These are the best Yeast Rolls and they turn out perfect every time. With just the right amount of sweetness, these homemade rolls taste heavenly slathered with butter. They are a great addition for a Sunday supper or holiday meal. And they are a must on the Thanksgiving table.
These rolls are so buttery and light and they bake up golden on top. They are light, but sturdy enough to make mini sandwiches with.
There is nothing better than homemade rolls. I can eat my weight in them. Store bought rolls don’t even come close to competing. These yeast rolls take a little time investment, but it is so worth it. They really are the best yeast rolls.
This recipe is made from your basic dinner roll ingredients: yeast, flour, butter, eggs, and milk plus some sugar. The eggs and butter add a wonderful richness to the rolls.
Why Aren’t My Rolls Light and Fluffy?
No one wants dense rolls. They should be light and fluffy like a pillow. Here are some of the reasons your rolls may not have turned out like you wanted them to.
- The yeast was killed or is too old. Make sure the milk mixture is no hotter than 115 degrees F. Also check the expiration date. If it is past the expiration date, do NOT use it. Also make sure it has been stored correctly- in a cool, dark place.
- Dough didn’t rise enough. You want the dough to approximately double during the rising times. Use the rising time as an estimate. It might take longer.
- Adding too much flour. Only add enough flour so that the mixture is not too sticky to work with. Too much flour will make a dry dough which will result in dense, dry rolls.
Can I freeze these yeast rolls?
Yes. You can freeze them right after shaping them into balls. You will need to remove them from the freezer at least 2 hours before serving. They need to thaw and rise before baking.
Tips for making the Best Yeast Rolls
- If you don’t have a warm place for them to rise, no problem. It will just take longer for them to rise, but they will still rise.
- Good warm places include the top of the dryer when it is on or in front of a sunny window. You can also heat the oven to 200 degrees and then turn it off. Place the dough in the oven with the door cracked open.
This recipe makes a full 9×13-inch pan full of rolls. Perfect for a holiday meal. This is a classic yeast roll recipe you will turn to again and again.
Recommended Equipment
- Electric Stand Mixer- I love my Kitchenaid Mixer, It is a little bit of an investment but they are built to last. I recently got a new one ina beautiful light blue color. My last one was a wedding gift and it lasted well over 25 years!
- 9×13-inch Baking Dish- I have several of these and use them all the time.
More Dinner Roll Recipes
- Cheesy Garlic Skillet Rolls
- Poppy Seed Sausage Rolls
- Sweet Potato Cloverleaf Rolls
- Potato Rolls
- Buttery Herb Yeast Rolls
- Buttery Pan Rolls
Watch the short video below to see how to make this recipe.
The Best Yeast Rolls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 cup water (105 to 115 degrees)
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, may need a little more
Instructions
- Place milk in a small saucepan and bring it just to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and stir in sugar, butter, and salt. Let cool to lukewarm. (You don’t want it hotter than 115 degrees.)
- Mix together warm water and yeast. I do this right in the glass measuring cup that I measure the water in. Let sit a few minutes.
- Pour yeast mixture into the mixing bowl for your electric mixer. Add milk mixture, eggs, and 2 cups of flour. Beat with paddle attachment until mixed.
- Beat in remaining 2 1/2 cups flour gradually. There is a chance you will need a little less than 4 1/2 cups of flour.
- Next knead the dough. You can use the dough hook and the electric mixer. Beat with speed set to 2 for about 7 minutes.Or you can knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 8 to 10 minutes. I like to use the dough hook for about 5 minutes and then knead by hand for a few minutes.
- Place dough in a buttered bowl. Turn the dough ball so it gets greased with butter on all sides. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
- Punch dough down. Divide dough into balls of about 2 to 3 tablespoons each. Place in a greased 9×13-inch pan. I do 5 rows with 4 in each roll. Cover and let rise 1 hour.
- About 10 minutes before rolls are ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Brush tops of rolls with butter and serve.
Video
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Recipe Source: Fleischmann’s
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Followed directions, easy peasy, came out perfect and delicious.
Thanksgiving day modification…take half a stick of the butter from this recipe and saute 1/2 cup green onion/shallots along with a Tbsp of Herbs de Provence and 1/2 Tbsp of rubbed sage. When the onions are translucent, take off the heat and add back into the recipe when you add the other butter. It’s like a stuffing flavored roll. You can throw a little bit of the green onion on top of the proofed pre-bake rolls too, for pretty presentation.
