Soft 1-Hour Dinner Rolls
These soft 1-hour dinner rolls are buttery, pillowy, and beginner-friendly. No waiting around for hours for the dough to rise! Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or whenever you crave fresh, warm dinner rolls.
If you've been looking for quick dinner rolls that fit into a busy day, this recipe is for you. You can start the dough after work and still have warm rolls on the table for dinner. The dough comes together easily with simple pantry ingredients, needs no special equipment, and you get 12 delicious, buttery rolls in one batch!
Need more dinner roll ideas for your bread basket? Try my Parker House rolls, Hawaiian rolls, and Tiger bread rolls.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ready in an hour. All the goodness of fresh homemade rolls in one hour! No long rising times or prep.
- Soft and pillowy. These tall, golden rolls have a tender crumb that pulls apart beautifully.
- Simple ingredients. Made with basic pantry ingredients like flour, yeast, milk, and butter.
- Makes 12 rolls. Just the right batch for a family dinner or holiday bread basket.
- Easy to make. The dough comes together easily in a stand mixer or by hand.
Recipe Ingredients
Flour: All-purpose flour gives the softest, fluffiest rolls. You can also use bread flour for a chewier texture.
Milk: This makes the rolls soft and tender. Use warm milk, not hot, about 38-40 C / 100-104 F. Any milk works, but avoid skim milk.
Yeast: Instant yeast (or rapid-rise yeast) is the key to these quick dinner rolls. It doesn't need to be proofed sp it goes straight in with the other ingredients. I like to let the warm milk, sugar, and yeast rest for 5 minutes, but you can skip this.
If you're using active dry yeast, stir it into warm milk and sugar and let it sit for 10 minutes until bubbly. The proofing time for the rolls will also increase and they will not be ready in an hour.
Butter: For a rich, buttery flavor. I used salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of salt. We also use melted butter to brush the baked rolls for that gorgeous shine!
Sugar: This helps activate the yeast and adds a touch of sweetness to these easy dinner rolls.
Salt: Brings out the flavor of the rolls.
Please see the recipe card below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
How To Make 1-Hour Dinner Rolls
Recipe Video
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Mix and keep aside for 2-3 minutes, until it just starts to get frothy.
Step 2: Add the melted butter, flour, and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Step 3: Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough for 7-8 minutes, until a soft, smooth, elastic dough forms. Line a 9 x 13 -inch pan with parchment paper.
Step 4: Turn the dough out on your work surface and cut it into 12 equal pieces. Mine weighed about 70 gms each. Shape each piece into a ball.
Step 5: Place it on the prepared pan, cover and proof the rolls for 15-20 minutes until puffy.
Step 6: Bake the rolls at 190 C/ 375 F for 18-20 minutes or until golden.
Step 7: Brush the hot rolls immediately with melted butter.
Step 8: Serve warm!
Top Tips
- Use warm milk, not hot or cold. Hot milk will kill the yeast and cold milk will slow down the rise.
- The dough should be soft, smooth, and slightly sticky. Avoid adding extra flour while kneading or shaping. The softer the dough, the softer your dinner rolls will be.
- Let the shaped rolls proof properly. Look for visual cues - they should be puffy and slightly jiggly.
- Rising time will depend on how warm or cool your kitchen is. If your kitchen is cool, place the rolls in the oven with just the light on for 15-20 minutes. Don't turn the oven on. When the rolls are proofed, take them out, then preheat the oven and bake.
- Don't skip brushing the hot rolls with melted butter for that bakery-worthy shine.
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale for the most accurate and consistent results.
How To Serve
These soft one-hour dinner rolls are best served warm with butter and jam. You can also enjoy them with cinnamon honey butter or apple butter.
Use them to make sliders and sandwiches with my smashed chickpea salad or avocado egg salad.
They're perfect for mopping up gravies, with stews and soups like roasted pumpkin soup, roasted sweet potato soup, and carrot lentil soup.
How To Store
These easy dinner rolls will stay well in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature. Refrigerate for longer storage, up to 5 days.
You can also freeze these rolls in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 1 month. Reheat in a preheated oven at 180 C/ 350 F for 5-7 minutes or in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
Can you really make dinner rolls in one hour?
Yes! The key is using instant yeast and more of it than a regular dinner roll recipe. Instant yeast works faster and doesn't need to be proofed. The higher quantity also helps with faster rise. Warm milk and a warm spot for proofing also speeds the process.
Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast?
Yes. You will need to activate in warm milk and sugar mixture for about 10 minutes until bubbly. The rolls will also need more time to proof so they will not be ready in one hour.
Can I make these dinner rolls without a stand mixer?
Absolutely! The dough is easy to knead by hand. Knead for 8-10 minutes or until the dough is soft, supple and slightly tacky.
Why are my dinner rolls dense?
It can be cause of too much flour, milk that was too hot or cold, or rolls that didn't proof properly. Keep the dough soft and slightly sticky. Milk should be just warm, at 38-40 C/ 100-104 F, and allow the rolls to proof until they are puffy and airy.
More Dinner Rolls Recipes You'll Love
Recipe
Soft 1-Hour Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups Warm milk
- 2 tbsp Instant yeast
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 4 tbsp Butter, melted
- 3.5 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Butter, melted For brushing on the rolls.
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Mix and keep aside for 2-3 minutes, until it just starts to get foamy.1 1/4 cups Warm milk, 2 tbsp Instant yeast, 2 tbsp Sugar
- Add the melted butter, flour, and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.4 tbsp Butter, melted, 3.5 cups All-purpose flour, 1 tsp Salt
- Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough for 7-8 minutes, until a soft, smooth, elastic dough forms.You can also knead the dough by hand for 8-10 minutes.
- Line a 9 x 13 -inch pan with parchment paper.
- Turn the dough out on your work surface and cut it into 12 equal pieces. Mine weighed about 70 gms each.
- Shape each piece into a ball and place it on the prepared pan.
- Cover the pan and proof the rolls for 15-20 minutes, until they are puffy.How fast the rolls will rise will depend on how warm your kitchen is. If they are not puffy, leave them for a few more minutes.
- While the rolls are proofing, preheat the oven to 190 C/ 375 F.
- Bake the rolls for 18-20 minutes or until golden.
- Brush the hot rolls immediately with melted butter. Serve warm!1 tbsp Butter, melted
Video
Notes
- Use warm milk, not hot or cold. Hot milk will kill the yeast and cold milk will slow down the rise.
- The dough should be soft, smooth, and slightly sticky. Avoid adding extra flour while kneading or shaping. The softer the dough, the softer your dinner rolls will be.
- Let the shaped rolls proof properly. Look for visual cues - they should be puffy and slightly jiggly.
- Rising time will depend on how warm or cool your kitchen is. If your kitchen is cool, place the rolls in the oven with just the light on for 15-20 minutes. Don't turn the oven on. When the rolls are proofed, take them out, then preheat the oven and bake.
- Don't skip brushing the hot rolls with melted butter for that bakery-worthy shine.
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale for the most accurate and consistent results.
