The Ultimate Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls Recipe: Bake, Par-Bake & Freeze for Perfect Sides
There’s nothing quite like the aroma of freshly baked bread filling your home, especially when it’s a batch of warm, soft dinner rolls. Imagine them straight from the oven, served with a generous dollop of creamy, melting butter – a true comfort food experience! While many homemade bread recipes can seem daunting, this particular recipe for easy homemade dinner rolls simplifies the process, making it accessible for even novice bakers.
You might be familiar with my popular pull-apart dinner rolls recipe, which has graced countless dinner tables. Those rolls are indeed fabulous, known for their incredible softness and ease of preparation. However, the step of dividing the dough into smaller pieces to create that distinctive pull-apart effect can add a bit of extra time to your prep work. This recipe offers a fantastic alternative, significantly cutting down on that prep time by allowing you to shape the dough into individual rolls with minimal fuss.
Why Choose These Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls?
This recipe is a game-changer for anyone seeking the warmth and satisfaction of homemade bread without the extensive time commitment. The main advantage here is the streamlined shaping process. Instead of meticulously arranging smaller pieces, you simply divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll them into balls. This small adjustment saves valuable minutes, making these rolls perfect for busy weeknights or when you need a quick side dish for an unexpected dinner.
Beyond the time-saving aspect, these rolls deliver on taste and texture. They are incredibly soft, with a delicate crumb and a delightful golden crust. The subtle sweetness from the sugar and the richness from the olive oil and butter create a perfectly balanced flavor profile that complements a wide array of meals, from hearty stews to elegant roasts.
For baking, I often use my trusty cast iron skillet or a beautiful stoneware bowl I found at a local thrift store. These vessels lend a charming, rustic touch to the presentation and help achieve a wonderfully even bake. However, don’t feel limited! A standard 13×9 baking pan, your favorite casserole dish, or even a lasagna pan will work just as beautifully. The key is to ensure the rolls have enough space to rise and bake without crowding, allowing air to circulate and create that perfect golden-brown exterior.
The Simple Steps to Perfect Rolls
The core of this recipe is quite similar to many classic yeast doughs, focusing on proper ingredient ratios and technique. Here’s a breakdown of the process to ensure your success:
1. Activating the Yeast
Begin by dissolving the quick-acting active dry yeast in warm milk, along with a touch of sugar. The milk should be between 105 to 115°F (40-46°C). This temperature range is crucial – too cold, and the yeast won’t activate; too hot, and it will die. The sugar acts as food for the yeast, helping it to bloom and create a frothy mixture, which is a good indicator that your yeast is alive and ready to work its magic.
2. Mixing the Dough
In an electric mixer bowl, combine the yeast mixture with one cup of flour, extra virgin olive oil, and salt. Beat this mixture until it’s smooth, creating a foundation for your dough. Gradually add the remaining flour, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, until a soft, pliable dough forms. The exact amount of flour can vary depending on your climate and humidity levels, so add it incrementally until the dough is no longer excessively sticky but still soft to the touch. In my experience, all the specified flour is usually needed.
3. The First Rise
Once the dough is formed, cover the bowl and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. This usually takes about 45 minutes. A warm, draft-free environment is ideal for optimal rising. You can create a warm spot in your kitchen by placing the bowl in a slightly warmed (but turned off) oven, or near a sunny window.
4. Shaping the Rolls
After the first rise, gently punch down the dough in the center and fold it over a few times. This releases air and helps develop gluten. Prepare your baking dishes (cast iron skillets, stoneware bakers, or a 13×9 pan) by lightly coating them with non-stick cooking spray. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball, gently pinching the seams together at the bottom to create a neat, rounded shape. Arrange the rolls in your prepared baking dish, leaving approximately half an inch of space between each roll. This allows them room to expand during their final rise and baking.
5. The Final Touches and Baking
Before baking, brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter and sprinkle them with coarse salt. The butter adds richness and promotes a beautiful golden crust, while the coarse salt provides a delightful textural contrast and enhances the flavor. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes, or until their crust is a light golden brown. Keep a close eye on them, as oven temperatures can vary. Once baked, immediately remove them from the pan to prevent them from becoming soggy and allow them to cool slightly before serving. Store any leftover rolls loosely covered to maintain their softness.
