There is something about the months of November through about February that make me want some form of warm carbohydrate to accompany every meal I consume. My problem with most yeast breads is that I don’t realize I want to eat them until I’m pulling everything out an hour or so before dinner to start prepping. Homemade dough can be a big, long process and recipes that involve multiple risings and 2-3 hour windows, require some planning- which is why I usually only make them on special occasions. So this recipe is what I use on those easy weeknights when I just want to throw something together quickly and have it done in an hour ready to dunk into a warm bowl of soup. If you’re not a bread-maker, this recipe is totally for you. You don’t have to proof yeast, you don’t have to let the dough rise more than once, and you don’t even need to worry about shaping it nicely. This is as easy as it gets, and they’re done in about an hour (I always allow just a little longer).
I actually based this quick rolls recipe off of our Everyday Cinnamon Rolls, and it remains very, very similar. One of the reasons that cinnamon roll recipe is so popular is because it’s quick! Many One-Hour Roll recipes you’ll find involve very limited ingredients, namely flour, water, salt, and yeast. That’s because things with fats and proteins, like milk, eggs, and butter, slow down the yeast activity. However, I played around with things and found I could use milk (I purposely use non-fat), a little butter, and a single egg, and still get quick results, with way more flavor than the basic recipes. So if you’re craving fresh bread, no fear. It’s only about an hour away.
First place some milk, butter, and sugar in a microwavable container. If you’re out of milk, water will work fine, too. You want the temperature to be between 120-130; in my microwave that’s just about exactly 2 minutes.
While that’s warming up, mix the dry ingredients. One of the tricks of quick rolls is to use “rapid rise” or “quick rise” yeast. “Bread machine yeast” is usually the same thing as well. There’s no proofing involved here, (that’s when you mix the yeast with warm water until it’s foamy) you can just put the yeast directly into the flour and stir it up. I usually keep a jar of yeast on hand, so I’m calling for a tablespoon here, but know that if you don’t make bread very often and you have little packets of yeast and don’t want to open more than one, this will work just fine with a packet.
In fact I made this very batch I’m photographing with a single packet (which is 2 1/4 teaspoons, so less than the tablespoon called for in the recipe) and it’s just fine.
You need the milk mixture to be between 120-130 degrees. It needs to be at least 120, and anything over 140 will damage the yeast, so I usually shoot for right around 125. If you have a digital thermometer you can pop in there quickly, it will save you lots of guess work.
Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. If you’re using a stand mixer (I could sing the praises of my KitchenAid all day long), just turn the beater on and slowly pour it in. I also like to add an egg, but you can leave out the egg if you want and replace it with 1/4 water. I find the egg gives the rolls a bit more structure. Without the egg, the rolls are just as delicious, it’s just a little bit different texture. It is important to note, however, that you’ll want to let your egg sit in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes to bring it to room temperature. Otherwise, when you put the chilled egg into your dough with that warm milk, it will bring the temperature down.
Then add a little more flour. This dough will be very soft and sticky, so don’t start thinking it needs way more flour and go dumping it in. Or if you do, don’t come back and leave me comments saying your rolls were dense and gross. It should just barely come away from the bowl when you’re beating it, but still be sticky to the touch. I add just a little less than 4 1/2 cups, usually more like 4 1/4, and then I put the last 1/4 cup on the surface where I’m rolling out my dough.
The trick here is to get that nice flour-covered surface, and then gently scrape the dough onto it using a spatula. Once it’s all plopped on out, use the flour on your board to sprinkle all over the dough so it doesn’t stick to your hands. Don’t knead the flour in, just use it to coat the outside of the dough. Use light hands and form the dough into a smooth-ish shape.
I like to then score my dough with a pizza cutter, it helps to get even sized rolls. For dinner rolls, I do 24.
Then just grab the portions and lightly form into balls. And I use the term “ball” loosely here. As you can see, you don’t need to spend very much time perfecting little dough spheres. Just lightly round them and plop them in there.
You’ll need to set them aside to rise now, and I have a few more tricks for you. One of my favorite features of my Thermador ovens is that they have a “proof” setting, which warms up the oven to a cozy 100 degrees.
But I have a couple of other ways to create the best environment for rising dough. If you’ve got double ovens, you’ll want to preheat one of them to actually bake the rolls, but with the other, you can turn it on to the very lowest temperature setting (that’s usually 170-200) when you start prepping the dough. Leave it on for about 5 minutes and then turn it off and that should warm things up nicely.
Another favorite trick, which I actually still use, even with that proof setting on my oven, is to create a little steam room. Place your pan of rolls in the oven (the oven is turned off) and place a pan underneath it. Pour boiling water into the extra pan and then immediately shut the oven door. The steam will not only warm up the space, but it also creates moisture that will help the dough stay elastic and not dry out on top.
