This is the world’s best homemade rolls recipe, also known as the best dang rolls we have ever shoved into our faces. They are awesome!
Remember those caramello bars? I think they still have them, gosh now I kind of want to run to the store and buy one to devour. Anyway, I remember being a really little girl and seeing those commercials on tv where they stretch it out and it looks all silky and fabulous, and more importantly I remember really wanting one. I think that’s probably the first time I realized I like food, not just for eating to sustain but to enjoy it. Is that weird? Probably, but it kind of tell you why rolls are a big deal for me. I love food, and I think rolls are especially fantastic because I adore fluffy bread. But that also means that I am picky about my carbs. I’ve tried a gazillion roll recipes and while I think my potato rolls are pure heaven I also wanted a regular roll recipe. These are the world’s best homemade rolls recipe, totally perfect, soft homemade rolls. The ultimate recipe, world’s best homemade rolls.
Can Roll Dough Be Frozen?
Yes, you can freeze roll dough to be used later.
Shape your kneaded (but unrisen) yeast dough into rolls.
Place them in a pan and freeze.
Once frozen, bag them airtight and stash in the freezer.
How Long Will Fresh Rolls Last?
Dinner rolls should keep 5-7 days at room temperature.
Wrap them well or place in a zippered storage bag.
How Do You Reheat Dinner Rolls?
Reheat dinner rolls in the oven.
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F.
Place rolls in a baking dish or arrange on a baking sheet.
Bake until warm, 7 to 10 minutes.
Rolls can also be reheated in the microwave.
Cover the rolls with a slightly damp cloth and microwave for 20-30 seconds.
World’s BEST Homemade Rolls Recipe
World's BEST Homemade Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk, low fat is fine but not skim
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature *see note*
*see note*
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 eggs, large
- 5 to 5 1/2 cups flour, all purpose
- 1 1/2 teaspoons real sea salt, not kosher
- canola oil
- Extra butter for after baking
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the 3/4 cup warm water 2 teaspoons of sugar and yeast.
- Set aside in a warm place to foam for 5-10 minutes.
- In a saucepan add the heavy cream and milk with the butter and sugar. Stir to combine.
- Heat over medium heat until foam is around the edges. Do not let boil!
- Remove from the burner and cool to luke warm. (I place mine on a hot pad in the fridge and watch it carefully to bring it down to warm).
- Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs.
- Add one cup of flour and the salt to the eggs, mix.
- Add the scalded milk and yeast mixture to the flour and egg mixture, mix.
- Continue to add an additional cup of flour and mix until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Add more flour in 1/4 cup increments until the dough does not stick to your fingers but still indents when lightly pressed.
- Spread a little canola oil in a small grocery or plastic bag, scrape dough out of bowl and into the bag. Twist loosely and tuck under the bag.
- Allow the dough to rise for 45-60 minutes.
- Punch down and allow to rise an additional 45-60 minutes.
- Divide the dough in half and roll into a circle.
- Cut into 12 pieces.
- Roll the dough triangle from the wide end into a crescent roll.
- Place the rolls onto a greased cookie sheet.
- Repeat with remaining dough and cover lightly with a kitchen towel.
- Allow to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees and bake 15-18 minutes.
- Brush the hot rolls with a stick of butter and enjoy!
Notes
The instructions may seem a little odd, but for best results follow them exactly. adapted from Ann Romney's The Romney Family Table Cookbook. Rolls can be shaped and then frozen after the first rise. Freeze them on a cookie sheet then store in ziploc bags in the freezer. When you're ready to use them, allow them to rise in a warm place with a towel over them then bake as directed.
Gayle
I made these rolls yesterday, never having made homemade rolls before. I was a little intimidated but I thought everything was explained beautifully and I was able to pull it off! They were delicious and I was very happy with how they turned out. I did have an issue with them staying rolled into the crescents though. Could I roll them into balls to make round dinner rolls and still get the same results?
Sweet Basil
Hi Gayle,
You can tie the dough in knots just like you would begin to tie your shoes, just cut in long strips after the butter and fold over the dough step and then tie and tuck the ends under so they don’t brown. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed them.
Jessica
These rolls are delicious and not overly complicated if you like to make bread. I’ve made them multiple times and they came out perfect. I see some comments that say it’s confusing or unclear and maybe I’ve come across this recipe after some revisions because I thought in as far as making rolls go everything was quite clear. Bread seems complicated in recipes and a lot of it it just having a sense of what looks and feels right. Anyway, LOVE these and they were a big hit with everyone I’ve served them to. Thanks for the recipe!
