Easy Yeast Dinner Rolls in 60 Minutes

Do you need a bread course for that special meal? Whip up homemade dinner rolls instead with this easy yeast roll recipe in 60 minutes. Golden brown and buttery these tender yeast rolls will be the talk of the meal.

Introduction

With this easy recipe, you can have the best homemade yeast dinner rolls from scratch in less than 1-hour. Use your stand mixer or mix by hand. They are bound to become a family favorite for every day or the family feast.

These are the perfect starting point for the beginner bread maker with only six ingredients—super easy and quick. Just follow the easy step-by-step photo instructions.

I love bread. I know I shouldn't, but I do. My pick for the recipe of the year for the first year of this blog was Julia Childs French Bread - Simplified, where I took a recipe that was 8 hours and nine pages and made it 5 hours and one page. One of my first success stories, if I do say so myself.

With the holidays coming, let's make some great homemade dinner rolls for the holidays.

My Rating

I'm the bread person, but my wife gave them a five, also. She said to repeat this anytime.

Why This Recipe Works?

I will name the inspiration recipe this 30 Minute version from Six Sisters. There are multiple versions of 30 minute and 60 minute rolls on the blogs and food sites.

The common themes with all the recipes are doubling up the yeast and keeping it warm. The 30-minute ones used less rise time. But rising creates gluten, and that is great for taste and texture. Let's do 60 minutes for the best results.

While mixing by hand is possible, the stand mixer earns its kept in a recipe like this. If you want to knead by hand, knead for at least 5 minutes.

About Yeast

All dry yeast is the same organism but how much is alive and how it is processed is what makes quick or instant yeast different than plain old everyday dry yeast.

One package of yeast is 2 ¼ teaspoons. Typically, a recipe this size would use one package, but we are going for quick, so double the yeast.

I tend to keep yeast for a long time, and it is good usually a long time after the "expiration date" if kept in the refrigerator, but due to this, I always "proof" my yeast.

Even in "in-date," yeast can be bad, so I always proof to prevent disappointment, but if "in-date," you can generally skip the proofing.

While you can add instant yeast to the flour, I like to distribute it with the fluid.

🥣Ingredients

Flour

This recipe uses all-purpose flour, but bread flour will give a finer texture.

You can add up to 50% whole wheat flour without much modification—perhaps just a bit more fluid.

More than 50% becomes tricky. You need to get the texture right. You will see several comments where users have done this.

Yeast

Use rapid or instant yeast, not active dry yeast.

If the yeast is "in date," skipping that step has almost no risk, but I have been burnt a few times with essential dishes.

If outdated or marginal yeast, always proof.

You proof the yeast (prove it is good) by adding to warm water and usually some sugar and waiting for bubbles which will take 5-10 minutes.

Egg

Use a large egg. Do not skip the egg—it helps the rise and texture.

Water or milk

Some roll recipes have milk, and some do not. The milk would make the texture softer, like sandwich bread vs. a French-type bread.

I find heating the milk to the right temperature complicates things, and a little ruffer texture is good for me. My recipe is without milk.

Feel free to substitute if you want a very soft texture.

Other Ingredients

Salt, butter, and sugar.

👨‍🍳How to Make Homemade Dinner Rolls

1. Dissolve and proof yeast in warm water with sugar.
2. Add salt to the flour in a large bowl or stand mixer.
3. Add the yeast mixture, egg, and melted butter to the dry ingredients. Mix well and knead for 5 to 10 minutes in a stand mixer or by hand.
4. Form into a ball and coat with oil. Cover and let rise ina warm area until doubled in size—about 15 minutes.
5. Punch down on a floured surface and cut into 12 even pieces.
6. Place in baking pan, cover and let rise again to double—about 15 minutes.
7. Bake until nicely brown—about 12-15 minutes.

❓FAQs

♨️How to Make a Half Recipe?

Sure. This is an easy recipe to cut in half or double. If you cut it in half, you can still use the whole egg or just the white.

All the amounts are half, but all the instructions are the same but the pan size. You can use a 6 by 9, a 9 inch round, or an 8 by 8 square baking pan.

❄️Storing Homemade Rolls

Cooked rolls can be stored air-tight at room temperature for 2-3 days. But realize these are not commercially baked and have no preservatives.

I do not recommend bread storage in a refrigerator. But it will freeze well for up to 3 months.

📖Bread Recipes

Julia Childs French Bread – Simplified

Great Everyday Bread

Stand Mixer Lunch Lady Rolls

This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

Simple everyday ingredients.

To 1 ½ cup of 105° to 110° water add 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 packages of instant dry yeast. Mix well and allow to proof for a few minutes. While yeast is proofing, add 4 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt to the stand mixer or large bowl and mix. Note: you can substitute milk for water for a softer texture.

Add the proofed yeast mixture, 1 egg, and 4 tablespoons of melted butter to the flour mixture.

Stand Mixer: Mix on 2 with the dough hook for 5 to 10 minutes. You will need to add some additional flour until the dough is dry enough to climb the hook some and pull away from the side. Do a small amount at a time. It will generally need most of the remaining cup of flour. Turn onto a floured surface and knead a few times to check the texture. Add more flour if very sticky.

Hand mixing: Mix everything in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be sticky and as you work with the dough, add more flour a bit at a time until the dough is only a bit sticky but still soft. Hand kneed for 5 to 10 minutes.

Form into a ball and place in an oiled pan, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm spot for 15 minutes until about doubled in size.

Place the dough back on the floured surface, "punch down," and roll into a 2-inch diameter log. Cut into 12 even pieces.

Prep a 9 by 13-inch cake pan with a good spray of PAM. Form the dough into balls and place it in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until almost double in size —about 15 minutes.

Bake at 425° for 12-15 minutes until nicely brown.  Cooking time may vary a little due to the oven and pan. Darker pans cook faster. Remove from the oven, give them a light brushing of butter, and cool for a few minutes. If unsure, the internal temperature should be 190°.

📖Recipe

Originally published September 10, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.