These soft, pillowy one-hour dinner rolls are perfect for Thanksgiving dinner. Slathered with sweet honey butter, these easy-to-make dinner rolls are always a hit!
If you've been intimidated by making homemade rolls for holiday dinners, this recipe is just for you. Instant yeast cuts down on prep time and a stand mixer makes kneading a breeze.
For more delicious Thanksgiving recipes, check out our Southern Candied Yams and Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipes next!
Table of Contents
- The Best Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls!
- What You Need To Make This Recipe
- How To Make This Recipe
- Variations and Substitutions
- Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
- Why Did My Rolls Turn Out Dense?
- Tips for The Best Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Recommended Tools for This Recipe
- Serve These Rolls With Some Of These Reader Favorites!
- 📖 Recipe
The Best Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls!
If you're looking for a homemade dinner roll recipe that doesn't require hours of rising time but still bakes up super soft and fluffy, you've landed on the right recipe. The first time I made these rolls, my family was blown away and said they tastes way better than store-bought rolls!
These rolls are made with instant yeast, which works faster than regular yeast and allows you to make perfect, buttery rolls in a fraction of the time. The buttermilk adds the slightest tanginess and the honey provides the perfect amount of sweetness to these delicious rolls.
What You Need To Make This Recipe
- Bread flour. These rolls are made with bread flour which has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour and produces lots of gluten. I recommend Bob's Red Mill Artisan Bread Flour. You can also use all-purpose flour. This recipe calls for 3 ½ cups or 420 grams.
- Unsalted butter. Butter is warmed with buttermilk and baked into the rolls for added flavor. It is also combined with honey and brushed on top of the rolls.
- Buttermilk. This is the base liquid for the bread dough and gives the rolls a delicious, subtle tanginess. You may use whole buttermilk or low-fat. If you do not have buttermilk you may also use regular whole milk.
- Instant yeast. The instant yeast does not ave to be rehydrated before being mixed with the other ingredients and needs less time to rise compared to active dry yeast. I recommend Fleischmann's Instant Yeast.
- Honey. Honey is baked into the rolls to add the perfect amount of sweetness and is also combined with butter and brushed on top of the rolls.
- Salt. A small amount of salt added to the dough brings out the flavors of the other ingredients.
- One large egg. The egg provides structure to the rolls.
How To Make This Recipe
- Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
- Add instant yeast and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Use a small whisk to mix the yeast and honey together by hand until the yeast is completely mixed into the honey.
- Place the buttermilk and butter into a small microwave-safe bowl and heat it in the microwave until the butter is almost completely melted or the mixture reaches 110°F. Heat the buttermilk and butter in 20-second intervals checking to make sure it does not get too hot. It should be very warm but you should be able to touch it without burning your finger.
- Pour the buttermilk mixture into the bowl with the yeast and beat on medium speed (5-6 on a stand mixer) until combined, about 1-2 minutes. Add the salt and egg and beat until the egg is completely mixed in and no longer visible.
- Replace the whisk attachment with the dough hook on the stand mixer and add the flour in three batches, mixing the flour into the dough after each addition. After the last addition, mix until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Continue to knead the dough in the stand mixer with the dough hook for 4-5 minutes until smooth and stretchy. The dough should be sticky to the touch but you should be able to handle it with lightly floured hands without it sticking to your fingers. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the right consistency. Exactly 3 ½ cups was the perfect amount for me.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces. It's ok if the pieces aren't exactly the same size. There is no need to be exact.
- Form each piece into a smooth ball by stretching the top and pulling down the sides of the dough then pinching the bottom together to create smooth tops. Roll the dough balls in between the palms of your hands to create an evenly round shape and place the rolls into the prepared baking dish about an inch apart.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Wrap the rolls in plastic wrap in the baking dish and place them on top of the preheating oven to rise for 15 minutes, or until they have about doubled in size.
- Remove the plastic wrap and bake the rolls uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. To make the honey butter, beat 4 tablespoons of softened butter with 2 tablespoons of honey until smooth, and brush on top of the rolls using a pastry brush. Serve rolls warm!
Variations and Substitutions
Feel free to use regular whole milk, low-fat milk, or plant-based milk instead of buttermilk if you prefer.
Add fresh or dried herbs, such as rosemary or parsley, to the bread dough or the honey butter for added flavor and freshness.
Add about a teaspoon of garlic powder to the bread dough to give the rolls a delicious, garlicky flavor. You can also combine minced garlic with melted butter to brush the tops with.
Add cinnamon to the bread dough and the honey butter topping to create cinnamon-flavored yeast rolls!
Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
You can prepare this bread dough up until the step of shaping the balls and placing them in the baking dish up to two days in advance. Wrap and store the unbaked rolls in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Allow them to come to room temperature about 2 hours before baking.
Leftover rolls can be stored in a zip-top bag or an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat rolls in the microwave or oven.
