The Best Homemade Dinner Rolls

Published: Nov 13, 2017 · Modified: Sep 8, 2022 by Melissa Stadler · This post may contain affiliate links · 155 Comments

These Dinner Rolls are so light and fluffy and are the best homemade dinner rolls ever! These homemade rolls are made with only 8 ingredients and are so easy.

The Best Homemade Dinner Rolls are buttery, fluffy, and taste heavenly! These homemade rolls will be gone in no time in your home.

It is SIDE DISH week on Modern Honey so I can't wait to share everything I have been whipping up in my kitchen.

My Mom is the Roll Master. She will shake her head and say, "no honey, I am not"....but I am here to tell you she is wearing the crown. She has always said in her perfect world, she would live on homemade bread and rolls. She is always in her kitchen making up some sort of baked good to deliver to a neighbor in need. Her heart is made of gold, I tell you.

When I was teaching cooking school for kids, I had her come over and teach them everything she knows about bread. So when I wanted to learn how to make homemade rolls, I called up my Mom and she was ready to teach me all the tricks of the trade.

These BEST Homemade Dinner Rolls are heaven sent.

These rolls are made with simple ingredients -- yeast, water, sugar, butter, milk, flour, and salt. It's the ratios that matter. The dough has just the right amount of butter to make them melt-in-your-mouth rolls and enough yeast to help them rise and make them fluffy.

The most popular types of yeast used in baking are traditional active dry yeast and instant fast-rising yeast.

Active dry yeast has been around for ages and is sold in packets and in jars. It is a slower-working yeast. It can be added directly to the dough with the dry ingredients and doesn't need to be proofed or activated with warm water.

Fast-rising or Instant Yeast is a finer granule and is known to work 50% faster than active dry yeast. The most popular brand is Fleishmann's instant dry yeast. This yeast can be proofed or be added to the dry ingredients.

I always prefer to activate my yeast with warm water or warm milk and a sprinkle of sugar to ensure the yeast is working.

There is a Fleishmann's RapidRise Yeast that only requires one quick rise.

Buttery, light, fluffy homemade dinner rolls are a must in our home! I am sharing all of the tips and tricks to make perfect dinner rolls every single time.

The key to making any type of homemade rolls recipe is to ensure the yeast is working and activated.

I suggest mixing the yeast, warm water or milk (about 105-110 degrees), and a touch of sugar into a bowl. The sugar will help to "feed" the yeast and help it to activate quicker. Yeast loves sugar! The warm water or milk also helps to activate the yeast.

If the water or milk is too hot, it can kill the yeast, but if it is too cool, it won't incorporate with the other ingredients.

The yeast should start to become foamy or bubbles will begin to surface. This is a great sign that the yeast is working. Let it work for at least 5 minutes to see if it begins to proof.

If nothing happens, start again with a new batch of yeast, warm water, and sugar.

One other tip when trying to get the yeast to begin to foam and bubble, make sure to keep it away from salt as the salt can kill the yeast.

The rule of thumb with bread baking is to watch for the dough to double in size. If possible, place it in a warm place to expedite the process. You want it to look light and airy.

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