Soft Buttery Dinner Rolls (Thanksgiving)
These soft buttery dinner rolls are the Thanksgiving bread basket done right: pillowy, golden-topped, and tender enough to tear apart with your fingers. Brushed with melted butter the moment they leave the oven, they stay soft for hours — and they are the perfect vehicle for sopping up gravy or building a leftover turkey slider.
The dough is a forgiving enriched yeast dough that comes together easily with a stand mixer (or by hand), and it is built for make-ahead baking: shape the rolls the day before, refrigerate overnight, and bake them fresh while the turkey rests.
Prep time: 25 minutes (plus 1 1/2 hours rising) Cook time: 20 minutes Servings: 12 rolls
What You’ll Need
- Stand mixer with dough hook (or a large bowl and a wooden spoon)
- Large mixing bowl
- 9×13-inch baking pan or baking sheet
- Plastic wrap
- Pastry brush
For a mixer that handles enriched dough without straining, see our best budget stand mixer under $200 guide.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing
- 3 1/2 cups (440 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Activate the yeast. Stir the warm milk, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl) and let stand for 5–10 minutes, until foamy. If nothing happens, the milk was too hot or too cold, or the yeast is old — start again with fresh yeast and milk at about 110°F (43°C).
- Mix the dough. Add the remaining sugar, egg, melted butter, flour, and salt. Mix on low with the dough hook (or stir with a wooden spoon) until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on medium-low for 7–8 minutes (or 10 minutes by hand) until smooth, soft, and slightly tacky — it should pull away from the sides of the bowl but still stick a little to your fingers.
- First rise. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
- Shape the rolls. Punch the dough down and divide it into 12 equal pieces (a kitchen scale helps — about 65 g each). Shape each piece into a smooth ball by tucking the edges underneath and rolling it against the counter. Arrange the balls in a greased 9×13-inch pan, spaced slightly apart so they rise into each other.
- Second rise. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 30–45 minutes, until puffy and touching. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Bake and butter. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown. Brush generously with the remaining melted butter while hot, sprinkle with flaky salt if using, and serve warm. For make-ahead rolls, see the tip below.
Tips for the Best Soft Buttery Dinner Rolls
- Make them ahead, bake them fresh. After shaping, cover the pan tightly and refrigerate overnight instead of doing the second rise. On Thanksgiving, let the pan sit at room temperature for 45–60 minutes until puffy, then bake as directed — fresh rolls with none of the day-of work.
- Do not over-flour the dough. A slightly tacky dough bakes up soft; a stiff, flour-heavy dough bakes up dense. Resist adding extra flour while kneading unless the dough is genuinely unworkable — it firms up as the gluten develops.
- Keep them soft after baking. Store cooled rolls in an airtight bag or container, and reheat wrapped in foil at 300°F (150°C) for 10 minutes. A quick brush of melted butter after reheating brings back the just-baked softness.
Pillowy, golden, and brushed with butter — these soft dinner rolls are the Thanksgiving side your guests will reach for first.