Sweet Basil
Thank you so much Jessica. I think you’re right, bread can just seem like such a process at first, but once you’ve read it through and tried it it’s not horrible. 🙂
Carol
Way to complicated for me. Looks good, though. When a recipe goes on and on, I can’t even read it. Yeast, just sounds to difficult. I’ll go to the bakery.
Sweet Basil
You can do it! Once you’ve done it once it will go so quick. Put milk in pot, heat, add ingredients and cool, mix with flour, rise, roll, rise, and bake. We just have to write things out really long winded otherwise we get too many questions to keep up with. 🙂 I promise, cross my heart it’s sooooo worth it.
Apryl
this is a horribly written recipe. so many complaints and confusion on the Facebook thread I found this on. how can you be a food blogger and not know how to write a recipe? the time is way off and there’s a lot of confusion about the yeast and sugar amounts.
Sweet Basil
Apryl,
I’m sorry you feel that way. The time is actually correct and I don’t see any confusion about the yeast and sugar though I do see that the yield was off. I apologize. I make large rolls however readers were not making them as big so I adjusted the recipe to be a regular roll size and merely forgot to update the yield. I hope you have a good day and can forgive my silly mistake on the yield
MendysMum
Agreed, this recipe is quite confusing. It could be improved by making “In a saucepan, ….” step 1, as it took longer to heat and cool than the 5 -10 minutes needed for the yeast. Also it would help if the ingredients were listed in the order used. And the butter *see note* in bold, where is the note I’m suppose to see? Thanks for updating quantities, but I think the time to prepare is still too short.
Sweet Basil
Hi,
I apologize, I had to switch to a new recipe plugin and it seems to have caused havoc. I’ve corrected the ingredients list. The yeast, if fresh and instant should not take more than 5-10 minutes, especially with the sugar in there. If the yeast is or already has started to die it would take much longer and it is best to buy new yeast at that point, or it could have been bad yeast. I like to keep mine in the fridge or freezer to avoid it going bad too soon.
The butter note is there, just scroll through the recipe. It just states you can use shortening but not margarine.
Thanks for your patience!
Sara
Little confused, recipe states yields 13-15 rolls, yet states divide dough into 2 pieces and cut into 12 wedges. My math says that’s 24 rolls, what am I missing?
Sweet Basil
Hi Sara,
I sincerely apologize. I make my rolls large and realized that readers were making them smaller and coming out with more so I adjusted the recipe and forgot to adjust the yield. Sorry about that.
kim
these rolls look great – i wish the recipe could be adapted to using a gluten free flour – (coconut flour, nut flour, starch)
Sweet Basil
Hi Kim,
I’m sure it can, we just need to do some testing before we post about it. 🙂
Kim
I am going to try too – I have been having nice results with equal parts coconut flour and a starch (usually tapioca and sweet white rice or sometimes plantain flour) and then I add a little sprouted macadamia nut butter (low in omega 6’s) which reduces the need for so much butter or coconut oil and adds a nice flavor. Looking forward to reading about your results !!!
Augusta
Would love to win! We are FINALLY getting one in the Shreveport/Bossier area & this gift card would be awesome for when it opens! I love the salad bar!!
Lori H
They have a great selection of healthy options.
Rachel
Love Whole Foods! And, these rolls look delicious!
Ginger Chan
Whole foods offers so many great things.
Katrina McCoy
because i NEED to get healthy & go G-free
Lynn R.
Whole Foods is fabulous, but mostly I can’t afford to shop there. This would be great!
KatieQ
I enjoy shopping at Whole Foods particularly in the Bakery and produce sections. There are always new and interesting foods to try.
Audrey B.
I love the produce at Whole Foods, and their cheese section is amazing!
George
Whole Foods = Quality, Unique, Healthy Products!
Pearl
I love Whole Foods for their selection of wonderful good for you food. I am like a little kid when I go in and hope nobody hears my oohs and ahhs.
Helen in SC
We have a Whole Foods just down the hill from my house. How great it would be to have a shopping spree there! For now, though, I think I’ll make Rolls Royce Rolls.
Tanya M.
I love Whole Foods for the organic options.
Tanya M.
I still need to try the Potato Rolls, but these are next on my list!
Sweet Basil
Oh my goodness, you must try both and let me know what you think!
Stacy
I love their fresh produce, bulk section and the deli.
Mary S
I love their fresh produce and meat. So many healthier choices.