Does a double batch have to rise twice as long?
Yes and each roll in a DOUBLE batch has twice as many calories. 😁
No, a double batch would rise the same amount of time as a single batch.
I’m trying it now! It was east to put together, but in the past my bread attempts have all been fails. It is my only baking sadness. Bread eludes me. Hopefully I will have success this time.
Turned out perfect. Soft, well risen with a beautifully browned top. Only change I made is I melted the butter in the milk on the stove and I weighed my flour instead of going by volume using the conversion table at TraditionalOven.com. Will be making for Thanksgiving this year.
My yeast rolls came out just a little heavy in my openion, did I not let them rise enough?
May these roll be made, formed, refrigerated overnight and then baked in the am?
If so what changes would you suggest? FYI the recipe sounds delicious!
I did this for Thanksgiving and they came out perfect.
I’m not sure what happened but I made these and they did not rise. I’m very disappointed in myself. I think something happened with my yeast.
ive made these rolls they are out of this world but my wife needs to know the calorie content if anyone knows.
153 cals per roll if you use the recipe as written and make 20 rolls. It’s 3072 cals total in the dough so divide that by the total number you made.
what are the calaries ijn these rolls please
I dont have a big mixer…just a hand mixer.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟EXCELLENT ROLLS!!!!! I LOVE THIS RECIPE! I WILL BE KEEPING IT AND SHARING IT WITH MY DAUGHTERS AND WHO EVER ELSE ASKS FOR IT! THEY ARE VERY YUMMY! THEY REMIND ME OF MY GREAT GRANDMA’S AND MY MAMA’S RECIPE! THANK YOU FOR SHARING! 😊
I dont have whole milk on hand. Can I sub 2%
Yes, that should work.
I loved this recipe. Everything worked out perfectly. However I completely agree with the previous reviewer, These are too sweet for a southern dinner roll. If you add cinnamon its a perfect cinnamon roll. I will definitely be using this recipe again but will use way less sugar
You might try balancing the sweetness of these rolls with a savory sausage gravy (be a little generous with the blk pepper, sage and garlic.)
Or stuff them with a zesty marinara and smoked provalone?
I’m making these for the first time today. Like others my Mom had a recipe for her homemade buttery rolls and now that recipe is in heaven with her. Making these per the recipe was easy to follow and took me back to when I was a kid in our kitchen watching Mom and waiting for her to pinch me off a little dough and dipping it in melted butter so I could taste. Awwww I miss those days. Can’t wait to taste the finished product.
It’s Christmas Eve and I’m making these for Christmas dinner. Did you think I I should freeze the dough balls or bake them and reheat tomorrow? Thanks
I’ll try this next time. Thank you for sharing. Happy Holidays
I have a similar recipe I use for yeast rolls. I use 4 tablespoons of sugar, they’re perfect. That is if you like traditional southern style yeast rolls.
Oh my gosh, I just made these rolls. They are great. I did make a couple changes. I use active instant yeast. Instead of 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of water, I used 1 cup of milk. I used 1/3 cup of butter. I had time, I let dough rise twice before forming rolls for last rise. ******
Can I substitute equal parts flour for whole wheat flour
I made these rolls for the first time this thanksgiving. They were amazing!!! My kids loved them so much I made a second batch two days after Thanksgiving. They are soft pillowy soft to be exact. They are slightly sweet but buttery. They are amazing and I will keep this recipe for years to come. This recipe is so well written and the comments are helpful. That’s why I wrote one to let the world know that these are the best biscuits EVER!!
Hey as for the people who have trouble with rising dough. Check and make sure ur yeast isn’t dead sometimes u can get bad stuff from the store. Also make sure ur room is warm enough u can set the bowl on ur stove for it to rise and have ur oven on so the heat rises.
These rolls were reminiscent of my Grandmother’s rolls, a recipe long lost..came across this just a few days before Thanksgiving, and after reading the source of the recipe, I wondered if my search for Nanas rolls was over. Honestly? This recipe is a little too sweet for dinner rolls, but an easy fix..just use a teaspoon of sugar to feed the yeast, and I will halve the sugar it calls for. This recipe as it stands has cinnamon roll written all over it. The rolls are very dense, and definitely memory inspiring. Will be making these again for sure!