Easy 30 Minute Dinner Rolls

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These easy 30 Minute Dinner Rolls are the perfect bread recipe to serve with any meal. They are great for the holiday’s, weeknights, and basically anytime you want homemade dinner rolls on the table fast. They are soft, fluffy, and some of the easiest dinner rolls you’ll ever make.

close up shot of 30 minute dinner rolls

I get asked all the time if you can really make theses 30 minute dinner rolls in 30 minutes. The answer is YES, and they come out so soft and fluffy. I have always love making homemade bread, but I don’t love how time consuming it is to make homemade dinner rolls.

This 30 minute roll recipe is so easy to make even on the busiest weeknights. They are a great side to enjoy with a hot bowl of soup or even the base of some of our favorite slider recipes.

If your lucky enough to have any homemade rolls leftover, they are delicious topped with your favorite jam or jelly in the morning.

Ingredients for these easy 30 minute dinner rolls

  • Warm Water: You want your water to between 115-125 degrees. Any cooler and it will take longer for your yeast to proof, any hotter you risk killing the yeast all together.
  • Sugar: I used white granulated sugar.
  • Yeast: I used active dry yeast. Make sure to check the expiration date on your yeast. If it is expired, throw it out and buy fresh yeast. Expired yeast can cause your rolls not to rise.
  • Vegetable Oil: Olive oil can be used in place of vegetable oil.
  • Salt: Salt helps slow the rise of yeast in baked goods, leading to an even, stable texture.
  • Egg: Eggs help bind the ingredients together and help to increase the volume.
  • Flour: I used all-purpose flour for these rolls.

How to make 30 minute dinner rolls

  • Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, or lightly grease.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Allow to proof for approximately 2-5 minutes.
  • Add in oil, salt, egg, and flour (1 cup at a time). Mix with a stand mixer until combined. Let your stand mixer do the work and let it knead the dough for about 4 minutes. The dough will be fairly soft. (Adding too much flour will make the rolls dense. I know you might want to add more flour until the dough isn’t sticky, but you want to mix in just enough flour so that you can form it into balls with oily hands).
  • Spray your hands with baking spray and shape dough into 15 individual balls.
  • Place dough in a prepared 9×13 baking dish and cover with a dish towel.
  • Preheat oven to 375 F and place pan on top of oven and let the dough rise while your oven is preheating.
steps to make 30 minute dinner rolls
  • Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the top of the rolls are golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven and brush the top with melted butter before serving. Enjoy!
30 minute dinner rolls in a baking pan

Why is my bread so dense?

These dinner rolls should turn out light and fluffy like the pictures you see on this post. If you find that your rolls are not rising or come out dense, below are a few suggestions to follow.

  • Kneading: While this recipe does not call for kneading as a separate step, bread needs to be kneaded to form the gluten, which makes bread light and fluffy. This can be as simple as letting your stand mixer knead the dough for you for a couple extra minutes. You can always knead the dough by hand before forming into individual balls.
  • Check your yeast: If your yeast doesn’t proof it could be that your yeast is expired or the water wasn’t the right temperature and the yeast died. If the water is too cold, it can take longer for the yeast to proof, and if the water is to hot or it is expired, it won’t grow at all.
  • Too much flour: Adding too much flour will make the rolls dense. I know you might want to add more flour until the dough isn’t sticky, but you want to mix in just enough flour so that you can form it into balls with oily hands.

How to store leftover dinner rolls.

I have found that these dinner rolls keep best by placing them in an airtight container in the fridge because they don’t contain preservatives. Simply pull them out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving and allow them to come to room temperature, or place them in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm them up.

30 minute dinner rolls in a baking pan

Variations and add-ins for 30 minute dinner rolls

  • Honey Butter: My favorite thing to eat on warm rolls is honey butter. They would even be delicious drizzled with a little bit of honey.
  • Garlic Rolls: Simply brush the top of these warm rolls with garlic butter warm out of the oven. These would be delicious served with an Italian dish like our Homemade Spaghetti Sauce.
  • Parmesan Cheese: We are big fans of parmesan cheese in our house. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese over warm buttered rolls, and your family will be in heaven.

