These easy weeknight dinner roll recipe quick takes an hour from start to finish. Use a Kitchenaid stand mixer to make these easier to make.
Oops! I forgot to start bread in the bread machine for dinner, and we are supposed to eat in less than two hours! Don't worry - these easy weeknight dinner rolls are ready in about an hour. And they taste great.
We don't eat a lot of bread with dinner, but some meals just need a roll. Spaghetti and most pasta dishes need a good yeast roll to be complete.
Dinner rolls are a labor of love. It can take three to four hours to make a good yeast roll. This easy dinner roll recipe quick takes about an hour from start to finish.
Easy Dinner Roll Recipe Quick
These dinner rolls are delicious, but they aren't light and fluffy like other yeast rolls. They do raise, and they aren't dense, but they aren't like what you get from the steakhouses.
That said, they are delicious with butter, jam, or just served plain. They complement pasta or spaghetti well. They also make great buns for ham or roast beef sandwiches.
Can You Freeze Dinner Rolls?
Yes, even though these are quick dinner rolls, I still freeze them to save time. You can freeze them already made, but I prefer to freeze the dough.
I make a batch and form them into balls. Then I place them on a cookie sheet and freeze them. When they are frozen, transfer to a freezer bag for later.
When you want rolls, take out your desired number of rolls and place them in a pan and let them thaw in the fridge for several hours. Bake as usual.
Learn more about what foods can be frozen.
How to Get Brown on Top of Rolls
I brush the tops with water, milk, or melted butter before baking. This is optional, but it gives the rolls a nice a nice golden top.
You can also sprinkle some sea salt on the top if you want.
The Best Pan for Dinner Rolls
You can use an 8x8 pan, 9 inch round, or a 9x13 pan. If you want free form rolls, use a cookie sheet.
Any size pan is fine. A smaller pan will yield a higher roll. These don't raise a lot since they are quick dinner rolls, so I use either a 9x13 or a cookie sheet to bake my rolls in.
I used my cast iron pie pan, and they turned out amazing. I highly recommend using cast iron or a stone pan if possible.
Flour
You can use bread flour or all purpose flour to make these quick dinner rolls. I use half and half with great results.
You can substitute up to half of the flour with white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour. I recommend keeping it around 1/4 of the flour for best taste.
Tips for Making Quick Dinner Rolls
It's important to use 105 to 110 degree water to activate the yeast. It's best to proof yeast at 95 degrees, but you really need the higher temperature to active the yeast.
When it's time to raise the dough, you want it between 80 and 90 degrees. If your kitchen is cooler than that, and it most likely is, set the pan on top of the stove while the stove preheats and cover with a towel to trap in heat and moisture.
Check on the rolls after 8 minutes. If they are browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil. If you see that they aren't baking evenly, turn the pan.
The best way to ensure even baking is by making the rolls the same size. It's best to weigh the dough with a kitchen scale and divide by 12. Then make each roll that size.
When you form the ball, pinch the seam and place that on the bottom. This helps the top and sides look smooth.
Easy Weeknight Dinner Roll Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
- 1/3 cup oil
- 2 teaspoons yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 3 1/2 cup flour
Easy Weeknight Dinner Roll Directions
Step #1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Step #2
In mixer bowl, combine water, oil, yeast and sugar. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes.
Step #3
Add salt, egg and flour and mix on medium speed with the dough hook until soft and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
Step #4
Divide in to 12 balls. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Let raise for 10 minutes.
Step #5
Bake 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve warm.
These are amazing with my homemade butter recipe.
If you enjoy making bread at home, check out these bread recipes:
- Beer bread recipe with variations
- One bowl basic banana bread recipe
- Pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe
- Pumpkin yeast bread recipe
Quick Dinner Roll Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
- 1/3 cup oil
- 2 teaspoons yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 3 1/2 cup flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In mixer bowl, combine water, oil, yeast and sugar. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Add salt, egg and flour and mix on medium speed with the dough hook until soft and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
- Divide in to 12 balls. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Let raise for 10 minutes.
- Bake 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve warm.
Calories
211.41Fat (grams)
6.97Sat. Fat (grams)
0.59Carbs (grams)
32.29Fiber (grams)
1.16Net carbs
31.13Sugar (grams)
4.27Protein (grams)
4.56Sodium (milligrams)
95.25Cholesterol (grams)
15.50