These quick and easy yeast dinner rolls are soft, fluffy, and homemade in just 60 minutes. With rapid-rise yeast and simple pantry ingredients, they’re perfect for beginners and easy to scale down into a small-batch bread for weeknights or holidays.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🥖 TL;DR (Quick Answer Box)
- 🥖 Why These Quick Dinner Rolls Work Every Time
- 🥣 Ingredients
- 👨🍳 Quick Overview: 60-Minute Yeast Dinner Rolls
- 🌡️ When Are Yeast Rolls Done?
- 📅 Make These Dinner Rolls Ahead
- ⬇️ Small Batch Dinner Rolls (Half Recipe)
- ❄️ How to Store Dinner Rolls
- 📋 Other Roll and Bread Recipes
- ❓ FAQs
- 📖The Recipe Card
Featured Comment by Elina:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This was my first time making rolls. Thank you so much for all your included tips, all your posts are so well thought out and I love that it shows you keep beginners in mind. The rolls turned out great, it's a 5 star for me!"
🥖 TL;DR (Quick Answer Box)
What it is: Soft, homemade yeast dinner rolls that rise and bake in about 60 minutes—easy enough for beginners, and perfect for weeknights or holidays.
Why you’ll love it: Warm, fluffy, and buttery—no kneading machines, no long waits. Make a dozen or a small batch, both come out bakery-good.
How to make it: Use rapid-rise yeast, mix and knead 5–10 minutes, let rise twice, then bake at 425°F until golden brown. Fresh bread, fast.
Jump to the Recipe Card or continue reading for details and options.
🥖 Why These Quick Dinner Rolls Work Every Time
This recipe uses rapid-rise yeast and a streamlined one-hour method to make soft, fluffy rolls without the long proofing times. It’s built for beginner bakers—simple steps, clear timing, and forgiving dough that still turns out bakery-good every time.
🥣 Ingredients
- Flour: All-purpose works best. Bread flour adds softness; skip whole wheat.
- Yeast: Rapid-rise or instant yeast. Don’t use active dry—it rises too slowly.
- Egg, butter, sugar, and salt: Simple pantry staples for flavor and texture.
- Milk option: Swap water for milk if you want an even softer crumb.
- Flavor add-ins: Mix in or top with cheese, garlic powder, or herbs.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: 60-Minute Yeast Dinner Rolls
1. Mix: Combine warm water (105–110°F), sugar, and rapid-rise yeast. Stir in flour, salt, egg, and melted butter to form a soft dough.
2. Knead: By hand or with a stand mixer for 5–10 minutes until smooth. Cover and let rise about 15 minutes.
✅ Pro Tip: Yeast dough won’t rise well in cool conditions. Place it in a warm, draft-free spot, or use an oven’s proofing setting if available.
3. Shape: Punch down, divide into 12 pieces, and place in a greased pan.
4. Second Rise: Cover and let rise again for about 15 minutes.
5. Bake: 425°F for 12–15 minutes until golden. Brush with butter while hot.
This is the quick overview — see the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts and full instructions.
🌡️ When Are Yeast Rolls Done?
They should be golden brown on top. If you’re unsure, check with an instant-read thermometer — the center should be 190–195°F.
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📅 Make These Dinner Rolls Ahead
- Follow the recipe through shaping the rolls in the pan.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
- Before baking, bring to room temperature while still covered and let rise until puffy.
- Bake as directed.
⬇️ Small Batch Dinner Rolls (Half Recipe)
Cutting the recipe in half makes 6 rolls instead of 12—perfect for smaller needs or everyday dinners.
How to make a half batch:
- Adjust servings in the recipe card from 12 to 6.
- Follow the ingredient list amounts, not the instructions.
- Use a whole egg or just the white.
- Bake in a 6×9, 9-inch round, or 8×8 square pan.
❄️ How to Store Dinner Rolls
Fresh rolls are best within a couple of days, so plan to enjoy them while they’re at their peak.
Storage tips:
- Keep airtight at room temperature for 2–3 days.
- Avoid refrigeration—it dries bread out.
- Freeze up to 3 months; wrap tightly in plastic and foil for best texture.
📋 Other Roll and Bread Recipes
Try these other easy yeast bread recipes:
- Lunch Lady Rolls – scaled down from the classic cafeteria version to make 10–12 soft rolls.
- Honey Wheat Rolls – a small-batch whole-wheat twist that makes 6 rolls.
For larger loaves, check out:
❓ FAQs
No. It just makes kneading easier. You can mix and knead by hand for 5–10 minutes—the dough should feel smooth and elastic.
No. Gluten-free flour doesn’t develop gluten structure, so the rolls won’t rise or hold texture the same way.
No. Five minutes will give good results, but 10 minutes will develop more gluten for the best texture.
