Soft and Fluffy One Hour Dinner Rolls

Soft and fluffy one-hour dinner rolls will be a hit with any meal you serve. Easy, fast, amazingly soft, fluffy, light, and flavorful!

One roll cut open sitting on top of the pan of dinner rolls.

Why You’ll Love These

Warm, buttery rolls on the table in 60 minutes, now that’s what I call a success.

I’ve been searching and experimenting with numerous roll recipes to find one that is actually light and fluffy. Finally, hit the jackpot with this recipe.

A few minor adjustments to meet our taste, and voila! I can relax and call it quits on the research. And so can you.

Homemade bread is just the best; nothing compares. It’s a must during your holiday dinners. Try this sourdough bread recipe, Italian bread, or our white bread recipe.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Buttermilk and water – These are the liquid base of the recipe. I’ve only used buttermilk, but you can try regular milk or make homemade buttermilk.
  • Granulated sugar – Adds just a little sweetness and helps feed the yeast.
  • Rapid rise yeast – This yeast is why you can make these rolls in an hour. This yeast has added enzymes that make the dough rise faster. This means you can skip the normal first rise for bread-making.
  • All-purpose flour – I have only ever used all-purpose with this recipe. But I’m sure bread flour would work too.
  • Unsalted butter – The butter is in the dough and melted and brushed over the rolls for that buttery yummy flavor!
  • Kosher salt – This is added for flavor enhancement. Plus, extra for sprinkling over the top if desired.

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How to Make Soft and Fluffy One Hour Dinner Rolls

Rapid rise yeast is the key to having soft and fluffy one-hour dinner rolls on the table fast.

Place butter, buttermilk, and water into a heat-proof bowl. Microwave until butter is mostly melted and between 105-110 degrees F, about 30-45 seconds.

In a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, place the all-purpose flour, sugar, rapid-rise yeast (same as instant yeast), and salt, and mix to combine.

With the mixer running, slowly add the warm milk mixture.

Increase speed to medium and knead for 4-5 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl. The dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.

Dough sliced into pieces with 4 of them rolled into balls.

Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into an evenly level square, about 9 by 9-inches. Cut into 16 equal portions (don’t have to be exact). Shape the dough into about 16 balls.

As you shape the rolls, you want to stretch the top of the dough ball while simultaneously sealing the bottom. The stretching helps the dough hold up to the expansion that occurs in the oven.

The sealing prevents the roll from opening up while baking and becoming wrinkled and doughy on the bottom.

Dough balls placed in a butter baking dish.

Place the rolls into a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish.

Brush lightly with melted butter so the dough doesn’t dry out. Let rise for 20 minutes in a warm, draft-free area.

After 20 minutes, remove the rolls from the oven and preheat the oven to 375º. The rolls should be doubled in size.

Bake for 14-16 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Brush again with melted butter and sprinkle kosher or sea salt over the tops.

One hour dinner roll torn open being held open with hands.

Serve warm, and enjoy! This best-ever light and fluffy dinner rolls recipe are perfect for a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. You can’t go wrong with homemade bread.

Add-Ins

If you like, you can flavor them with some of the following listed below.

  • You can mix some dried herbs (about 1-2 tablespoons) into the melted butter or add it to the bread dough.
  • Add some garlic to the melted butter.
  • Add about 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese or shredded cheddar cheese.

Tips

  • Always measure the flour properly. Aerate, spoon, and swoop level.
  • Be sure to check the temperature of your liquids. It should be 105 to 110 degrees F. Otherwise, it will kill the yeast. If it’s too cool, the yeast might not activate.
  • Don’t worry about getting each dough ball the same size. They all bake in the same pan and rise close together. It’s really not a big deal. But if you like, use a kitchen scale.
  • Rise times may vary due to the temperature of your kitchen. Put the rolls in a warm, draft-free area.
  • Avoid over-proofing the rolls. If they rise too much, exhausting the yeast, they might collapse.
  • DO NOT use a baking sheet. You want the sides of this type of baking dish to help the rolls rise.
  • I have never tested with plant-based milk or butter. If you try it let us know how they turn out.
  • These dinner rolls can also be used as slider buns!

FAQ

Can these be made ahead?

Yes. Use active dry yeast (see note below) and follow the recipe by placing the dough balls into the baking dish. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Transfer the dish to the counter, and let them come to room temperature for about 2 hours before baking.

Can I use active dry yeast?

Yes. You will need to proof the yeast first. You will need to mix the 3/4 cup of warm water, active dry yeast, and one teaspoon of sugar. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes until it bubbles up. Mix the remaining warm liquids in the bowl of the stand mixer. Add the remaining dry ingredients, mix and proceed with the recipe.

Storage

Place cooled rolls in an air-tight container or resealable bag and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze these rolls?

Yes. Bake the rolls, cool them completely, place them in a freezer-safe container or bag, and freeze them for about one month for the best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

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One roll cut open lying on the pan of dinner rolls.

Soft and Fluffy One Hour Dinner Rolls Recipe

Easy, fast, amazingly soft, fluffy, light, and flavorful! Warm, buttery rolls on the table in 60 minutes.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 15
Calories: 182kcal
Author: Don’t Sweat The Recipe

Ingredients
 

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 1 tablespoon slices
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon rapid rise yeast
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter melted
  • additional kosher or sea salt for sprinkling the tops

Instructions

  • Place butter, buttermilk, and water into a heat-proof bowl. Microwave until butter is mostly melted and between 105-110 degrees F, about 30-45 seconds.
  • In a stand mixer with dough hook attached, place flour, sugar, yeast, and salt, mix to combine. With the mixer running, slowly add warm milk mixture. Increase speed to medium and knead for 4-5 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape edges of the bowl. The dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.
  • Drop dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into an evenly level square, about 9 by 9-inches. Cut into 16 equal portions (don’t have to be exact). Shape dough into 15-16 balls, while using excess dough from the 16th portion to add to smaller rounds as needed, and place shaped dough into prepared baking dish.
  • Brush lightly with melted butter, just to keep them moist while rising.
  • Transfer to oven, close oven and turn oven off, allow rolls to rise 20 minutes (don’t open oven door). Remove the pan from the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Brush again with melted butter and sprinkle with kosher or sea salt.
  • Bake for 14-16 minutes until tops are golden brown.
  • Serve warm.

Notes

DO NOT use a baking sheet. You want the sides of the baking dish to help the rolls rise.
To Make Ahead – Use active dry yeast (see note below) and follow the recipe through placing the dough balls into the baking dish. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Transfer the dish to the counter, and let them come to room temperature for about 2 hours before baking.
Storing – Place cooled rolls in an air-tight container or resealable bag and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing – Cool completely, place them in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for about 1 month for the best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 181IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 2mg

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2 Comments

  1. 1 hour dinner rolls, yes please! This looks like such a great recipe and the rolls look perfect! I love how you posted different pictures with the steps to making them! I’m going to pin your recipe! Have a great Monday!5 stars

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