Learn how to make deliciously sweet dinner rolls from scratch with my easy step-by-step recipe. These soft and simple rolls are special enough for holiday dinners, but we shamelessly gobble them down with any meal of the day!
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my fluffy sweet potato dinner rolls, too!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Easy to Make - This homemade sweet dinner rolls recipe is very beginner-friendly with simple ingredients, and you won't need a bread machine, stand mixer, or any fancy tools to make it!
Perfect Flavor and Texture - These sweet yeast rolls are based off my Nigerian Agege bread recipe, so they have a sweet and rich flavor with soft and fluffy texture. If you've never tried agege bread, think Texas Roadhouse rolls, but better, or a sweet brioche, and you'll be in the right headspace.
I grew up in a Black American and Nigerian family where fusion meals were the norm so, of course, I have plenty to share with you like my jollof spaghetti recipe, suya street tacos, and zobo hibiscus lemonade!
LOVE! I didn't want to buy Hawaiian rolls AGAIN. I've never been a bread-maker and definitely didn't hop on the Sourdough Train of 2020. That said, I always get nervous when a recipe calls for yeast. But this recipe was SO easy! Quite literally fool proof, and the family LOVED them! Definitely not over sweet and the texture was perfect. And reheating them in the microwave for about 20 seconds was great the following morning. I'll definitely be making them again!
-reader review from Dom
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Bread Flour is a must because it has a higher protein content compared to all-purpose flour. This results in more structure in the bread, giving it a nice, chewy texture.
Granulated Sugar for sweetness because they're sweet rolls, right? You can also use coconut sugar or brown sugar but I don't recommend using a liquid sweetener in this recipe.
Instant Yeast helps this bread come together more quickly than roll recipes that use active dry yeast. Look for the words "instant" or "fast" or "rapid" on the packaging to make sure you have the right product.
Tangzhong is the secret ingredient in these rolls that makes them super fluffy and soft and extends their shelf life past other dinner rolls!
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Egg Wash - Combine beaten egg and water, then brush it over the rolls for a glossy finish. This is optional but highly recommended for extra presentation points, and it only takes one minute. Alternatively, you can use any kind of milk or heavy cream to make this sweet rolls recipe with no egg.
Milk - Any kind of milk, including whole milk, buttermilk, or almond milk, will work in this recipe just make sure it is warm.
Vegan - Yes, these rolls can be made vegan by using plant-based butter and milk in identical proportions to the written recipe! All of the other instructions are the same.
How to Make Homemade Sweet Dinner Rolls
Make Tangzhong and Dough
- Step One: Dissolve flour in water in a saucepan over medium heat and cook and stir mixture until a thick paste forms. (Photos 1 and 2)
- Step Two: Mix together the bread flour, salt, sugar, and yeast then make a well in the middle of the bowl. (Photo 3)
- Step Three: Pour the milk, melted butter, and tangzhong into the well then mix until a slightly sticky dough forms. (Photo 4)
Pro Tip #1
Tangzhong is a paste made from flour and water that originates in China and helps give bread a super soft texture, higher rise, and allows it to keep longer--not that I suspect you'll leave much in the way of leftovers!
Pro Tip #2
You'll know the tangzhong is ready once it reaches a temperature of 150 degrees Farenheit registered on a food thermometer and it has thickened to the point that it doesn't immediately come back together when stirred--like in photo #2 above.
Knead and Rise the Dough
- Step Four: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until it is soft and stretches easily. (Photos 5-7)
- Step Five: Shape dough into a ball then place in a bowl and cover with a damp towel to rest and rise. (Photo 8)
Pro Tip #3
Another benefit of making dough with tangzhong is that it is noticeably less sticky than typical yeast dough but I still recommend working on a floured surface and with floured hands for the best results.
Pro Tip #4
Let the dough rise in a warm spot in your kitchen. Near a preheating oven is great or if there's a sunny spot from your kitchen window, that works, too!
Shape and Bake the Rolls
- Step Six: Divide the dough into 14 pieces then shape them into balls, place in baking pan, and cover then allow them to rise again. This is called proofing. (Photos 9-10)
- Step Seven: Bake the rolls until golden brown and glossy, brushing them with egg wash halfway through baking time. (Photo 11)
Frequently Asked Questions
Because of the tangzhong, these rolls stay fresh at room temperature for up to five days. Beyond that, I recommend refrigerating in an airtight container for up to three more days.
Yes, you can freeze your dinner rolls. I recommend separating the rolls and wrapping each one in aluminum foil. Place the wrapped rolls in an airtight, freezer-safe container before freezing and they will keep for up to one month once frozen.
How to Serve
Of course, these rolls are best served warm! They're amazing plain but even better with a bit of butter and a sprinkle of flaky salt.
Serve for Sunday dinner with crispy roast chicken or honey mustard chicken and brown butter garlic green beans or pair with soups and salads or as Thanksgiving sweet rolls for the big feast with your juicy turkey breast, southern cornbread dressing, collard greens, slow cooked candied yams, and homemade cranberry sauce. Christmas dinner can get it, too!
One underrated use for buttery dinner rolls is as slider buns--check out my breakfast sausage sliders for how I do that.
More Favorite Bread Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
I hope you'll enjoy this sweet buttery dinner rolls recipe soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Sweet Dinner Rolls from Scratch
Equipment
- 1 kitchen spoon or silicone spatula
- 1 food thermometer optional
Ingredients
For the Tangzhong
- ⅓ cup bread flour
- 1 cup water
For the Dinner Rolls
- 4 ¼ cup bread flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 7 grams instant yeast 1 packet
- 1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup milk warmed to 110 degrees Fahrenheit
- ¼ cup butter melted
For the Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Make the tangzhong: Stir together bread flour and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until flour is dissolved and mixture is smooth with no lumps. Continue stirring until mixture thickens and reaches 150 degrees Fahrenheit (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat, transfer to a mixing bowl, and cover.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, instant yeast, and sea salt then make a well in the middle of the bowl.
- Pour the tangzhong, warm milk, and melted butter into the well and mix with kitchen spoon until a tacky dough forms.
- Turn dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface then knead it for about 10 minutes or until dough is soft and elastic and easy to stretch.
- Shape dough into a ball and place back into mixing bowl then cover with a damp towel and set aside in a warm spot to rest and rise. Meanwhile, line baking dish with parchment paper or grease and flour it.
- Once the dough has roughly doubled in size (after about one hour), punch/press the middle of the dough to flatten out air and turn out onto floured surface.
- Separate dough into 14 equal pieces then roll each piece into a ball and place into prepared pan.
- Cover pan with damp towel and allow to proof until doubled in size (about 40 minutes). Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit.
- Mix egg and 1 tablespoon water for egg wash and set aside. Uncover pan then place on center oven rack and bake for 15 minutes. Brush tops of rolls with egg wash the return to oven and continue baking for another 10 minutes or until rolls are golden brown and glossy.
Dom says
LOVE! I didn't want to buy Hawaiian rolls AGAIN. I've never been a bread-maker and definitely didn't hop on the Sourdough Train of 2020. That said, I always get nervous when a recipe calls for yeast. But this recipe was SO easy! Quite literally fool proof, and the family LOVED them! Definitely not over sweet and the texture was perfect. And reheating them in the microwave for about 20 seconds was great the following morning. I'll definitely be making them again!
Jazzmine Woodard says
Thanks for your note, Dom! I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed these.