Usually, it's the yeast age or room temperature. Check that the yeast is fresh and keep the dough in a warm (80–90°F) spot.
Yes. After kneading, form the rolls, place them in the pan, let rise 10–15 minutes, then bake. They’ll have a rougher, more homemade texture but still come out soft and fresh.
📖The Recipe Card
Easy Dinner Rolls (Quick 60-Minute Recipe)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 4-5 cups flour
- 2 packets rapid or instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1½ cup water (110°F)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons butter
Step-by-Step Instructions
Mix the Dough and Knead
- To 1½ cups of 105°–110°F water, add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 packets of rapid or instant dry yeast. Mix well and allow to proof for a few minutes. While yeast is proofing, add 4 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt to the stand mixer or large bowl and mix.
- Add the yeast mixture, 1 egg, and 4 tablespoons of melted butter to the flour mixture.Stand Mixer: Mix on 2 with the dough hook for 5–10 minutes. Slowly add additional flour until the dough is dry enough to climb the hook and pull away from the side. Do it in small amounts 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 it is very sticky.Hand Mixing: Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be sticky, and as you work with it, add more flour a bit at a time until the dough is only slightly sticky but still soft. Knead by hand for 5–10 minutes.
First Rise
- 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.
Shape and Second Rise
- Place the dough back on the floured surface, "punch down," and roll it into a 2-inch diameter log. Cut into 12 even pieces.
- Prep a 9X13-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Form the dough into balls and place them in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, about 15 minutes.
Bake
- Bake at 425°F for 12–15 minutes until nicely browned. Cooking time may vary slightly depending on the oven and pan. Darker pans cook faster. Remove from the oven, brush lightly with butter, and cool for a few minutes. If unsure, the internal temperature should be 190°–195°F.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- An easy recipe to cut in half. Use a 6X9-inch, 8X8-inch, or 9-inch round pan. If half, you can still use a whole egg.
- If these homemade dinner rolls are new to you, please conduct a trial cooking session to ensure it suits you before serving it at a holiday or company meal.
- While mixing by hand is possible, the stand mixer earns its place in a recipe like this. If you must do this by hand, knead for at least 5 minutes.
- "Proof" the yeast to ensure it is good and distribute it through the dough better.
- If you keep your home cool, you will need to use a slightly warmed oven to raise the dough. This must be kept warm—this is the most common failure issue. If you are having issues, stop looking at the clock and go by the amount of rise.
- They’ll keep at room temperature for a few days. Without preservatives, they mold quickly.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally published September 10, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Sharon Wallace says
I'm gonna be BRUTALLY honest, short and not-so-sweet. MY.KNEADING.SKILLS.TRULY.(delete)! . . .:( HELP! :(
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Sharon,
Welcome to the blog.
I'm sure there is a YouTube video but there is very little hand kneading in this recipe and if you skip it, it will be fine. If you don't have a stand mixer that will do most of the kneeling, you will need a bit of real kneading.
A summery, form dough into ball on floured surface. Using the heals of your hands to push the dough away and flatten some then fold it back over and repeat over and over. It does not work well if the dough is very stick or your hands are not clean and having a bit of flour on your hands helps A LOT.
Enjoy your rolls.
Dan
Kat says
This was delicious!
I used dark brown sugar because I didn't have white.
I also baked them on top of a chicken pot pie filling (made the sauce while the dough was rising/had prepped chicken and veggies the day prior). It was incredible! They baked perfectly and weren't soggy (I was worried they might be). I can't believe how fast everything came together. Love your site!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Kat,
Welcome to the blog.
I have never used a yeast top on a pot pie but it should work... as you proved. I do love these rolls.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Linda Mcclellan says
What if you don’t have instant yeast
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Linda,
Welcome to the blog.
All yeast is the same organism, how it is processed leads to the size of the granules and the amount of live organisms. So with the older versions, it will just take longer to rise. Go by the amount of rise not by time. My guess is that the old "active dry" yeast will take about twice as long but I haven't used it for about 30 years.
Dan
Nancy says
Dan, a gentle suggestion: before you post anything it would be nice for my spelling fussiness if you could either proof read or have some one else do so and correct problems. Thank you for recipe, I have been making the identical one for years, guests are twice impressed, one with the fragrance of just baked bread when they come into the house and second, the wonderful taste. Lastly, do you have a simplified recipe for croissant rolls.?
Dorothy Hodge says
I have NEVER made homemade from scratch rolls. I was looking for a recipe and I came across this one. Today is Thanksgiving and my husband had to work. I still cooked and I made these rolls. WOW, they came out so good and love the taste AND I FOLLOWED the recipe too. Have a BLESSED Thanksgiving!!