Par-Baking: Your Secret Weapon for Make-Ahead Rolls
One of the most valuable techniques for any home baker, especially when planning for gatherings or simply wanting fresh bread on demand, is par-baking. Par-baking means you partially bake your bread or rolls and then store them to finish baking later. This process essentially kills the yeast and sets the structure of the starches and proteins, creating a firm internal structure without developing the final golden-brown crust. It allows you to bake your rolls to about 80% completion, ready for a quick finish whenever you need them.
How to Par-Bake Your Dinner Rolls:
When par-baking, your goal is to achieve a developed structure – the rolls should feel firm to the touch – but they should not yet be browned. Crucially, skip brushing them with melted butter and sprinkling with salt during this initial stage. These finishing touches will be applied just before the final bake.
- Initial Bake: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the un-buttered and un-salted rolls in the oven and bake for approximately 9 minutes. Remember that oven temperatures and climate conditions can affect baking times, so monitor them closely. Remove them from the oven as soon as they develop a firm structure, before any browning occurs.
- Cooling: Allow the par-baked rolls to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. This helps them retain their shape and prevents them from sticking.
- Freezing for Later: Once cooled, transfer the rolls to a plate or a sheet pan that fits in your freezer. Arrange them so that none of the rolls are touching each other. Freeze them for about 2 hours, or until they are completely hard. This step prevents them from sticking together when stored in a bag. After they are solid, transfer them to a zipper freezer bag, removing as much air as possible, and return them to the freezer. They can be stored this way for several weeks.
Par-Baking (Not Freezing) for Same-Day Convenience:
You don’t always need to freeze par-baked rolls. If you’re preparing for a dinner party or family gathering later in the day, you can par-bake them in the morning and simply refrigerate them. This is perfect for avoiding last-minute baking stress at someone else’s house. Follow the par-baking instructions above, but instead of freezing, place the cooled rolls in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to leave. When ready to serve, bake as described below, but be aware that refrigerated rolls may bake slightly faster than frozen ones.
How to Bake Par-Baked Frozen Rolls:
The beauty of frozen par-baked rolls is their convenience. There’s no need to thaw them! When you’re ready to enjoy fresh rolls:
- Remove the desired number of rolls from the freezer bag.
- Spray a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Brush each frozen roll with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake in a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for approximately 12 minutes, or until they are beautifully browned and heated through.
Your kitchen will smell amazing, and your guests will think you spent hours in the kitchen!
Tips for Achieving Dinner Roll Perfection
- Ingredient Temperature: Ensure your milk is the correct temperature for yeast activation. Also, using room-temperature flour can help the dough come together more smoothly.
- Don’t Overmix: While kneading is essential for gluten development, overmixing can lead to tough rolls. Mix until just combined and smooth.
- Humidity Matters: The amount of flour needed can vary based on the humidity in your environment. Start with the lower end of the flour range and add more as needed until the dough is soft but not sticky.
- Warm Rising Environment: A consistent warm environment is key for a good rise. Avoid cold drafts, which can inhibit yeast activity.
- Even Shaping: Try to make your rolls roughly the same size for even baking.
- Oven Thermometer: Invest in an inexpensive oven thermometer to ensure your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. This can prevent under or over-baking.
Serving Suggestions
These easy homemade dinner rolls are incredibly versatile. They are, of course, a perfect accompaniment to any dinner, whether it’s a simple weeknight meal or a festive holiday feast. Serve them alongside hearty soups and stews, roasted chicken or turkey, pot roasts, or even with a fresh salad. They are also fantastic for soaking up gravies and sauces. For breakfast or brunch, split them and serve with jam, honey, or a savory spread. The possibilities are endless for these soft, delicious rolls!
Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
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Ingredients
- 1 package quick-acting active dry yeast or 2 1/4 tsp bulk quick acting yeast, I use SAF instant
- 1 ⅓ cup milk 105 to 115F degrees
- 3 to 3 ½ cups flour or whole wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- coarse salt
Instructions
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Dissolve yeast in warm milk with sugar in electric mixer bowl. Stir in 1 cup flour, oil, and salt. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour, scraping dough from side of bowl, until soft dough forms (mine always requires all the flour, your climate may act differently). Cover and let rise in warm place until double, about 45 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Punch down dough in center and fold over a few times. Prep two cast iron skillets or stoneware bakers, or a 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Separate dough into 12 pieces and roll into balls, pinching the dough together with your fingers at the bottom. Place rolls into baking dish, leaving about 1/2″ space between each. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with coarse salt.
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Bake until crust is light golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Immediately remove from pan. Store loosely covered.
Par-Bake
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Par-baking means that you are partially baking your bread and then freezing it to finish off later. Par-baking kills the yeast and creates the structure for the starches and proteins. This means it’s essentially baked on the inside, but it hasn’t developed that lovely golden crust on the outside yet. Par-baking allows you to bake bread or rolls to about 80% and then transport or save it to finish baking later.
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When par-baking your rolls, you want them to have developed structure, meaning that your dough should feel firm to the touch, but they should not have browned yet. To par-bake these rolls, skip the step of brushing them with butter and adding the salt. That should be done once you remove them from the freezer.
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Bake them in a preheated 400 F oven, only shorten the baking time to about 9 minutes or so. Of course, you may need to adjust your time as oven temps and climate conditions vary. Just keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven before they brown.
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Allow them to cool a bit in the pan, about 20 minutes, then remove to a plate or sheet pan that will fit in the freezer. Place in the freezer, none of the rolls touching each other, and allow them to get hard, about 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and pop them into a zipper freezer bag, put back in the freezer until you are ready to bake them.
Par-Baking but not Freezing
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You can par-bake your rolls in the morning to have later that night. This can be ideal for someone who wants to make rolls for a family gathering or party, but wants to skip the hassle of prepping and baking at someone else’s house. Simply par-bake as instructed above, however instead of placing rolls in the freezer, just place them in the refrigerator until you are ready to leave. Transport in a covered container, then bake as described below, but you may need to cut the baking time a little because they are not frozen.
Bake Par-Baked Frozen Rolls
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Remove desired number of rolls from freezer bag, do not thaw. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray, then brush each roll with melted butter and sprinkle with course salt. Bake in preheated 400 F oven for 12 minutes, or until browned.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
Explore More Bread Recipes from Amanda’s Cookin’
If you’ve enjoyed making these easy dinner rolls, you’ll love exploring other bread recipes from my kitchen. Baking bread from scratch is a rewarding experience, and I’ve got plenty of options to satisfy your cravings, whether you’re looking for something savory or a sweet treat.
- Partybrot – German Party Bread: A fun and flavorful bread perfect for sharing.
- Quick Orange Rolls: A delightful citrusy twist on classic rolls.
- Simple One-Hour Homemade Bread: When you need fresh bread in a flash.
- Homemade French Bread: Achieve bakery-quality French bread at home.
- Homemade Amish White Bread: A wonderfully soft and versatile loaf.
- Homemade Multi-Grain Bread: A healthier option packed with flavor and texture.
- Bretzel Rolls – Pretzel Sandwich Rolls: Combine the best of pretzels and rolls.
- Homemade Italian Bread: Perfect for sandwiches or alongside pasta dishes.
Delicious Dinner Roll Inspiration from Other Blogs
The world of bread baking is vast and wonderful! Here are some other creative dinner roll recipes from fellow food bloggers that you might enjoy exploring:
- Homemade Ramp and Cheddar Cheese Dinner Rolls – from If Music be the Food of Love, Play On
- Buttered Rosemary Rolls – from The Pioneer Woman
- Sweet Potato Buttermilk Rolls – from Pinch My Salt
- Poppy Seed Yeast Rolls – from Salad in a Jar
- Parker House Rolls – from One Perfect Bite
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