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These One Hour Dinner Rolls are the only dinner roll recipe you need! Soft and fluffy, these buttery rolls are easy enough to make during the week but delicious enough to serve at a holiday meal.
One Hour Rolls
A good dinner roll recipe is one of my favorite side-dishes. The problem is that so many recipes end up with me being in the kitchen all afternoon and I just don’t have time for that.
Enter: one hour dinner rolls.
They’re quick, easy, and more importantly – buttery and delicious. You can cut corners on time without sacrificing quality.
They work perfectly with a weeknight meal but also fit in with a fancier holiday get together.
Serve them with Slow Cooker Pot Roast, Mississippi Pot Roast, or Meatloaf Dinner for ultimate comfort food.
Equipment you’ll need
- Thermometer – This thermometer is great for recipes where you need to check the temperatures. It’s super easy to read and can be used for everything from making candy to deep frying.
- Stand mixer – I use my hand mixer for a lot of things, but the KitchenAid is super helpful for bread recipes with a dough hook.
- Pastry brush – Great for “painting” butter on top of baked goods – it makes it so easy & silicone makes for easier cleaning.
- Baking dish – A pretty & functional baking dish.
Ingredients you’ll need
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.
- Water – Liquid is needed to activate your yeast.
- Butter – I like to use salted butter. You’ll melt it so no need to bring it to room temp first.
- Milk – I use 2% and haven’t tested with others. Milk will give your bread an added taste and texture profile.
- Flour – All-purpose white flour. I haven’t yet tested with others.
- Salt – In dough, salt tightens and strengthens the gluten strands, which allows the dough to hold carbon dioxide, which makes for fluffy rolls. Science!
- Sugar – Sugar helps to feed the yeast and tenderize the dough.
- Yeast – instant/rapid yeast makes this recipe nice and easy. Make sure it’s not expired and that you’re using instant yeast.
How to make One Hour Dinner Rolls
- STEP ONE: To a large microwave safe bowl, add the water, butter, and milk. Microwave until the temperature reaches 95-115 degrees F. If it’s hotter, allow it to cool to that range before proceeding.
Alternatively, you can do this step on the stove in a saucepan over medium-high heat. - STEP TWO: Whisk together 3 1/2 cups of flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer.
- STEP THREE: Add the warm liquid mixture to the flour mixture and knead for 6-8 minutes, until a soft ball forms and pulls clean away from the sides of the bowl. Add the additional cup of flour, as needed.
- STEP FOUR: Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a clean towel for 15 minutes. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside.
- STEP FIVE: After 15 minutes, punch down the dough and divide into 12-15 equal sized balls. Place them in the greased casserole dish and re-cover with plastic wrap and the towel for another 15 minutes. While waiting, preheat your oven to 400°F.
- STEP SIX: Remove the plastic wrap and towel from the baking dish and place the dish in the oven for 15 minutes to bake until puffed and golden brown on top.
- STEP SEVEN: If you’re opting to brush with butter, do so halfway through baking with 1 tablespoon of melted butter and then again once they’re finished baking. Enjoy!
How to store leftovers
The best way to store dinner rolls to maximize shelf life is to wrap them in plastic wrap before leaving them on the counter. They will last about 5 days at room temperature when stored properly.
You don’t want to store them in the fridge, however, as they have a chance of drying out that way.
If they do get stale, use them to make stuffing!
Can I freeze them?
Yes! Wrap them with plastic wrap and/or place them in a freezer bag. They will maintain quality for about 3 months, and are safe to eat beyond that time frame as well.
Pro Tip ⭐️
Increase the sugar to 1/2 cup to use this dough for cinnamon rolls!
What if I don’t have a stand mixer?
A stand mixer makes this recipe easiest with either the paddle or dough hook attachment. You can do it by hand as well, but be prepared to use a bit of arm muscle.
Do I have to use instant yeast?
No, you don’t have to use instant yeast, but if we want one hour dinner rolls, it will work fastest.
If you only have regular yeast, allow an additional 10-15 minutes for rise time.
If you’re in a pinch, you can also use baking soda at a 1:1 ratio, it just won’t rise the dough as much. (I haven’t personally tested that method but I’m told it works).