DrDan says
Hi Dorothy,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad it worked well for you. I love the taste of fresh bread and these rolls have great texture with the double rise even though they are quick.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Nushka says
I made these both as rolls and as a whole bread (2 loafs, with a slight adjustment to the baking time). Both ways the result is excellent. Thank you, DrDan, for another easy recipe that promises to be an all-time favourite one.
Elina says
This was my first time making rolls. Thank you so much for all your included tips, all your posts are so well thought out and I love that it shows you keep beginners in mind.
The rolls turned out great, it's a 5 star for me!
Andrea says
Hi Dan,
Thanks for your answers.
It was my third attempt to make dinner rolls yesterday and I finally succeeded with your recipe. The first two, the bread was flat and hard even if I am sure the yeast was active. I really dont know what exactly happened.
This time I used instant yeast (instead of traditional), unbleached all-purpose flour (instead if bleached), a whole egg and salted butter.
However, I dont find the taste of the bread that good. My mom's bread was way more tasty but I cannot figure out what made it so different. For sure she did not put eggs in it. Unfortunately I cannot ask her as she passed away 15 years ago.
Anyway, for my short experience, your recipe is the best do far.
Thanks again for your help.
Andrea
DrDan says
Hi Andrea,
Sorry it wasn't what you wanted. Most homemade bread does not have egg since they use a longer time at room temperature. Also, a lot of that "old fashion" homemade bread taste is from gluten development which takes longer than this recipe. You might want to look at https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/easy-everyday-bread/.
Dan
Andrea says
Hello, 3 questions:
What exact type of floor is needed? Bleached, unbleached or bread flour?
As I will make half of recipe for my first try, what about the egg? Recipe says use the yolk while tip #4 says the whole or white? I am confused? Does it have to be at room temperature?
About the butter, salted or not?
Thanks
DrDan says
Hi Andrea,
Welcome to the blog.
In order.
1) any of those will be fine. Anywhere on this blog where it says flour, it will mean all-purpose (AP) flour. I tend to use unbleached just since I don't care if it is pure white. I buy King Authur or Gold Metal usually. I don't think brand matters much. Bread flour would be fine but not needed. I don't usually have it around.
2) for a half recipe, it should be the whole egg or just the white. Your choice. The egg helps hold it together a bit but that is really mostly the white. The yolk does that a bit but adds fats also. So for half a recipe, you don't really need the whole egg but can put it all in. Or just the white. With the whole egg, a bit more flour is used but that is adjusted for as you add flour to get the right dough consistency. No need to be room temperature. I adjusted the text to be more specific.
3) Unsalted vs salted butter. I have totally given up caring about which. Salt is a "to taste thing" anyway and the small amount in butter doesn't matter. Only in a recipe where the butter is a main feature of the recipe, like butter cookies, would I care. A few of my earlier recipes, I did specify unsalted, but it really doesn't matter 99% of the time.
Hope this helps. Let me know if there are other concerns.
Dan
Jo Ann says
Can I substitute whole wheat flour - part or completely?
DrDan says
Hi Jo Ann,
Welcome to the blog.
I have done this with a 25/75 and a 50/50 mix. Both were fine. I have not tried 100% but it might require a tiny bit of water.
I think they worked well because of when mixing in the stand mixer and adding additional flour, the wetness is adjusted there.
Dan
Ashley says
Hi,
I just have active dry yeast packets. Can I follow the same measurements of everything?
DrDan says
Yes but no. The final results will be the same but there are more live yeast cells in Rapid-Rise Yeast, Instant Yeast, and Bread Machine Yeast. So it will just take longer for the yeast to kick in and work. Everything else stays the same. So the rise time would take longer.
Dan
Joe says
Wow, another great recipe. Amazing rolls.
Darlene says
I just have the container of yeast . Do you know how much is
in 2 packages?
DrDan says
Hi Darlene,
A package of yeast is 2 1/4 teaspoon. So think of it as a light tablespoon.
Dan
Joan says
My rolls looked amazing but were not quite done at 12 minutes in my conventional oven. I baked them another 3 minutes and they were almost perfect. I may need to add 1 more minute to the bake time. Your thoughts?
DrDan says
Hi Joan,
Thanks for the note. I'm usually not quite so definite on the baking time and I think here is a good example why. Ovens vary so that might be part of it. But also if you look at my pictures, I use a darker baking pan which can cut a minute or two off also. So I'm changing the wording a little.
Thanks again
Dan
Linda says
These rolls were unbelievable!?
DrDan says
Thanks, Linda
Dan
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. I do love these rolls and will be doing them for Thanksgiving if I can work them in.
Dan
Cerwyn says
Once again ur the man! I made these today and I was too intimidated by the bread hook and recipes with 20 ingredients that take hours to try it before. this was easy, and fun! Best of all they were delicious! My husband loves bread and raved. I also made ur meatloaf with it and that was incredible as well! I've made 3 things from ur site and they all are great!