4.86 from 27 reviews

Sweet Dinner Rolls (Grammie’s Recipe!)

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freshly baked bread rolls

This sweet dinner roll recipe holds a special place in my heart because it is the recipe my grandmother made for our family growing up.

She would make this not only during the holiday season but for any occasion. It was her signature recipe!

Some of my favorite memories are coming home from school and smelling her freshly baked rolls in the house. Mmmm…the BEST!

I am so thankful my mom suggested my grandmother to write the recipe down so we could all be blessed with her delicious sweet dinner rolls!

sweet dinner rolls on a baking sheet

These homemade dinner rolls are…

  • Pillowy soft
  • Fluffy
  • Delicious with butter, of course.
  • Perfect for beginners and advanced bakers alike – YOU’VE GOT THIS. I BELIEVE IN YOU.
  • Only requires 7 ingredients
  • Not limited to dinner time: Transform these rolls into bread for sliders, breakfast sandwiches, to dunk in soups, enjoy with salad, etc.
bread rolls in a bread basket

Ingredients you will need for sweet dinner rolls:

(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)

  • Active dry yeast: (not rapid rise or instant yeast) – In active dry yeast, the cells are alive but dormant because of the lack of moisture.  So, when mixed with warm water (105°F- 115°F) the cells become active. This process is commonly known as “activating the yeast.”
sweet dinner roll ingredients needed
  • Whole Milk: The milk also helps to activate the yeast. Heat milk , but be sure it is no hotter than 110°F.
dough on a baking sheet
  • Butter, unsalted: The butter helps to result in a higher rise
  • Salt: salt adds flavor and helps to tighten the gluten structure
  • Flour: All-Purpose Flour works well in this recipe. I have not yet tested using bread flour.
  • Sugar: Sugar essentially provides “food” to the yeast, enhances the flavor and gives the crust a nice golden color.
  • Eggs – Provide structure and flavor
sweet dinner rolls on parchment paper

How to make Sweet Dinner Rolls:

(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)

  1. Activate the yeast.
  2. Heat the milk and add butter to the milk, allow to melt.
  3. Add activated yeast to the milk and mix.
  4. Mix dry ingredients. Combine the flour, sugar and salt together in an 8QT bowl. (very large bowl!)
  5. Pour yeast/milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir.
  6. Stir in the egg last. Stir.
  7. Dough will be sticky. Fold dough over itself ~8 times by gently lifting and folding the edge of the dough toward the middle.
  8. Cover with plastic wrap. Rise for 2 hours. Dough will become doubled in size.
  9. Shape into knots, and let rise again, uncovered, for 30 minutes AKA the final proof.
  10. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, brush the tops of the warm dinner rolls with melted butter or honey butter.
freshly baked sweet dinner roll

How to shape dinner rolls into knots

Using lightly floured hands, pull a piece of dough off from the bowl and measure out 75g.

Shape into a ~6-inch long strand of dough on a lightly floured surface. (like a snake or rope!)

Gently tie the dough into a simple knot.

how to tie a bread roll in a knot

Tuck the ends of the dough or leave the dough as a “tail.”

Watch the video for extra guidance.

Note: You can shape dough into any shape you prefer! ♡

Homemade Bread Rolls Tips & Tricks

  • Watch out for the temperature of the water & milk: Warm is key! The milk should never get too hot, if it does wait for it to cool to 110°F. If the water or milk being added into yeast gets too hot (120°F+) it can kill the yeast and your dough won’t rise).  The sweet spot is 105°F-115°F so 110°F always works perfectly!
  • Using all-purpose flour yields consistent results. I have not tested this recipe using any other flour variety.
  • Be sure you are using active dry yeast. Baking with yeast can make you turn away from a recipe but wit my clear steps I am confident you will make the most delicious sweet dinner rolls!
bread in a bowl
  • This is a wetter, more sticky dough. This “wet” dough creates a lighter dinner roll but it can also be challenging or frustrating to work with. Use a lightly floured surface and lightly floured hands to work with the dough.
  • No kneading, just folding. You will not have to knead this dough, but instead fold the dough ~8 times. Essentially, you are picking up the dough, lifting it up and folding towards the center.
  • Folding is a tried and true method of gently continuing to develop dough strength, and is particularly useful when dealing with wet dough.
  • I recommend using a digital kitchen food scale to make sure every dough roll is the same size ~75 grams will yield 25 rolls.
  • Leave the dough balls/knots uncovered for the final 30 minute proof.

