Easy 30 minute dinner rolls | Modernmealmakeover.com (2024)

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.

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 inbaked goods, leading toaneven, 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.

• 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!

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.

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

• Best Cranberry Bread
• Monkey Bread
• Sweet Cornbread Recipe
• Jalapeno Cornbread
• Zucchini Bread Recipe
• Lemon Blueberry Bread

Have you tried this recipe?

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience. Getting feedback from you helps me and other readers too!

Also, if you share onINSTAGRAM, use the hashtag #modernmealmakeover and tag me (@modernmealmakeover) so we can stop by and give your post some love. Thank you!

59 Comments

1. Lauren Vavala

   February 4, 2021 at 12:23 pm ·Reply

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

   • April

     February 4, 2021 at 12:40 pm ·Reply

     I am so glad you like them. I love how easy they are to make.

2. Marie-Charlotte Chatelain

   February 4, 2021 at 12:24 pm ·Reply

   
   The perfect texture! Light and fluffy and perfect for enjoying along with a bowl of soup!

   • April

     February 4, 2021 at 12:39 pm ·Reply

     Thank you. We love these rolls with our favorite soup. Perfect for dipping.

3. Beth Sachs

   February 4, 2021 at 12:35 pm ·Reply

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

   • April

     February 4, 2021 at 12:39 pm ·Reply

     Thank you, they are some of the fluffiest rolls that I have made.

4. Gail Montero

   February 4, 2021 at 12:41 pm ·Reply

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

   • April

     February 4, 2021 at 12:51 pm ·Reply

     They really are so tender and fluffy. I hope you enjoy a few of them at dinner time!

5. Chris Collins

   See Also

   Easy Milk Bread LoafNo-Fail Amish White BreadHomemade Black Licorice Recipe on Food52Thrifty Homemade Sandwich Bread Recipe

   February 4, 2021 at 1:20 pm ·Reply

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

   • April

     February 4, 2021 at 3:42 pm ·Reply

     They really are so easy to make. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family!

6. E Medrano

   March 18, 2022 at 5:31 pm ·Reply

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

   • April King

     March 18, 2022 at 7:44 pm ·Reply

     I’m so glad everyone loved the rolls. They are one of my families favorites too.

7. Danielle Neal

   August 9, 2022 at 5:37 pm ·Reply

   
   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!!

   • April King

     August 16, 2022 at 3:00 pm ·Reply

     So glad you loved them.

8. Lynn Thompson

   September 23, 2022 at 3:19 pm ·Reply

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

   • April King

     October 2, 2022 at 1:53 pm ·Reply

     I like to use rapid rise yeast.

9. Madeline

   November 7, 2022 at 2:31 pm ·Reply

   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”

   • April King

     November 8, 2022 at 12:59 pm ·Reply

     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. Mel

    November 13, 2022 at 7:42 pm ·Reply

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

    • April King

      November 14, 2022 at 1:12 pm ·Reply

      I haven’t tried using butter, if you decide to try it, I would love to hear how they turn out.

11. Katrina

    November 18, 2022 at 8:59 am ·Reply

    
    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.

    • April King

      November 19, 2022 at 1:15 pm ·Reply

      I’m so glad you loved the rolls.

12. Lee

    November 21, 2022 at 4:10 pm ·Reply

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

    • April King

      November 21, 2022 at 9:07 pm ·Reply

      Yes it calls for 2 Tbsp of active dry yeast.

13. Jan k

    November 23, 2022 at 10:19 am ·Reply

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

    • April King

      November 24, 2022 at 5:43 pm ·Reply

      See Also

      Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts

      Yes, use the dough hook.

14. Theresa Latham

    December 2, 2022 at 6:08 pm ·Reply

    
    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.

    • Caraline

      December 23, 2023 at 5:41 pm ·Reply

      Did you ever make them using the melted butter instead of oil? How did they turn out? Also, how much extra salt and sugar did you add?

      • April King

        December 26, 2023 at 11:52 am ·Reply

        I have not made it using butter, if you try it let me know how it turns out.

15. Debbie

    December 23, 2022 at 11:07 am ·Reply

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

    • April King

      December 27, 2022 at 6:08 pm ·Reply

      Yes

16. Della

    February 18, 2023 at 3:22 pm ·Reply

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

17. Alethea

    April 16, 2023 at 4:40 pm ·Reply

    
    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

      April 17, 2023 at 8:12 pm ·Reply

      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

    May 8, 2023 at 6:47 pm ·Reply

    
    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. Vonnie

    August 1, 2023 at 4:41 pm ·Reply

    They turned out perfectly. So delicious

20. Patsy

    August 19, 2023 at 6:56 am ·Reply

    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

    October 2, 2023 at 5:42 am ·Reply

    
    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. Monique C

    October 10, 2023 at 6:22 pm ·Reply

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

23. Amy

    October 12, 2023 at 4:05 pm ·Reply

    
    These are seriously the best rolls I have ever had! Super easy too!!

24. Julie

    November 19, 2023 at 10:16 am ·Reply

    
    Is it possible to make these in advance?

    • April King

      November 19, 2023 at 5:27 pm ·Reply

      I would only make them a couple hours before baking.

25. Jamie Sizemore

    November 19, 2023 at 11:22 am ·Reply

    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?

    • April King

      November 19, 2023 at 5:27 pm ·Reply

      I would proof the first batch, and then set the other batches on the counter next to the oven until they bake.

26. Madison

    November 19, 2023 at 6:26 pm ·Reply

    
    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?

    • April King

      November 20, 2023 at 5:34 pm ·Reply

      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. Kacey

    November 20, 2023 at 6:39 pm ·Reply

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

    • April King

      November 21, 2023 at 12:59 pm ·Reply

      I haven’t tried freezing them after baking. If you try it, I would love to hear how they turn out.

28. Terri

    November 21, 2023 at 10:05 am ·Reply

    
    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. Mary

    November 29, 2023 at 4:09 pm ·Reply

    
    Very easy and tasty rolls! Will make again!! Thanks

30. Liza

    December 16, 2023 at 5:33 pm ·Reply

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

    • April King

      December 19, 2023 at 12:06 pm ·Reply

      Hi Liz, I havent made it into a loaf, if you try it I would love to know how it turned out.

31. Laura

    December 21, 2023 at 4:05 pm ·Reply

    
    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 🙂

    • April King

      December 26, 2023 at 11:55 am ·Reply

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

32. Regina

    December 28, 2023 at 10:18 am ·Reply

    Can I use canola oil in place of vegetable oil?

    • April King

      December 28, 2023 at 12:52 pm ·Reply

      Yes, that should be just fine.

33. Theresa

    April 6, 2024 at 7:23 am ·Reply

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

34. Julie

    April 9, 2024 at 5:51 pm ·Reply

    
    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.

    • April King

      April 18, 2024 at 8:19 am ·Reply

      Yes, you just need to wait for your oven to warm up.