“Pillowy-soft homemade yeast rolls that are so easy to make! Buttery with only a hint of sweetness makes these the perfect dinner rolls for any occasion”
Visual learner? Watch me make these homemade dinner yeast rolls from start to finish!
My grandma Barb has been making the same yeast rolls for Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. They are so old school, chances are your grandmother may have made this same recipe! Sometimes Grandma Barb would change them up and use honey butter or a more savory garlic and herb butter but the base recipe pretty much stays the same.
They are heavenly and delicious! Not to mention fool-proof for the yeast challenged folks. No bread-machine needed!
As I’ve mentioned plenty of times, I’m a former yeast challenge person. This blog forced me to stop being afraid of yeast. For the longest, I didn’t fool with yeast rolls, homemade bread, cinnamon rolls none of that. So thanks guys for helping me overcome my fear of yeast! It’s a beautiful world over here on the other side!
Today I’m going to be making a recipe I adapted from Grandma Barb’s yeast rolls. We call these, “Those Big Ol Rolls” in my family.
They are starting to become my go-to because the boys can play with the dough and somehow they still come out good. I guess that’s why my grandma Barb used this recipe for Thanksgiving. Us kids would help shape and butter them (and I’m pretty sure overworked the dough) and they were always so pillowy-soft and tender.
These homemade yeast rolls are so soft, chewy and squishy yall! The recipe can be adapted in so many ways. I’ve thrown in mashed potatoes to make buttery potato rolls and even pineapple juice and more sugar to create Hawaiian rolls.
The flavor of these dinner yeast rolls is so perfectly mild. Like a really, really good white bread, which makes them perfect for making leftover Thanksgiving turkey sliders.
Want more rolls? Check out these gorgeous buttery dinner rolls!
PILLOWY-SOFT HOMEMADE YEAST ROLLS THAT ARE SO EASY TO MAKE! BUTTERY WITH ONLY A HINT OF SWEETNESS MAKES THESE THE PERFECT DINNER ROLLS FOR ANY OCCASION
1/2cupunsalted buttermelted (can use plain, honey butter or herb butter)
Instructions
In a large saucepan, over medium-low heat, combine milk, buttermilk, honey, brown sugar, and shortening.
Stir until shortening has melted, do not boil.
Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to 115 degrees F.
Meanwhile, whisk together 1 ¼ cups flour and yeast in a large bowl. Set aside.
Once the liquid mixture reaches the appropriate temperature, add it into the flour-yeast mixture, stirring to incorporate.
Mix in the egg and salt.
Gradually add the remaining flour, using a rubber spatula to incorporate.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead just until the dough is smooth (may need to add a tad bit more flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands but be sure not to add too much. After kneading the dough should be soft and smooth, not dry and crumbly)
Place dough into a large greased bowl, and turn the dough so that it is coated in oil.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place into the oven with the pilot light on or in a very warm location to rise.
Let dough sit until it is doubled in size (about 1 ½ to 2 hours)
Remove plastic wrap and punch dough to remove air.
To create the rolls, remove about 2 tablespoons of dough and flatten on the palm of your hand.
Brush with melted butter and fold both sides onto each other.
Place seam side down into a greased 9 x13 casserole dish.
Repeat until all rolls have been created.
Brush the tops with butter.
Cover with plastic wrap and return to oven with pilot light on or to a warm location.
Let rolls sit for about 60 minutes or until they have filled out in the pan.
Remove from oven and preheat the oven to 400 F.
Remove plastic wrap and bake rolls for 12-14 minutes. *
When done, brush the hot rolls with remaining butter.
Serve hot.
Video
Notes
For golden rolls, I sometimes switch the oven to toast for the last minute or two!
My husband prefer less butter so I thought about leaving out steps 13 and 14 the flatten, butter coating, folding process.
Can you pinch off needed dough and just shape rolls round or square and but in pan? Would this recipe still work and be a good roll? Or should I keep searching.
