Nine times out of 10, I don't remember what else was served for dinner, but I remember the rolls—especially if they are the warm, impossibly soft, and pull-apart ones. Even though they're the opening act, great dinner rolls have star power. That's why every gather-for-dinner season bookended by Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, I butter up my family and friends with warm homemade rolls. Plus, making dinner rolls is always a smart move because humans universally like warm carbs slathered with butter.
To inspire you, we gathered our favorite dinner rolls recipes. Some are more time-intensive, like the sourdough dinner rolls—though it's mostly waiting for the dough to rise, and when you tear into the gorgeous brown crust and watch a smear of butter melt into the hole-y bread, you'll understand why they're worth it. Others you can whip up in the time it takes to preheat your oven. Unbelievable, right? But it's true! We also included carbs you'd be happy to see in your bread basket, like pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread), biscuits, and popovers.
And we'd never leave you hanging—we are here to answer any questions you may have about baking with yeast, kneading and proofing dough, and shaping dinner rolls. If you can't find the answer to your question on this page, you can always write us (contact@simplyrecipes.com).
Remember that it's futile to resist—have more than one and just roll with it!
— Myo Quinn, Senior Editor
P.S. No one should be serving warm dinner rolls with cold butter.
Our Very Best Dinner Roll Recipes That Call for Yeast
We are here to proof (teehee!) that yeast and sourdough is not scary. Take one bite of these fluffy and tender dinner rolls, and you'll understand why the extra effort of kneading and proofing yeasted dough is worth it.
- Sourdough Dinner Rolls
- Milk Bread Rolls
- Challah Rolls
- Homemade Crescent Rolls
- Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Rolls
- Parker House Dinner Rolls
- Lion House Rolls
- Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks
- Potato Dinner Rolls
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
A Bread Basket Full of Quick and Easy Dinner Roll Recipes
Baking homemade rolls doesn't have to take all day. You should be able to fill your bread basket with warm, delicious rolls even after a long day at work. Here are our favorite recipes that take about an hour, including a gluten-free and a vegan option.
- Quick Dinner Rolls
- Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls
- Pão de Queijo (Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread)
- Make-Ahead Dinner Rolls
- Popovers
- Classic Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
- Vegan Biscuits
Our Tips & Tricks for Making the Best Dinner Rolls
Simply Recipe / Micah Siva
Make Yeast Your Friend: Learn to bake with yeast and you''ll be rewarded with fluffy, tender rolls. Here's what you need to know about baking with yeast, plus a guide for how to make sourdough starter:
- How to Proof Yeast
- How to Swap Yeast for Baking
- How to Proof Dough Quickly
- The Best Way to Store Yeast
- How to Make Sourdough Starter
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Learn from the Pros: Our resident pro bakers Mark Beahm and Meghan Splawn are here with their expert tips for making, shaping, baking, and freezing dinner rolls.
- A Professional Baker's 6 Tips for Better Dinner Rolls
- How to Shape Dinner Rolls
- How to Freeze and Bake Dinner Rolls
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Embrace Store-Bought: We're not shy to admit that we serve store-bought dinner rolls when there's too much going on in our lives. Here are tips and ideas for how to cook and serve them:
