Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls

These Super Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls are rich, pillowy and golden on top with a buttery, tender crumb that makes them completely impossible to stop at one. These are the kind of dinner rolls that steal the show at Thanksgiving, holiday dinners or honestly any meal you put them on the table for. Easier than they look and absolutely worth every minute of the process.

Why you will love this recipe?

These dinner rolls are everything a good bread roll should be. Incredibly soft, slightly rich, golden on top and so fluffy on the inside that pulling one apart at the table genuinely feels like a moment. Whether you are making these for Thanksgiving, a holiday gathering or just a Sunday dinner at home, they will be the first thing to disappear from the table every single time.

Expert Tips for Best results!

• Brush with melted butter immediately out of the oven – This step gives the rolls their glossy, golden finish and keeps the tops soft rather than forming a hard crust as they cool. Do it while they are still hot so the butter absorbs slightly into the surface rather than just sitting on top.
• Do the windowpane test – To check if your dough is properly kneaded, take a small piece and stretch it gently between your fingers. If it stretches thin enough to let light through without tearing, the gluten is well developed and the dough is ready. If it tears straight away, keep kneading.
• Knead the dough properly – The 10 to 12 minutes of kneading after the butter goes in is not optional. Proper kneading develops the gluten structure that gives these dinner rolls their signature soft, pillowy texture. The dough is ready when it is smooth, glossy and slightly tacky but pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
• Make sure your buttermilk is lukewarm – Temperature matters a lot when working with yeast. Lukewarm liquid activates the yeast properly and gets the dough rising at the right pace. Too cold and the yeast will be sluggish, too hot and you risk killing it entirely. Aim for around 38°C, warm enough that it feels comfortable on your wrist but not hot.
• Use bread flour not all purpose flour – Bread flour has a higher protein content than all purpose flour which develops more gluten during kneading. More gluten means a stronger, stretchier dough that traps more air and gives you a lighter, fluffier roll with a better chew. It is one of the most important ingredient choices in this recipe.

How to make Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls?

Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients

To start, combine the bread flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl and mix together until evenly distributed. Making sure the yeast and salt are not sitting directly on top of each other at this stage is a good habit as salt can slow yeast activity if they are in direct contact for too long.

Step 2: Add the wet ingredients and knead

Next, add the eggs and lukewarm buttermilk to the dry ingredients. Using an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, knead for 7 to 8 minutes until a soft, elastic dough forms. If kneading by hand, this will take around 10 minutes. The dough should feel smooth and come away cleanly from the sides of the bowl at this point.

Step 3: Add the butter

This is one of the most important steps in the whole recipe. With the mixer still running, add the very soft butter a few cubes at a time, waiting until each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next. Once all the butter is in, continue kneading for a further 10 to 12 minutes until the dough is smooth, glossy and slightly tacky but not sticky. This is what gives these dinner rolls their incredibly soft, rich, melt in mouth texture.

Step 4: First Rise

Shape the dough into a ball, place it back in the bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Leave it to rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until it has doubled in size. If your kitchen is cold, place the bowl in the oven with just the light on to create a gentle, consistent warmth.

Step 5: Divide and shape

Once the dough has doubled, punch it down firmly to release the air. Turn it out onto a clean surface and divide it into 12 equal portions of roughly 75 to 80g each. Shape each portion into a smooth, tight ball by tucking the edges underneath and rolling against the surface with your palm. Arrange them in a greased or parchment lined 9×13 inch baking tray.

Step 6: Second Rise

Cover the tray and leave the shaped rolls to rise for a further 30 to 45 minutes until they look noticeably puffy and have expanded to fill the gaps between them. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180°C so it is fully up to temperature when the rolls are ready to go in.

Step 7: Egg wash and bake

Just before baking, whisk together one egg yolk and one tablespoon of milk to make the egg wash. Brush it gently over the tops of the risen rolls, making sure to cover the surface evenly for a consistent golden colour. Bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden brown on top and cooked through.

Step 8: Butter finish and serve

As soon as the dinner rolls come out of the oven, brush the tops generously with melted butter. This final step gives them that beautiful glossy finish and keeps the tops wonderfully soft as they cool. Leave to cool slightly before serving, though honestly warm from the oven with a little extra butter is the only way to eat them.

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