1 Hour Soft and Buttery Dinner Rolls
Is there anything better than freshly baked, homemade dinner rolls? These soft and buttery dinner rolls are light, fluffy, and tender with a delicate sweetness and rich buttery flavor. Fresh from the oven they make a perfect addition to any meal.
I found this recipe on Gimmesomeoven.com and have been making it ever since. The recipe always turns out soft, fluffy, buttery rolls. It uses a simple ingredient list, takes minimal time to rise, and the dough can be made with a stand mixer or kneaded by hand. And most importantly, it comes together in just an 1 hour or so. I also love that it’s very versatile. I can add garlic, herbs, cheese, or whatever strikes my fancy at the time.

Ingredients
Milk: I normally use 2% milk (because that’s what I have on hand), but you can use whole milk. I’ve not tried it, but it’s my understanding that you can substitute plant based milk, such as oat milk or almond milk.
Butter: Melted butter baked into the rolls and also brushed on top after baking.
Honey: Honey is used to add a hint of sweetness. It’s so much better for you than granulated sugar.
Active Dry Yeast: This recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of yeast. I tend to buy my yeast in the 4 ounce glass container and keep it in the fridge. If you are purchasing your yeast in 0.25 ounce packets, you’ll need slightly more than one packet. Just be sure your yeast has not expired.
Flour: This recipe calls for all-purpose flour.
Salt: Salt brings out all those delicious buttery flavors. Feel free to sprinkle a bit of flaky salt on top of the warm rolls just before serving.
Tips For Making 1-Hour Soft and Buttery Dinner Rolls
- Liquid ingredient temperature: Yeast is sensitive to temperatures. Too hot and it will kill the yeast. Too cool and the yeast won’t rise. When heating the liquid ingredients (water, melted butter, milk and honey), it’s essential that they be within the temperature range of 100-110 degree F. It should feel warm and not hot to the touch. I always test with a cooking thermometer just to be sure.
- Rise times: Don’t skip the rising times. They are essential for creating that soft, fluffy texture.
- Portioning the dough: Don’t worry about making all the rolls perfectly equal sizes.
- Make ahead option: If wanting to make ahead, follow the steps through shaping the rolls and placing them in the baking dish. Cover the dish tightly and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. When ready to bake, let them warm up to room temperature for 2 hours before baking. Then bake as directed.
- Add cheese: Mix 1/3 to 1/2 cups of freshly grated cheddar cheese to make cheesy rolls. Or sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top of the rolls during the final 5 minutes of baking.
- Add herbs and/or garlic: Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of finely chopped fresh herbs or 1 teaspoon garlic powder to the bread dough, or mix the herbs/garlic in the melted butter to brush on top of the rolls after baking.