Mom’s Jumbo Dinner Rolls

My mom has been making this homemade dinner rolls recipe for years and they’re absolutely divine. They make your house small amazing and the recipe makes perfectly soft and fluffy jumbo dinner rolls. The dough is extra soft and tender thanks to the addition of butter, milk, and eggs! So tasty and perfect for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table.

New to baking with yeast? Don’t worry, these are the easiest rolls ever! Seriously, they’re fool-proof (even if baking rolls has given you trouble in the past).

Homemade Jumbo Dinner Rolls

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This dinner roll recipe makes big, fluffy dinner rolls that your whole family will love to eat. They simply turn out great every time. My mom has a handful of recipes that she’s “known for,” and this, my friends, is her nearly famous dinner roll recipe. She makes it for all the major holidays and family functions, and when she flies out west to visit all the grandbabies, we always request a batch of her famous dinner rolls. They are the stuff childhood memories are made of.

This is a classic dinner roll recipe, but the trick to make the rolls extra soft and buttery is melted butter, eggs, and milk in the dough. All three of those things lend to really tender dough. This is actually a great dough recipe for cinnamon rolls, but we’ll save that for another post. I can’t wait for these simple dinner rolls to become a family favorite in your house, too.

How to shape dinner rolls:

This part is fairly easy! After you mix up the dough and the half-hour rising time has passed, divide the dough by hand into 32 pieces. Roll each piece into a round roll using your hands, and place it on a greased, rimmed baking sheet.

How to make dinner rolls ahead of time:

Follow the directions in the recipe card below to make rolls ahead of time. If I’m not serving the rolls right away, I like to remove them from the pan to cool about 15 minutes after they come out of the oven so that the bottoms don’t get steamy and soggy. You can travel with them easily by storing them in an airtight container.

How to freeze & reheat dinner rolls:

After baking your rolls, remove them from the pan and let them cool completely. Store in an airtight container or freezer-safe sealable bag to store them in your freezer for up to 4 months. To reheat, let them thaw for an hour or two at room temperature, place them back in a baking dish, and bake for about 10 minutes at 250 degrees F. Be sure to rub butter over top before serving.

Homemade dinner roll variations:

You could easily spruce these up by adding chopped herbs and garlic, cinnamon and sugar, cheese and jalapeno, or bacon bits and cheese to the dough! Just add your additions of choice before kneading the dough and letting it rise.

Troubleshooting tips:

• If your dough doesn’t rise, your yeast may be old, the room may be too cold, or you haven’t given it enough time to rise.
• If you don’t have butter, you can substitute margarine instead.
• If the rolls are too dense or hard, you may have used too much salt, you didn’t knead the dough or let it rise long enough, or the yeast died from letting the dough rise in a place that is too hot.

Common Questions When Making Yeasted Dinner Rolls

How do you know if yeast is still good?

Fill up a small measuring cup with a little warm water. Add 1/4 teaspoon of your yeast, and then add a pinch of sugar and lightly stir it together. Wait for 5 minutes. If the yeast is still active, you will see little bubbles along the top of the water, and it will start to “foam.” I think the date on the yeast package is a good guide, and I like to store my yeast in the fridge to help keep it fresh. When in doubt, get new yeast. Nothing is worse than an loaf of bread that won’t rise!

How do you keep dinner rolls warm?

I love to serve dinner rolls shortly after taking them out of the oven, when they’re still warm and buttery and soft. If you’re waiting to serve them, you can place them in a cloth napkin-lined basket and loosely cover them with another cloth napkin to keep the warmth inside.

How do you make bread soft and fluffy?

The key to these being super tender and soft is the milk, melted butter, and eggs. Be sure you scald the milk and melt the butter together to get really incredible results! Also, don’t be afraid to over-knead the dough. The longer and more you knead it, the more elastic and tender it becomes.

How do you eat dinner rolls?

I could eat these plain and have about 7 of them as a whole meal. But we also love serving them for holiday meals or other special occasions. Serve them with butter and jam if you like, or split them open and make a little turkey or ham sandwich using them.

How to Make Fluffy Dinner Rolls at Home:

1. Make sure your yeast is fresh! Check the date before starting. This is the yeast that I use and have great success with.
2. Don’t be afraid of over-working your dough. Kneading the dough will lead to tender and soft dough.
3. This might look like a big batch of rolls, but I promise you won’t have a problem eating them all. If it’s a few too many, feel free to wrap up cooled rolls well and and stick them in the freezer. They freeze great!
4. Feel free to use half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose in this recipe; it works great and makes a super soft homemade wheat roll.