What type of yeast works best?

I recommend using active dry yeast when making these rolls. You can buy yeast in a jar and store it either in your fridge or freezer for longer shelf life. I find that it’s more convenient than buying those little packets of yeast.

Do I have to use a stand mixer?

No, you do not have to use a stand mixer to make these easy dinner rolls. Although, I do love to use my stand mixer, I have also used a bread machine.

If you have a bread machine, simply follow the instructions below as if you were using a stand mixer. Depending on the bread machine, place the setting on dough setting. Let the bread machine knead the dough, then remove the dough and shape into individual balls.

Other favorite recipes

30 minute dinner rolls

April King
30 Minute Dinner Rolls are the perfect bread recipe to serve with any meal. They are great for the holiday's, weeknights, and basically anytime you want homemade dinner rolls on the table fast. They are soft, fluffy, and wonderfully delicious.
4.91 from 54 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 15 rolls
Calories 169 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/4 cups warm water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. active dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 egg
  • 3 3/4 cup all purpose flour

Instructions
 

  • Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper, or lightly grease.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Allow to proof for approximately 2-5 minutes.
  • Add in oil, salt, egg, and flour (1 cup at a time). Mix with a stand mixer until combined. Let your stand mixer do the work and let it knead the dough for about 4 minutes. The dough will be fairly soft. (Adding too much flour will make the rolls dense. I know you might want to add more flour until the dough isn't sticky, but you want to mix in just enough flour so that you can form it into balls with oily hands).
  • Spray your hands with baking spray and shape dough into 15 individual balls.
  • Place dough in a prepared 9×13 baking dish and cover with a dish towel.
  • Preheat oven to 375 F and place pan on top of oven and let the dough rise while your oven is preheating.
  • Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the top of the rolls are golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven and brush the top with melted butter before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on Modernmealmakeover.com should only be used as a general guideline.

Nutrition

Serving: 1rollCalories: 169kcalCarbohydrates: 25.4gProtein: 3.3gFat: 5.7gCholesterol: 10.5mgSodium: 158.5mgPotassium: 3.4mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3.3gCalcium: 0.3mgIron: 0.3mg
Keyword 30 minute dinner, bread, rolls
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59 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    We made similar rolls in culinary school but the took HOURS…this recipe is just as good but so much quicker! Love it!

  2. 5 stars
    The perfect texture! Light and fluffy and perfect for enjoying along with a bowl of soup!

  3. 5 stars
    These dinner rolls look just the right texture. So fluffy and delicious.

  4. 5 stars
    These rolls look tender, fluffy, and simply perfect! I’d be eating a lot if these are on the table!

  5. 5 stars
    I never realised how easy it was to make dinner rolls! These look perfect, I’ll definitely be trying the recipe 🙂

  6. 5 stars
    It’s a keeper recipe. I followed to the letter. Family gave it a thumbs up. Thank you for sharing.

  7. Danielle Neal

    5 stars
    These are so easy and good. They took me longer than 30 minutes. But definitely under an hour! They were light and fluffy. My family devoured them. I will definitely make again!!

  8. Lynn Thompson

    Can I ask which kind of yeast you use in this recipe?

  9. APRIL, WOULD LOVE TO TRY YOUR 30 MINUTE DINNER ROLLS, BUT I’M A LITTLE CONFUSED. YOU SAY ‘TO USE ACTIVE YEAST FOR THESE ROLLS’ BUT IN THE ANSWER TO ”LYNN” YOU SAY RAPID YEAST. THANKS FOR ”LISTENING”

    • Hi Madeline, I’m sorry for the confusion. You will want to use active dry yeast. Thank you for bringing that to my attention.

