The Ultimate Dinner Rolls

4.65 from 14 votes
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Ultimate homemade dinner rolls - best easy recipe that yields super soft, sweet and fluffy dinner rolls. It's fail proof and novice baker friendly.

Dinner rolls in a baking tray.
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Homemade Dinner Rolls

As much as we love buying store-bought dinner rolls, nothing tastes close to homemade dinner rolls that are fresh-off-the-oven.

The warm rolls in your hand, the sweet aroma that lingers in the kitchen, and the softness of the rolls sinking in your teeth. This is the best ever and easy dinner rolls recipe!

Quick dinner rolls on baking tray.

How To Make Dinner Rolls

Soft, fluffy and sweet dinner rolls buns.

I am going to teach you how to bake Japanese-style dinner rolls. The special technique using a “roux” yields super soft, sweet, light and fluffy dinner rolls.

If you have been to Japanese bakery stores or Japan, you know that they really have the best breads and baked goods in the world.


Japanese Roux Technique

A dinner roll on a serving tray.

This is the technique used in this recipe. It’s basically the creation of a “bread starter” by cooking the flour, milk and water mixture first, before adding the roux to the dough.

The roux increases the moisture absorption of the typical dough and hence produces soft and fluffy dinner rolls. It also helps to preserve the bread, without the use of any preservatives.

You can keep the bread at room temperature for up to two days without getting bad. The technique is pretty much fool proof and very easy to follow. It’s novice baker friendly.


Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze the rolls?

Yes. You can freeze them in a resealable plastic bag for up to a month.

How do I reheat the rolls?

You can reheat the frozen rolls using thawing them at room temperature, then reheat in a toaster oven. As soon as they become and soft, they are ready to serve.

How many calories per serving?

Each roll is only 150 calories with 32 gram carbs.

Top down shot of golden dinner rolls in a baking pan.

What To Serve With Dinner Rolls

Spreading butter on a super soft homemade dinner roll.

For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

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4.65 from 14 votes

The Ultimate Dinner Rolls

The Ultimate Dinner Rolls – this is the BEST homemade recipe that yields cotton soft, milky, rich and sweet rolls that you can't stop eating. Fail proof and novice baker friendly.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 9 rolls
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Ingredients  

Roux

  • 3 tablespoons whole milk
  • 3 tablespooons water
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour

Dough

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoon dry milk powder, for baking
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Instructions 

  • Prepare the Roux or bread starter by mixing the milk, water, and all-purpose flour until smooth. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens slightly but isn't pasty. Remove from heat and let cool.
  • Fit a stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the roux and all the Dough ingredients together, mixing on low speed until combined, about 2 minutes.
  • Increase the speed to medium-low and knead for another 5-6 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and soft. If kneading by hand, it will take about 15-20 minutes.
  • Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 90 minutes, or until puffy. Divide the dough into 9 portions, shape each portion into a ball, and place them in a greased 9-inch (23 cm) baking pan. Cover the rolls and let them rise again for 50 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Brush the surface of the rolls with milk and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until they turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Notes

Adapted from Woman Scribbles.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll, Calories: 150kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 34mg, Sodium: 284mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Rasa Malaysia

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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49 Comments

  1. Santhi Kadiresan says:

    Hi,

    I want to bake this bread. A question though. Can I knead and leave the uncooked dough in the fridge and bake it when I need them? So that I can have fresh hot rolls. If possible, at which stage should I place the dough in the fridge ? 1st rise or 2nd rise?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      You should make the dinner rolls and freeze the baked dinner rolls. Reheat and serve.

  2. Jie says:

    Hi. Loves your blog. One request, can you have the ingredients listed by grams/ml. Thank you.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Jie, if recipes are not available in grams, please use converter to convert: https://rasamalaysia.com/conversion/

      1. Emilyn says:

        Hi! Thank you for the recipe. What should I do if I only have active dry yeast & not the instant one?

        1. Rasa Malaysia says:

          That’s fine, you can use it.

  3. Evelyn says:

    Can I baked this as a loaf in bread maker machine.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      I think so.

  4. Eve says:

    Hi, I would like to add in fillings like raisins. At which step could I add them in?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      After kneading, you may add raisins and mix well with the dough, before shaping into balls.

  5. eve says:

    Hi, if I wanted to add in raisins..at which step could I add it in?

    1. Suchdev says:

      I would like to make with cocunut filling inside. Can i do so by adding this in before making the 9 small portions?

      1. Rasa Malaysia says:

        No, after.

  6. pei ling says:

    hi, can i use anlene milk powder instead of dry milk powder for baking ? thanks

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      I am not sure what is Anlene milk powder. If it’s milk powder, it should be fine.

      1. LeneMom says:

        First time do this .. This recipe really works! Thank u :)

  7. MK says:

    These look delicious! Could I use low fat milk instead of whole milk?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      That’s fine.

  8. Phoenix says:

    Can I use bread flour? If so, what is the adjustments to the ingredients?

    Thanks,

    Phoenix

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      I think it’s fine but I am not sure how it affects the recipe.

      1. Phoenix says:

        Wow, thanks for replying so quickly!

  9. Yamini says:

    If I cannot find dry milk powder any substitute

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      You can skip.

  10. Ya says:

    Cannot find dry milk powder in our country. Any substitute? Tks