If you have a single oven, and need to preheat it for baking, I used to do that steam trick in my microwave. If you have a rack, you can place rolls on top and steam on bottom, and if you don’t have a rack, chances are you can fit a drinking glass or mug in the corner (or two) of the microwave and achieve the same thing. After 20-30 minutes, the dough should be nice and plumped up; about double in size (or just a bit less). I usually let them rise closer to 30 minutes. Most one-hour recipes will tell you 20, but that’s almost never long enough for me.
After they’ve grown and plumped, pop them in a preheated oven and bake them until they’re nice and golden .
When they come out of the oven, immediately brush them with melted butter.
If you want to make these into bread sticks, you could roll dough in butter and our Garlic Bread Seasoning, or if you’re like me, you’ll save at least a little to bake a tiny pan of cinnamon rolls. As you can see by this photo, these didn’t even last long enough for me to snap a picture.
And definitely, definitely, make a batch of our Maple Cinnamon butter to go with these, no matter how you make them!
Butter-Topped One Hour Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups non-fat milk
- 3 tablespoons butter cut into chunks
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4- 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour divided
- 1 tablespoon rapid rise/quick rise yeast or if you have packets, one packet (2 1/4 teaspoons will work just fine))
- 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
- 1 egg at room temp place in a bowl of warm water for at least 5 minutes
- additional melted butter a few tablespoons for brushing on at end
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place milk, butter, and sugar in a microwavable container and heat for about 2 minutes. You want this mixture to be between 120-130 degrees, for best results use a digital instant read thermometer to gauge the temperature.
- While the mixture is heating, combine 3 1/2 cups of the flour, yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl. When milk mixture is heated to about 125 degrees, add to the flour mixture and start to beat. Add egg and continue to beat until everything is combined. Scrape down sides of bowl and then add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time. I almost always add 4 1/4 cups total. The dough will be very soft and sticky.
- Place remaining flour on a cutting board or silicone mat (or additional flour, if you used all of yours in the dough) and very gently scrape out the dough using a spatula. Dust the top of your dough with flour and then using your hands, lightly pat the dough into a rectangle.
- Score the dough into sections (24 for dinner roll size) and gently form portions into balls. Place in a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Let dough rest for 20-30 minutes until puffed and almost double in size.
- Bake rolls in preheated oven 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately brush with melted butter.
Notes
Great tip
- To accelerate rising, place dough in an oven or microwave that has been turned off, and place a pan of steaming water underneath.
Questions & Reviews
We have family day on Sunday after church with all our family, extended family, and friends, and I am always looking to try new recipes. These dinner rolls came out so light and delicious, and went really well with my homemade potato and ham soup. I also had to make those delicious looking cinnamon rolls, and they were a big hit with everyone. Soooo good, everyone had to go for seconds. Thanks for the great recipes 🙂
I made them for our christmas dinner this year and they turned out soooo delicious! Just everybody loved them!!! Thanks for this wonderful receipe!
I made these this morning for Christmas dinner. I didn’t have milk on hand, so I used almost a cup of plain soymilk and water to make up the difference. I got the best compliments – “these taste just like Grandma’s!”
Can this be made into a loaf of bread, not rolls?
You can try it. I think it’s probably better suited for rolls, but experiment!
Thank you for sharing this recipe great 1 hour roll recipe. They turned out perfect! Just like the roll recipe passed down from my great-great grandmother, in a fraction of the time (and less dense too, but don’t tell my mom I said that ;). And now, my family doesn’t have to wait for special occasions to have handmade rolls for dinner anymore!
I will try freezing them because even as much bread as the six of us will eat, 24 was too much for us.
I think I will also try cutting the recipe in half and see if it still comes out as delicious. I’ll let you know how it turns out 🙂
Thanks again!
I just wanted to thank you for a great quick roll recipe. I made these last night to go with my turkey noodle soup and everyone raved about them and wanted the recipe. Thanks once again OBB ladies, you guys are awesome!!
Bree- it’s probably too late, but I made these for the first time on Thanksgiving. I used the dough hook and was not at all impressed. The flour did not get mixed in very well at all. A couple days later I made some chicken soup and tried these again with that flat beater thing on my Kitchen aid and WOW! Much better, so I say use the flat beater thingy. Great recipe!
This is an amateur question, I’m sure, but I’m having trouble getting my rolls to turn out nice and golden brown. Do I need to move my oven rack up a bit, perhaps? I have it on the middle setting right now. The rolls taste delicious, but they’re just not as pretty as yours. 😉
You could definitely move the rack up Jessica, the reflective heat from the top of your oven should help brown them!
help! We surprised our kids with a thanksgiving visit, and they want my homemade rolls. The recipe is in AZ, but seems similar to this except it uses nonfat instant powder milk. And how much would I increase the ingredients to serve 50 people?
Hi Julie,
This recipe makes 24 rolls, so you can just decide how many you want and do the math from there. Enjoy!
Could you use buttermilk with this recipe?
Sure, just know you might need to allow a little longer for rise time.
I saw someone else ask about using Gluten Free flour but didn’t see a response yet? Thoughts? I usually use the Domata (I think) brand that already has the xantham gum in it so it claims you can use it “cup for cup” in all your regular flour recipes. Will it work?
