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Dinner rolls are easier than you think thanks to this easy dinner roll recipe. These rolls are light and fluffy with a beautiful thin crust. They are perfect to serve as a side, use for sandwiches or dip in your favorite stews and soups.

Easy Dinner Rolls

Dinner rolls are a staple in our home! Whether we are eating our Instant Pot Turkey Chili with Sweet Potatoes or our Instant Pot White Chicken Chili I am usually serving dinner rolls alongside it! 

This easy dinner roll recipe is one of my favorites because it is really so easy to make. With just a few ingredients that you probably have on hand, you can make these soft rolls to enjoy with your next meal. 

How to Make Easy Dinner Rolls

• In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, add the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Mix lightly, and let it sit for 4 to 5 minutes until the yeast starts frothing/foaming. 
  • What happens if it doesn’t foam? This means your yeast might not be active so the final product, in this case, dinner rolls, might not rise properly. I would restart this step by carefully checking your water temperature or if your yeast is old, start with a new one.

• Once the yeast is foaming/frothing add the oil, eggs, and salt. Mix slightly. 
• Add the flour and mix until the ingredients are all incorporated. You may have some dry flour in the bottom of the bowl, that’s okay. 

• Transfer your dough to a lightly surface (I like to use my silicone mat and add about 1 tablespoon of flour, but if you have loose flour in the bottom of your bowl you don’t need to.

• Knead the dough until there is no more dry flour (4 to 5 minutes). Think playdough texture. It may be a bit bumpy, but no worries it will go away with the first rise. 

• Place in an oiled bowl (I take a bowl, add approximately 1 tablespoon of oil) for 1 hour or until it doubles in size. Cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a warm, draft-free area. 

• During this time, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. 
• Once the dough has doubled, punch the dough, and place the dough on a lightly flour surface. For me, it is on my silicone mat. (You don’t need much flour, about ½ tablespoon).

• Knead the dough until nice and soft

• Cut the dough into 16 pieces. 

• Roll each piece into a ball and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
  • If like me, you can only place 1 baking sheet in your oven and each baking sheet only fits 8 buns, I roll all the dough and place my final 8 rolls in the fridge until 10 minutes before I am ready to cook them so they can come back to room temperature. 

• Place a towel over the baking sheet and start your oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Basically, the time it takes for your oven to get to temperature will be the time of the second rise. (20-30 minutes)
• Mix the egg white and the water for the egg wash in a small bowl. Gently brush over each bun.

• Sprinkle, if you want, each bun with sesame seeds.

• Cook in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until nice and golden.
• Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

• Cook your second batch, don’t forget to apply the egg wash.
• Serve and enjoy!

Storage

Store your leftover dinners rolls at room temperature for up to 4 days in an airtight container. 

To Freeze leftover rolls: Let them cool completely, then wrap them tightly in aluminum foil. Place the foil-wrapped rolls in a freezer bag and freeze for up to one month, after a month, it is likely they will get some freezer burn on them. You can bake these frozen rolls either thawed or straight from the freezer. Rolls can also be served as soon as they’ve thawed but are even better if re-warmed (in their foil packing, loosened) at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Can you freeze the dough?

Yes, you can freeze this dough. Once you separate the dough into balls then you can freeze it. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place your rolled dough onto the tray. Be sure they are not touching and place them in the freezer. 

Once frozen (about 30 minutes to 1 hour) you can remove them from the tray and add them to a freezer-safe bag. These will keep for up to 30 days. 

To thaw, place them in the fridge overnight. In the morning, remove them from the fridge and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use the recommended egg wash and bake in the oven once risen.

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