Need more homemade bread recipes? Try these:
Quick & Easy Wheat Rolls with Garlic Herb Butter
Holiday Garlic Herb Rolls
Onion Dill Bread
3 Ingredient Biscuits
One Hour Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup milk I use 2%
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour as needed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- Additional butter for brushing optional
Instructions
- To a large microwave safe bowl, add the water, butter, and milk. Heat until the mixture is in the range of 95-110 degrees F. If it is hotter, allow it to cool to that range before proceeding. Alternatively, you can do this step in a saucepan over medium-high heat on the stove.
- To a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together 3 1/2 cups of the flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast.
- Add the warm liquid mixture to the flour mixture and knead for 6-8 minutes until a soft ball forms and pulls clean away from the sides of the bowl. Add the additional 1 cup flour, as needed.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a clean towel for 15 minutes.
- Spray a 9” x 13” casserole dish with non-stick spray and set aside.
- After 15 minutes, punch down the dough and divide into 12-15 equal sized balls of dough.
- Place the balls of dough in the greased casserole dish and re-cover with plastic wrap and towel for another 15 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Remove plastic wrap and towel from the casserole dish and place the dish in the oven for 15 minutes, until puffed and golden brown on top.
- If brushing with butter, brush halfway through baking with 1 tablespoon of melted butter and then again after baking.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Can this recipe use King Arthur Bread flour instead of AP flour?
I haven’t tested it but their website says yes 🙂 https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2016/07/21/substitute-bread-flour-all-purpose-flour
Are you supposed to use the rapid rise yeast in this recipe or just regular yeast?
Instant/rapid, as stated.
Can you make the dough ahead of time and store to bake the next day?
I haven’t tested & I would be worried about them rising too much. Can you bake them & just reheat day of?
It’s only the two of us. Can the dough be stored in fridge/freezer for another meal?
I have not tested that, but I think so. Or baked and then frozen.
Have made these several times and everyone loved them. Very easy and great that they can be made so quickly.
Love hearing that. Thanks, Kim!
How long does everyone cook these for? They are still not cooked in the middle after even 30min at 200c?
Thanks
Did you do both rises? They should bake approximately 15 minutes.
Hi yes I did it in the bread machine so that did one rise then I knocked it down like the instructions say. Made the rolls then let them rise again.
Hmm, I’ve never used a bread machine so I’m not sure how that affects things, but they should only take about 15 minutes.
What flour is it can you use self-raising or plain flour
all purpose
On the back of the rapid yeast packet, it says the temp should be 115-120 degrees Your recipe has a lower temp. Which should it be? Would it be better to bloom the yeast first?
I recommend following my recipe 🙂
My rolls came out dense and not fluffy. I used a bread flour, active dry yeast, allowed to rise for longer than 15 minutes, let rolls rise for longer than instructed. Flavor is good, just not fluffy. Did I let them sit for too long?
I haven’t tested with bread flour, just all purpose, so I’m not sure how that affected it.
These rolls are really good. The first time I made them I noticed they have a slightly sweet taste and thought that dough could be used to make a quicker batch of cinnamon rolls. I am happy to say that it does. Instead of shaping in balls, roll out into a rectangle, spread with soft butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, then roll up, slice and bake. Family thinks they are better than the traditional recipe I used to used.
I haven’t tried that but I love the idea. Thanks for letting me know!
Can you use this recipe to make loafs of bread?
That should work.
I remember Mama & Grandmama making these yeast rolls the old fashion way. A lot of hand kneading and big wooden rolling pins for the pie dough as well.
This is so nostalgic for me, and this modern way is gratefully appreciated.
I truly miss them, but Melissa your recipe will make Thanksgiving dinner complete.
That makes me so happy. Happy Thanksgiving!
Yes, I’ve made Yeast Rolls….they are addicting and oh so delicious!
I have made yeast rolls before and this is the best recipe. I usually just top mine with butter and serve them during the holidays.
I have made yeast rolls before and this is the best recipe I have found..I usually top mine with butter and serve them during the holidays.
These look delicious!! I’ve never made yeast rolls before. It always seemed like so much work. This recipe looks simple and remind me of the King Hawaiian rolls. I love my rolls with honey butter!! I must try these, especially with thanksgiving coming up.
Ooh honey butter would be excellent!
Made these many times. They are wonderful.
Sounds delicious! I have never used yeast before so fingers crossed!!
You can do it! Just make sure your yeast is fresh & not expired (speaking from experience lol).
Yes I have made the 1 hr rolls they are lush.
I like them with butter.
I have as a side dish.
Love the recipes x
Butter and jelly on homemade rolls is the best!