Sorry, since I’m not a gluten free baker, I really don’t have any advice!
alka, like the directions say, just leave out the egg and sub 1/4 cup water instead.
Can I make these day before? want to make for thanksgiving but just make a head
Heather, since these are so quick and easy, by design, I don’t ever make them ahead. I have frozen them, as I noted in the post, but I don’t think they taste nearly as good.
Another time and work saving trick I use is to dump the risen dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dust fairly generously with flour. Roll gently into a rectangle about 3/4″ thick. Cut into roll-size squares with pizza wheel. DO NOT divide the squares. Cover and allow to rise to almost double while oven preheats. Bake. Rolls tear apart nicely after baking.
I made these yesterday with whole milk (that is what I had) and half whole wheat flour. They took closer to 40 minutes to rise for me (I used the microwave/boiling water method- genius!). They had a good texture and taste. I wish they would have had a golden top just because it is prettier, but taste always wins in my mind so I am satisfied. I have made your breadsticks (with half whole wheat flour) four times in the last month because special occasions keep popping up and I am gaining confidence in my yeast baking abilities thanks to your posts! Thanks!
These are the best rolls I have ever made! The milk and egg really give it that yummy restaurant quality the other recipes are missing. You rock! And I will follow your blog forever. 🙂
Have you ever checked out “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day”? You keep a really wet dough in your fridge for up to 2 weeks, and pull off a chunk to bake when you need it. My go to bread is a homemade pita from it, about 10 minutes from cold oven to hot pita. and the dough can be used to make anything from boules to cinnamon rolls to loaves, rolls, na’an, and more.
Yep, big fan!
I am trying these out right now! I think my yeast is too old 🙁 They are not raising! I need to quit buying the giant bags of yeast, I never get through it before it goes bad, even with keeping it in the freezer. I will try these again with new yeast. I am sure my family will like them despite my goof!
I made these the day you posted it. YUM! Any thoughts on this recipe with Gluten-Free flour? We have a family event this weekend and how nice to be able to share the yumminess with my GF sister-in-law. I’ve never tried cooking/baking GF. And I’ve been bragging to everyone about how easy and yummy they are. My family LOVES every recipe I try from your site. We eat the Guilt-Free Alfredo sauce weekly.
I made these last night and loved them!! They turned out beautifully and I am so thankful to have a recipe that I can throw together in the late afternoon! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
I made these Monday night and I liked that they were quick but I am so spoiled by your world’s best roll recipe that I didn’t love these as much. I like making extra and having them in the freezer to warm up for last minute rolls. I’m making a couple batches ahead and freezing for Thanksgiving. Love your rosemary focaccia recipe too!
Here’s another weird rising trick that I learned from a veteran baker at a baking class many years ago: Place your covered rolls on the top rack of your dishwasher, then close the door and set it for the drying cycle. Just don’t start the regular wash cycle by mistake! 8)
Made these tonight…right before dinner and after dinner was actually done. When my hubby sat down, he looked around and asked where the package was! Nevermind that the kitchen was covered in flour…definitely my new go-to rolls!
Turned these into garlic bread sticks tonight. So easy and so good! My kids love you.
My favorite way to help rolls or breads to rise (I use this all the time with Rhodes rolls) is to put the pan on top of a heating pad set on medium heat. Works perfectly every time, I promise! (One time last winter I couldn’t find my heating pad and I actually put the pan of rolls on our bed with the electric blanket on high! bwahahahaha)
What about using powdered milk for the rolls….would you need to scald it or just mix it with warm water?
Do you think SAF Instant yeast would work?
Made these last night, and thanks! It was a leeetle tempting to throw in more flour, but I kept calm, and they were delish! Also, great blog. Just recently found you gals, and love your recipes and such. Thanks again.
Haha, way to stay calm! Glad you liked them!
Sara, these look delicious, and I really enjoy your site. I’ve made a few loaves of bread and rolls in my time so I am familiar with working with doughs, but was wondering what the knead time was on this. You never mentioned kneading this dough. Does it need a “kneading” period or do you literally just mix it until incorporated?
Thank you!
Nope, no kneading. I just let the mixer beat until everything is really incorporated (a minute or less) and you’re good!
Have you tried these with whole wheat flour? I want a whole wheat bread with tonight’s dinner…
Thanks!
I haven’t- but you could experiment with half whole wheat. It might take a little longer to rise, but I bet it would work just fine! Did you try it already?
Sara, I ended up making them with all white flour as the recipe calls for but will experiment next time. They were perfect! I brushed them with butter and then sprinkled your garlic bread seasoning mix on top and served them with your Sausage Tortellini Soup from Savoring the Seasons cookbook and it was the. best. for a cold autumn evening. My husband had to “have a moment” with the bread! My 4 year old helped make them–they were that easy and stress-free! Thank you for another winner.
Hey Sherrina! I’m making these today for thanksgiving dinner after you raved about the way they turned out.