These rolls can also be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in a zip-top freezer bag in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw the frozen rolls completely and reheat in the oven or reheat the rolls from frozen by wrapping them in foil and baking at 300°F for about 20 minutes.
Why Did My Rolls Turn Out Dense?
Your yeast may be expired. Always check the expiration on your yeast packet before adding it to the dough.
Too much flour. If you add too much flour to the dough, your rolls will turn out dense and dry instead of soft and fluffy. Your dough should be slightly sticky but not clinging to the side of the mixing bowl.
You skipped the rise time. Although this is a quick roll recipe, they still need to rise until almost doubled in size before baking. If not, you will end up with dense, hard hockey pucks - no Bueno!
Tips for The Best Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Do not worry about trying to make the rolls perfectly sized. If some are slightly bigger than others it's totally fine.
- Since these rolls only have one short rise, they need to rise in a warm area. I have found that on top of the preheating oven works great and is super convenient! You can also preheat your oven to 200°F then turn off the oven and allow the rolls to rise in the warm oven.
- Measure your flour correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale for accurate measuring. If you do not have a kitchen scale measure your flour by fluffing it with a fork then spooning it into the measuring cup. Do not pack flour into the measuring cup by dipping the measuring cup into your bag or a container of flour.
Recommended Tools for This Recipe
Serve These Rolls With Some Of These Reader Favorites!
- Hot Honey Butter Chicken Thighs
- Creamy Cajun Mushroom Pasta
- Southern Baked Spaghetti
- Cajun Honey Butter Roasted Carrots
- Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Gnocchi Skillet
📖 Recipe
1 Hour Dinner Rolls (Soft and Fluffy!)
Equipment
- Stand mixer (optional)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
- Add instant yeast and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Use a small whisk to mix the yeast and honey together by hand until the yeast is completely mixed into the honey.
- Place the buttermilk and butter into a small microwave-safe bowl and heat it in the microwave until the butter is almost completely melted or the mixture reaches 120°F. Heat the buttermilk and butter in 20-second intervals checking to make sure it does not get too hot.
- Pour the buttermilk mixture into the bowl with the yeast and beat on medium speed (5-6 on a stand mixer) until combined, about 1-2 minutes. Add the salt and egg and beat until the egg is completely mixed in and no longer visible.
- Replace the whisk attachment with the dough hook on the stand mixer and add the flour in three batches, mixing the flour into the dough after each addition. After the last addition, mix until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Continue to knead the dough in the stand mixer with the dough hook for 4-5 minutes until smooth and stretchy. The dough should be sticky to the touch but you should be able to handle it with lightly floured hands without it sticking to your fingers. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces. It is fine if the pieces aren't exactly the same size. There is no need to be exact.
- Form each piece into a smooth ball by stretching the top and pulling down the sides of the dough then pinching the bottom together to create smooth tops. Roll the dough balls in between the palms of your hands to a create an evenly round shape and place the rolls into the prepared baking dish about an inch apart.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Wrap the rolls in plastic wrap in the baking dish and place them on top of the preheating oven to rise for 15 minutes, or until they have about doubled in size.
- Remove the plastic wrap and bake the rolls uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
- To make the honey butter, beat 4 tablespoons of softened butter with 2 tablespoons of honey until smooth and brush on top of the rolls using a pastry brush. Serve rolls warm!
Notes
- You may use whole buttermilk or low-fat. If you do not have buttermilk you may also use regular whole milk.
- Do not overheat the buttermilk. It should be very warm but you should be able to touch it without burning your finger. Use a kitchen thermometer to be sure.
- If the dough is too sticky, add more flour one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. The exact amount needed can vary depending on the humidity in your home. Exactly 3 ½ cups was the perfect amount for me.
- Leftover rolls can be stored in a zip-top bag or an air-tight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat rolls in the microwave or oven.
Charlene
Do you think i could bake this dough as a loaf of bread? It is wasy and good tasting as rolls
Ashley Boyd
Hi Charlene. I have not tried making a loaf with this recipe but it should work just fine. I'm not sure what size loaf pan you would need. Please let me know how it turns out!
Eva
I noticed someone saying that there’s Were a little dense a good thing to do is to keep your yeast in the refrigerator it keeps it for a long time and it’s fresh and it does not hurt the raising of the bread happy baking Learned this from A happy baker.
Laurie
Hi Ashley! YES! I made your wonderful dinner rolls and they were the bomb! My men really enjoyed them! However, I feel like I was too impatient and didn't let them rise long enuf. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! LAW
Ashley Boyd
Hi Laurie! Yay, I'm so happy your family loved the rolls! If you let them rise in a really warm spot it will cut down on the rise time. Thank you for trying the recipe!
Valerie
You left out the measurement for the buttermilk from the list of ingredients
Ashley Boyd
Thank you for the call out, Valerie! The recipe has been updated.