another batch for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving meal! Tysm for sharing the recipe!
    (I’d also like to note that I am new to making bread and I have made mistakes even using a bread machine 😅 So if you are new to it too, then just keep to the recipe and you’ll do just fine!)5 stars

    1. I haven’t tried this with bread flour but it should work well. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!

    1. As I don’t live in a high altitude area, I can’t offer any advice. Hopefully another reader may have tried it.

  3. these are the quickest easiest way to do dinner rolls can’t wait to try the recipe for thanksgiving thanks so much

  4. I would love to try this recipe, but do you really mean 2 **tablespoons** of yeast? Or did you mean 2 **teaspoons**? Two tablespoons seems like too much. And can warm milk be used in place of water? Thank you!

    1. This recipes uses 2 tablespoons to compensate for the low rise time. I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure but milk should be just fine! It would make a slightly richer roll. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!

  5. I made this recipe and only made nine buns out of the dough. The other half I put in the fridge. Can the dough freeze or stay in the fridge for a couple of days while I decide what to make with it5 stars

    1. I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure but freezing the dough should work just fine. I would then take it out of the freezer overnight before using it. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!

      1. Thank you I saw the reply via email so I was able to come on here and say thank you for the reply. I will certainly try it and definitely let you know.

      2. So I did freeze half of the dough and it thawed within two hours, baked up really well. The only thing is is that I don’t know if it was the way that I portioned the dough or because of the freezing it didn’t rise as well as the original non-frozen batch. All in all though quite successful for both portions.5 stars

  6. I am convinced that Holly is the greatest recipe writer in the entire world. Coming off of a high of using her recipe to make banana chocolate chip muffins for the first time in my entire life, I decided to try my hand at baking bread, and wouldn’t you know, this recipe was the first one that popped up. I have made these dinner rolls twice in the last 2 days and my family worships me and thinks I’m the greatest baker known to mankind. It’s really a lot of pressure that I don’t want, because I consider myself better at other things, like keeping a pristine lawn in the summer time, or knowing how to get to most places without a map, but now I am just the baker guy. Whatever. I know my worth. These buns are insanely good.

    I used bread flour in place of all-purpose and I baked them closer to 14 minutes in my oven, but both times, they came out perfect :) Very impressed!!5 stars

    1. Oh my gosh, what a compliment Christian. This absolutely made my day as I put so much testing into every recipe so hearing that they’ve worked perfectly for you (especially on your first tries) means a lot.

      I hear you on the “baker guy” pressure, but if these rolls earned you a new title, I’d say you’ve earned it. I’m so glad you and your family loved them.

  7. These are definitely a great 30m dinner roll for busy week night meals. I’ve made other “quick rolls” that were good but this recipe is my go-to. I’ve also been regularly adding a bit of honey and butter to the milk coating and it’s delish.5 stars

  8. These are great and super easy. I made them tonight as hamburger rolls. Can’t believe I can make rolls on a weeknight:)5 stars

    1. Hi Debi, we have never tried preparing this dough ahead of time. But if you were to try this, I would suggest making the dough, then refrigerating, and bringing iit out of the refrigerator to rise the next day before baking. Let us know how it turns out!

  9. Had to add more flour about 3and a half cups of flour. Tasted very good. Baked about 15 minutes. I would recommend this recipe!5 stars

    1. I haven’t tried this with rapid yeast so I can’t say for sure. I’m sure it would work but I’m not certain on the timing.

  10. Loved this recipe! Made it tonight to go with soup and everyone commented on how fluffy they were. I made 12 rolls instead of 18 and they would be perfect for hamburger buns!!!
    Thank you!5 stars

    1. If they were gummy they likely needed to bake longer. Sorry to hear you didn’t love this recipe Bob, thank you for trying it.

    2. Hi Bob! I’ve been making this recipe of rolls for years, and a few times they’ve turned out gummy for me, as well. (when I first started making them) but yes, please try then again, and let them rise longer, and make sure they’re baked fully through (I use a thermometer now actually—internal temp of 190) and they are perfectly fluffy and delicious, everyone begs me to make them for every get together. I would try again if I were you!

      1. You can skip the milk or brush the rolls with an egg wash by whisking 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water.

    1. Hi Sheila, these cooked rolls freeze and reheat well. Just toss them in a zippered freezer bag and store for up to a few months. You can defrost on the counter and reheat on low in the oven for a couple minutes or in the microwave.

    2. Has anyone made the rolls day before and refrigerated? If so, how did they turn out? How long did it take, approximately, to rise?