  10. Can you replace the oil with butter? I’m trying not to use oils anymore.

  11. 5 stars
    Great recipe! I had to sub 1 cup of flour for potato flakes because I was low on flour but they still came out great.

  12. A packet of yeast is 2 1/4 teaspoon
    This recipe really takes 2 Tablespoons???

  13. I’m excited to try but don’t want to mess up lol! When using mixer do you use the dough hook attachment?

  14. Theresa Latham

    5 stars
    I like this recipe. I will add more salt and sugar and substitute melted butter next time. It was quite and easy. Has anyone tried freezing them after you cook them? It’s just the two us. I have lots left over.

  15. I don’t have a mixer. Will these turn out if I mix and knead by hand?

  16. 5 stars
    Easy directions! They look and smell fabulous. Just waiting for them to cook a little to try!

  17. 5 stars
    I needed bread for dinner one night and these were the best. Easy, quick and so delicious. Looking for a cinnamon roll one now, hint, hint.

    • April King

      Oh yes, I do need to make a 30 minute cinnamon roll. You should check out my 1 hour cinnamon roll recipe.

  18. Emma Brown

    5 stars
    I made the rolls for dinner with some add ons, like I did a mixture of potato water, water and evaporated milk to make the 11/4 cup of liquid needed. Also added a small mashed potato. They turned out as you said absolutely fluffy and light!

  19. They turned out perfectly. So delicious

  20. I’ve been making bread and rolls for many years. This roll recipe is THE best I have ever tasted….thanks for sharing it!

  21. Terri Ellison

    5 stars
    These rolls are great. I have tried to make great yeast rolls for years. Came across these and thought why not only 30 minutes. I didn’t expect for them to be good. Boy! Was I surprised!! These are great. Everyone loves them

  22. 5 stars
    This recipe was so easy to make. The rolls came out so delicious . I can’t wait to make them again.

  23. 5 stars
    These are seriously the best rolls I have ever had! Super easy too!!

  24. 5 stars
    Is it possible to make these in advance?

  25. Jamie Sizemore

    Hi! I’m so excited to make these for family thanksgiving this year. I’m wanting to make 3 or 4 batches. How long do you recommend letting them proof on top of the oven for the other batches?

  26. 5 stars
    Hi April, I’m excited to try these for Thanksgiving! I’m wondering… how would you freeze these rolls and then warm up when you want to use? Thoughts, advice?

    • I haven’t tried freezing them, but I would recommend placing them in the freezer as soon as you roll into individual balls. Remove from the freezer, allow to thaw and rise, then bake. Let me know if this works for you.

  27. 5 stars
    Can these be frozen after baking? Making a lot for thanksgiving and would like to make ahead of time

  28. 5 stars
    I am so excited. I tried these rolls as a trial. I thought 30 min. if they don’t turn out I’m only out 30 min. To my suprise they were fabulous!!! Light and fluffy. I froze them. I will make 2 more batches for Thanksgiving. I’ve passed this recipe on. Thank you!

  29. 5 stars
    Very easy and tasty rolls! Will make again!! Thanks

  30. I made it yesterday and it was awesome!
    Can I make it as a loaf as well? Thanks

  31. 5 stars
    Delicious and quick! I am not always great at planning ahead and this recipe saved me, plus it was delicious. Is there a way to freeze the dough so I can double up on the batch? thanks 🙂

    • Yes, you can freeze the dough before letting them rise. Remove from the freezer, allow to thaw and rise before baking.

  32. Can I use canola oil in place of vegetable oil?

  33. unbelievably delicious! soft and fluffy, easy easy easy! this will be my new go to recipe. thank you😉

  34. 5 stars
    This recipe made me feel like I could actually cook bread actually! The other question I had for clarification was how long you should let them rest after their formed. Should you just wait until your oven is warmed is there a set time since oven heat up really fast now? Mine is half broken so I did 350 for about 27 minutes. My whole family was so happy, thank you very much.

4.91 from 54 votes (32 ratings without comment)

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