There’s a woman I know who makes the best yeast rolls, that my husband calls them “Jesus Bread”! But I was not about to let this woman beat me cooking something that my husband liked more. I was afraid of using yeast, but this recipe was the Best!! I make these rolls ALL the time, my husband lives them and has forgot the “Jesus Bread” woman’s number and ask only for these!!!! Thank you so much!!!! Easy but most of all delicious!!!!
I don’t know what I enjoy more, your Aunt Barb’s modified roll recipe, or your delightful personality. I mean it. Every yeast-challenged person needs to watch your video because you’ll put them right at ease. I’ve made your rolls several times and shared them with a friend each time. (We’re both single.). I tried a few other roll recipes, and each time she said, “I think that first recipe you made (yours) was the best.”. Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
I just made these for the first time! OH MY WORD! I’m a bread lover! Do you hear me? And these are the very BEST dinner rolls I have ever tasted! Don’t need to spread anything on them; they are devine!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I don’t know why I waited so long to make these, but I’m very happy I did! A keeper forever!
I’ve been looking for a recipe for Yeast Rolls for so long. I came across yours and they look exactly like my Mom’s. They are delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfect. Thank you so much. Of course I’ll be making these from now on.
I would bake them just until they start to brown and then freeze, just like Sister Shubert rolls are in the stores. I do all rolls that way, then thaw and finish when ready to serve.
Thank you for sharing your “Homemade Dinner Yeast Rolls Recipe.” They are so tasty. I’d like to know if I can make these ahead of time and freeze them. If so, do I make, bake, and then freeze them OR do I make, shape, and freeze them “raw” allowing them to rise when they thaw ? TIA
These were excellent!!! I followed the recipe exactly. The only thing I would change to the ones I plan to serve is to peel them apart and bake a little longer. The next day do the same with the leftovers. My mom actually said they taste like my grandmas! Thank you for sharing!!
These easy dinner yeast rolls are great! The first time I did them they came out perfect. I’ve tried them three more times and each time they didn’t rise and we’re still kind of flat once I baked them and I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. Is the temperature of the milk and sugar mixture very important? I did try the other dinner rolls and they came out nice and soft as well but they weren’t as sweet as these. Also how much pineapple juice and more sugar do you add to make a sweet Hawaiian roll?
Hey, the same happened to me. The first time I baked them, I used rapid rise yeast. What I discovered was that rapid rise doesn’t need to be proofed, because there is sugar in the rapid rise yeast, and since yeast is alive, the sugar makes it grow (in other words, become alive). The other times, I used active yeast, which needs to be proofed. In this case, you add a package of yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons to a cup of Luke warm water and about a teaspoon of sugar (no more than 110 degrees) because if the water is too hot, believe or not, it’ll kill the yeast. Let this sit for 5 minutes to proof it, or become alive. You’ll know it’s active or alive when it begins to change or foam or bubble up. After it becomes active, you’re ready to add your other wet ingredients and flour.
Try using rapid rise yeast instead of active dry yeast. Active dry yeast has to be proofed in liquid before you add it to recipe. Rapid rise can go straight into your mixture.
I notice that you switched from a refrigerator rise to a warm location rise for this version of the rolls, presumably through trial and error. When making the original Grandma Barb’s version do you now recommend a warm rise?
My husband prefer less butter so I thought about leaving out steps 13 and 14 the flatten, butter coating, folding process.
Can you pinch off needed dough and just shape rolls round or square and but in pan? Would this recipe still work and be a good roll? Or should I keep searching.
There’s a woman I know who makes the best yeast rolls, that my husband calls them “Jesus Bread”! But I was not about to let this woman beat me cooking something that my husband liked more. I was afraid of using yeast, but this recipe was the Best!! I make these rolls ALL the time, my husband lives them and has forgot the “Jesus Bread” woman’s number and ask only for these!!!! Thank you so much!!!! Easy but most of all delicious!!!!
