If you don’t need to feed a crowd, this recipe is still perfect because you can freeze portions of the rolls to pull out for soup dinners throughout the fall and winter. Total win! Or you can even do half rolls with this recipe and half cinnamon rolls or orange rolls. YUM! So many possibilities!
Another awesome thing about these rolls is while they are a breeze to make if you have a Bosch or Kitchen-Aid mixer, they can also easily be made by hand without a mixer. I made them this way all the time before I had a mixer. It just takes a little elbow grease and a tolerance for messy hands.
I’m super excited for you to make these delicious rolls. I just know they will be one of your favorite recipes from here on out
Great Recipes to Serve with Rolls
- Chicken and Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
- Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Thick and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
- Thick and Creamy Potato Ham Soup
- Classic Clam Chowder
- Instant Pot Roast Beef Gravy
- Corn Chowder
- Kale and Sausage Soup
Step-by-step pictures for how to make The Best Dinner Rolls
Frequently Asked Questions for how to make The Best Dinner Rolls
How many Rolls will this recipe make?
This roll recipe makes 4 dozen rolls.
Can I use Roll DOugh to Make Cinnamon Rolls?
Yes. This roll dough makes EXCELLENT cinnamon rolls. To make it into cinnamon rolls, divide the dough in half and roll each half out into a large rectangle. Smear softened butter evenly over the entire rectangle. Next, sprinkle with granulated sugar, enough that you can see it on the dough. Next, sprinkle generously with ground cinnamon. Roll the dough up and slice it into inch pieces and place them on a cookie sheet that has been lined or sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Let cool and frost with buttercream frosting or whatever type of frosting you prefer.
What type of Yeast is best for making Dinner Rolls?
Active dry yeast is the best type of yeast to use for making dinner rolls. When you add it to the warm water and sugar, you need to give it 5 minutes to start growing before adding the other ingredients.
Can I freeze the Dough to make Rolls later?
This is a tricky question to answer. The best results will result from using the dough while it is fresh. For this reason, I prefer to bake the rolls and then freeze cooled rolls in portions that are enough for one meal. They stay wonderfully fresh this way.
If you freeze the dough in dough-sized balls, it is hard for it to freeze fast enough without the dough starting to rise. I hope that makes sense. Without a flash freezer–like large food corporations have–the dough will rise slightly before it becomes frozen. It will also rise a little differently when it is thawing. If you prefer to freeze the dough, I suggest you freeze it in two portions right after it finishes mixing. Then when you want to use it, take it out of the freezer, and let it thaw completely and rise completely. Then use it to form the rolls and go from there. I hope that makes sense.
Is there a substitute for Shortening?
If you don’t have shortening, you can use butter, margarine, or canola oil to replace it. If you use canola oil do not microwave it with the butter like you would if you were using shortening. Just add it to the melted butter.
Can I form these rolls into different shapes like a CRESCENT or Lion House Style?
Yes, you can form them like these Lion House Rolls, or you can make crescent-shaped rolls. To make crescents, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a circle. Cut each circle into 12 slices like a pizza. Roll each slice up, starting from the large end. Place them on a baking sheet, let them rise, and then bake according to the recipe’s directions.
Chef’s Tools:
- Bosch Mixer or Kitchen Aid Mixer
- Active Dry Yeast
- Measuring Cups
- Baking Sheets
- Cooking Spray
- Pastry Brush
More Rolls perfect for Holiday Dinners
- 3 cups warm water
- 2 tbsp + 1½ tsp yeast
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 /4 cup butter, melted
- ¼ cup shortening, melted
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp + ¼ tsp salt
- 10 cups all-purpose flour
- In a stand mixer or a large bowl, add yeast and the 1 tbsp sugar to the warm water and let sit for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the milk to the melted butter and shortening. (This helps it cool so it won't partially cook the eggs when you add them.) Next, add the eggs and salt. Mix with a fork and then add that mixture to the yeast mixture.
- In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Stir until combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture.
- Next, turn your mixer to the lowest setting and allow it to mix/knead for 5 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If needed, you can sprinkle in a little more flour while mixing, but try not to exceed ½-3/4 cup.
- Once it has mixed/kneaded for 5 minutes, cover the dough and place in a warm area until it doubles in size. (I do this in my oven. While I mix the dough, I heat the oven to 195 degrees. Then I turn the oven off right before I put the covered dough in it. This step cuts back on the rising time dramatically. The dough will be doubled in 20-30 minutes.)
- After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and knead it a few times.
- Spray baking pans or sheets with cooking spray or cover them with a Silpat mat.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Form dough into 2-inch balls and place onto the cookie/baking sheets or in 9x13 pans. If you want pull-apart rolls, place them close together in 9x13 pans. Otherwise, place them at least 1-2 inches apart on a cookie/baking sheet.
- Next, cover and allow formed dough to rise until almost doubled again. Placing the pans on top of the oven while it is preheating will speed the process up, taking usually only 20 minutes to double in size.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes.
- When rolls come out of the oven, immediately rub them with butter. I just use a stick, but you can also brush them with melted butter.
- Enjoy!
Recipes for the Holidays
First let me say I LOVE the step-by-step instructions. I do have a few questions though. I just made this recipe using my dough hook. The recipe doesn’t specify-dough hook or paddle? Also if rolls are for the next day, can I make the balls and put in the fridge overnight?
Hi, dough hook is perfect. Unfortunately they will probably rise a little too much left in the fridge over night. I usually bake them as late as I can the night before. And the n just serve them the next day or bake them a day or two in advance and freeze them to pull out a few hours before the meal.
Party
Best rolls ever. Definitely worth the work
I have never been successful with any sort of yeast baking, it is my nemesis.. I followed this recipe step-by-step last weekend, but I think my timing should have been a little bit different, I either overworked the dough when rolling them into balls, or I did not let them rise long enough the second time. But they were still beautiful and delicious. It bothered me all week, so this morning I got up determined to make the perfect batch and they are doing their first rise right now. I can’t wait to see the final product. I think this batch will be better. The step-by-step instructions make it so easy! Thank you!!! ❤️ This recipe is definitely a keeper. Once I get it right for dinner rolls, I’m going to branch out into cinnamon and orange… I do love to experiment.
Thanks, Kelli! Good to hear you are continuing to try to make bread with yeast. For a super simple and easy yeast bread recipe, try this Easy Crusty Bread–no mixer or kneading needed.