Carmen N
I want to shop at Whole Foods because we’re trying to make healthier choices for our family – lots of fresh produce and bulk items.
Nicki
Whole Foods was my saving grace when we found out my little girly was allergic to dairy and soy. So many more options there.
Chantiel
These sound heavenly!
patricia
I have to be gluten free and that food is very expensive. So I could really use the gift card
Diana
Whole Foods always makes me want to shop healthier! And Happy Belated Birthday!
Courtenay
That 500.00 will go a long way cutting down my food bills!!
Laura R
Their deli foods are so good!!
Jessica
Love to shop Whole Foods for great produce and hard-to-find items!
jackie c
Can’t wait to try these!!
Keri
The best fresh veggies and meats. Makes me feel good knowing I can find the best food for my family here.
Megan Scheele
I love whole foods! Amazing variety and lots of organic and local options
Jeanne
Whole Foods salad bar is my favorite !
Meghan
Rolls are the best!
Beth W
I love their breads, the artisan breads are amazing.
BetsyD
Love the trail mix in the bulk section!
Susana Slais
I moved from Virginia to Michigan three years ago and one of the things I missed the most was being able to have Whole Foods almost at walking distance from my apartment! I know there’s one around here, but have to check the exact location, so the $500 would come in handy!!! 🙂
Beth F
I love shopping at whole foods because they offer a lot more variety to my vegetarian diet. I also love that they carry Vital Farms eggs which are all pasture raised.
BetsyD
Would love the trail mixes.
Claudia Miller
Love whole foods!!!
Stephanie S
Love Whole Foods Produce!
Angela
I’ve never shopped WholeFoods before…would love to feed my family healthier!
Natalie
I like that Whole Foods has a large variety of items without a bunch of junk in them.
meredith
I love the organic produce
Lauren
I’ve never been to a :Whole Foods so I would love this!
Lindy
May have to try these rolls next time! Never shopped at Whole Foods, but there’s always a first time for everything!
Sweet Basil
you will love them!
cathy
I love their displays haha
suzanne
They have healthy food.
Antonia
I have never been to whole foods. The closest one to me is 45 minutes away but I would love to go and check it out. This giftcard would be a good reason to go.
Emily Albrecht
Love that Whole Foods has such fresh produce and yummy food!
Allison
Whole Foods has fresh foods, and I can count on them to have meat that isn’t raised in terrible ways.
Christy
Love the selection of fresh produce and natural products at Whole Foods! Can’t wait to try this roll recipe – looks yummy!
Diana Cote
Because we love to eat healthy and fresh foods, mostly organic and this store has a lot of that plus I love the approach they are taking to honest product labeling. 🙂
Jonelle
I love whole foods because they have more foods with real ingredients
Melissa I
This would be amazing to win. Feeding 5 people on one pay check has been tough.
Catie
I love shopping at Whole Foods because the staff is so very helpful and knowledgeable!
Sally C
I am working to try to eat better and get in shape. I’m getting married in a year, and I want to look great in my wedding dress. The fresh foods at Whole Foods would help me achieve this goal!
Hillary
I have never shopped at Whole Foods and would love a gift card to try it out.
Jen B
Best selection of fresh fruit, veg and cheese anywhere. And the prepared foods – lifesavers!! 🙂
Linda Rumble
Whenever I shop at a Whole Foods ( I don’t have one in my city) it makes me enjoy grocery shopping a lot more. They have choice selections that you can’t find at a regular grocery store. It’s like a glorified Trader Joes which I also love.
Colleen M
I would stock up on all my GF products and specialty ingredients! Winning would be so amazing!
Trisha
I drive 30 minutes to get to the nearest Whole Foods and I always feel a since of relief as soon as I enter the store. I feel relaxed and at home there. Love it!
Lauren
Fresh foods
Becky
Whole Foods gives me options for my son who is on a gluten free, dairy free, soy free, almond free, pea free diet. Our whole family is making the switch to healthier, whole food choices, what a great way to lead us on our journey! Thanks for the chance.
Karen L
I love how many soy-free vegetarian options they have!
Megan
These were delicious!!!!! Just as good as your potato rolls, but a little easier and less ingredients. AWESOME! Thanks!!
Denice
You made these….,what did you do for the milk? It is listed twice in the ingredient list but only mentioned once in the instructions. I’d love to try these but I am unsure of the instructions.
Sharde T
I like shopping at Whole Foods because I always get high quality food from their stores.
Heather Cardenas
I have never shopped at Whole Foods, but this would be a great reason to check it out! Thank you:)