I don’t know what I enjoy more, your Aunt Barb’s modified roll recipe, or your delightful personality. I mean it. Every yeast-challenged person needs to watch your video because you’ll put them right at ease. I’ve made your rolls several times and shared them with a friend each time. (We’re both single.). I tried a few other roll recipes, and each time she said, “I think that first recipe you made (yours) was the best.”. Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
I just made these for the first time! OH MY WORD! I’m a bread lover! Do you hear me? And these are the very BEST dinner rolls I have ever tasted! Don’t need to spread anything on them; they are devine!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I don’t know why I waited so long to make these, but I’m very happy I did! A keeper forever!
LMAO, your comment made me think of that woman who made a lasagna that she said a man liked so much he put her in his life insurance.
I make these rolls EVERY holiday! They are a hit with the whole family! Love em
I’ve been looking for a recipe for Yeast Rolls for so long. I came across yours and they look exactly like my Mom’s. They are delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfect. Thank you so much. Of course I’ll be making these from now on.
what about mixing day ahead ..can you dothat ?
This is my third time making your family recipe. Thanks so much for posting this! Always delicious!
I would bake them just until they start to brown and then freeze, just like Sister Shubert rolls are in the stores. I do all rolls that way, then thaw and finish when ready to serve.
Thank you for sharing your “Homemade Dinner Yeast Rolls Recipe.” They are so tasty. I’d like to know if I can make these ahead of time and freeze them. If so, do I make, bake, and then freeze them OR do I make, shape, and freeze them “raw” allowing them to rise when they thaw ? TIA
By toast you mean grill or broil – pl clarify, I need to know — thanku
Monique,
Like you I have had a former “Love-Hate” relationship with yeast, but this recipe absolutely blows that all to tarnation Gurl!!
These were Tha’ Bomb Dot Com!!! Oh my buttery, yummy goodness!!
The only change I made, just a slight one, was I used 1/4 cup lard and 1/4 cup butter instead of shortening. I’m not a fan of crisco child!
I will definitely be making these again and again! Thank you ever so much for sharing!!!
Amazing! Read my review!! 🙂
These were excellent!!! I followed the recipe exactly. The only thing I would change to the ones I plan to serve is to peel them apart and bake a little longer. The next day do the same with the leftovers. My mom actually said they taste like my grandmas! Thank you for sharing!!
These easy dinner yeast rolls are great! The first time I did them they came out perfect. I’ve tried them three more times and each time they didn’t rise and we’re still kind of flat once I baked them and I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. Is the temperature of the milk and sugar mixture very important? I did try the other dinner rolls and they came out nice and soft as well but they weren’t as sweet as these. Also how much pineapple juice and more sugar do you add to make a sweet Hawaiian roll?
Hey, the same happened to me. The first time I baked them, I used rapid rise yeast. What I discovered was that rapid rise doesn’t need to be proofed, because there is sugar in the rapid rise yeast, and since yeast is alive, the sugar makes it grow (in other words, become alive). The other times, I used active yeast, which needs to be proofed. In this case, you add a package of yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons to a cup of Luke warm water and about a teaspoon of sugar (no more than 110 degrees) because if the water is too hot, believe or not, it’ll kill the yeast. Let this sit for 5 minutes to proof it, or become alive. You’ll know it’s active or alive when it begins to change or foam or bubble up. After it becomes active, you’re ready to add your other wet ingredients and flour.
Try using rapid rise yeast instead of active dry yeast. Active dry yeast has to be proofed in liquid before you add it to recipe. Rapid rise can go straight into your mixture.
Hi Monique! 🙂
About how much pineapple juice and brown sugar do you use to create the Hawaiian rolls?
I notice that you switched from a refrigerator rise to a warm location rise for this version of the rolls, presumably through trial and error. When making the original Grandma Barb’s version do you now recommend a warm rise?
Hi
Can these rolls be made ahead of time and frozen. If so, how do I bake them, from the frozen state or let thaw before baking.