Easy Fluffy Dinner Rolls Without a Stand Mixer
Homemade dinner rolls are a great side for your roast beef recipes, chicken sandwiches, or soups. These rolls are super fluffy, soft and are sure to please. You are going to love these dinner rolls!
In this blog post, you are going to learn how to make dinner rolls.
How to Make Homemade Dinner Rolls
In a large bowl, add your warmed milk, yeast, and granulated sugar. Heat your milk to slightly warm in either a pot on the stove or in your microwave. Whisk the ingredients together, cover with a clean tea towel, and place in a warm place for a little over 5 minutes. Once the 5 minutes is up, check to make sure that your yeast is activated, if activated continue making the recipe. If the yeast does not look activated, cover it again and let it sit for a little longer.
Add the melted butter, salt, and one cup of bread flour to the activated yeast mixture. Mix together with a silicone spatula. Continue adding a cup of flour at a time until it is all mixed in.
Pour the bread dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Alternatively, use a bread mixer for 5 minutes if available. If the dough is too sticky, add about 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until it is not sticky.
With extra virgin olive oil, lightly oil a bowl and add the bread dough to the bowl, making sure to cover it in oil as well. Cover with a clean tea towel, place in a warm location, and let rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
Punch the risen dough down to release the air. Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut it into about 12 equal pieces of dough. The dough pieces do not have to be perfect. Roll each piece of dough in your hands to make a nice smooth ball. Place the dough balls into a greased 9×13 pan and cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for an hour.
Once the dough balls have risen, bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes. The tops will be golden-brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Storage
You can store homemade dinner rolls at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store them in either an airtight container or resealable plastic bag.
Your rolls can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. Make sure that your rolls are completely cooled before placing into your airtight container to prevent condensation build-up which can make them soggy.
Your rolls can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap then place into a freezer safe container.
To thaw, remove from the freezer and leave at room temperature then reheat in the oven for a freshly baked taste.
Ingredients
Whole Milk: using whole milk adds a richness and tenderness to the rolls while creating a soft texture. I have made these rolls using just water because I ran out of milk as we all do. They will not be as soft, but they still taste delicious.
Granulated Sugar: granulated sugar sweetens the rolls and feeds the yeast for a proper rise.
Yeast: yeast is the leavening agent that makes the dough to rise, which creates fluffy rolls.
Salt: salt enhances the flavour.
Butter: butter adds a tender and buttery flavour while contributing to their soft crumb.
Bread/Strong Flour: bread flour has a high protein content which gives a good structure to the rolls to hold their shape. It also gives them a delicious, chewy texture.
Tips
- The dough balls do not need to be perfectly uniform or the exact same size. Just eyeball the size of the dough to make roughly the same size dough balls to allow even baking.
- Always make sure that before storing your dinner rolls, to let them completely cool to prevent condensation build-up which will cause sogginess.
Dinner Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 c. whole milk
- 2 tbsp. sugar granulated
- 7 g packet yeast
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 c. butter unsalted
- 3 1/2 c. bread/strong flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together warm whole milk, granulated sugar, and the packet of yeast. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside for 5 minutes to let the yeast proof.
- Once the 5 minutes is completed remove the tea towel. The yeast should be foamy. Add the salt, melted butter, and 1 cup of bread flour and mix. Continue adding 1 cup of flour at a time until all of the flour is stirred into the bowl and there is a nice ball of dough.
- Drop the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for 5 minutes. Once kneaded lightly oil a larger bowl with olive oil and rub some oil over top of the dough. Cover the dough with either a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch the air out of the dough. Grease a 9x13 pan with either non-stick spray or butter.
- Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut about 12 pieces of dough out of the large dough ball. Roll these pieces of dough in your hands till you have a nice smooth ball. Place each of the rolled dough balls into the lightly greased pan.
- Cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place for another hour. The dough balls should double in size again.
- Once the dough balls have risen, preheat the oven to 350℉/175℃/Gas Mark 4. When the oven is hot, place the pan into the oven and bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. Once the rolls have cooled remove them from the pan to continue to cool on a cooling rack.
Notes
Author: Sarah Young
Dinner Rolls FAQ
What makes dinner rolls soft and fluffy?
Soft dinner rolls are created by using enough fat (butter or oil), proper kneading, and allowing the dough to rise fully. Milk and sugar also help create a tender texture.
Why are my dinner rolls dense?
Dense rolls are often caused by under-proofing, expired yeast, or adding too much flour. Make sure your yeast is active and allow the dough to double in size before baking.
Can I make dinner rolls without a stand mixer?
Yes! You can mix and knead the dough by hand. It may take about 8–10 minutes of kneading until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
How do I know when dinner rolls are done baking?
Dinner rolls are done when they’re golden brown on top and sound slightly hollow when tapped. The internal temperature should be around 190°F.
Can I make dinner rolls ahead of time?
Yes. You can shape the rolls and refrigerate them overnight before the second rise. Let them sit at room temperature until puffy before baking.
Can I freeze dinner rolls?
Absolutely. Freeze baked rolls in an airtight bag for up to 2–3 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven before serving.
Why didn’t my dinner rolls rise?
Your yeast may be expired, the milk may have been too hot and killed the yeast, or the dough didn’t rise in a warm enough environment.
Should I brush dinner rolls with butter?
Brushing warm rolls with melted butter keeps the tops soft and adds rich flavor.