Do you prefer your bread rolls with butter, or as is?

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

freshly baked bread rolls
4.86 from 27 reviews

Sweet Dinner Rolls

Prep: 3 hours 30 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 3 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 25 rolls
These sweet dinner rolls are soft inside and have a light, sweet, buttery taste. They are pillowy soft and only require 7 ingredients to make! (No mixer required)

Ingredients

To activate the yeast:

  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3, (1/4 oz.) packets active dry yeast* (3/4 oz. total or 21 grams)
  • 3 tsp. sugar
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Dry ingredients:

  • 8 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 large eggs, lightly whisked

Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Heat the water in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat until water reaches 110°F. (this will only take a minute or two)
    3/4 cup water
  • Remove water from heat and add in the sugar and yeast. Gently whisk and let sit for 10 minutes. You will notice the yeast begin to foam – this is good!
    3, (1/4 oz.) packets active dry yeast* (3/4 oz. total or 21 grams), 3 tsp. sugar
  • Meanwhile, heat the milk on the stove in a medium-sized sauce pan until milk is between 105°F-115°F. Milk will only take 1-2 minutes to reach this temperature. Melt the butter in the lukewarm milk.
    2 cups whole milk, 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • Add the activated yeast into the milk and stir to combine.
  • In an extra large bowl (I use an 8QT sized bowl), combine the flour, salt and sugar together.
    8 cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • Pour the yeast/milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir.
  • Mix the eggs in last. Dough will be sticky. That's OK! Use lightly floured hands to help.
    2 large eggs, lightly whisked
  • Fold dough over itself ~8 times or until it comes together by gently lifting and folding the edge of the dough toward the middle. Essentially, you are picking up the dough, lifting it up and folding towards the center. (read more in notes below)
  • Cover with plastic wrap. Rise for 2 hours. The dough will double in size.
  • Shape the dough: using lightly floured hands and a lightly floured surface, pull a piece of dough off from the bowl and measure out 75g on a food scale.
  • Shape into a ~6-inch long strand of dough on a lightly floured surface (like a snake or a rope). Gently tie the dough into a knot. Tuck the ends of the dough or leave the dough as a “tail." Place dough balls on a lined baking sheet*. Continue until dough is gone. (~25 rolls)
  • Let the dough rise again for 30 minutes, uncovered (this is the final proof).
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the rolls for 14-15 minutes or until tops of bread rolls are golden brown. If desired, brush the tops with melted butter/honey butter and flaky sea salt while bread is warm.

Video

Notes

  • 1 packet yeast = 1/4 oz. in weight or 2 1/4 tsp in volume so in total you will need 3/4 oz (21g) or 6 3/4 tsp. yeast. Be sure to use active dry yeast, not instant yeast or rapid rise.
  • If the milk gets too hot, let cool until it reaches 105°F-115°F. Adding extra hot liquids to yeast may kill the yeast. Think “warm” not “hot.”
  • When folding, dough may be challenging to work with. Lightly flour your surface and hands to make handling the dough an easier process. Wet dough = good dough! The folding is a tried and true method of gently continuing to develop dough strength, and is particularly useful when dealing with wet dough. 
  • Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats if desired.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1roll, Calories: 205kcal (10%), Carbohydrates: 40g (13%), Protein: 5g (10%), Fat: 2g (3%), Saturated Fat: 1g (6%), Cholesterol: 19mg (6%), Sodium: 130mg (6%), Potassium: 74mg (2%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 10g (11%), Vitamin A: 83IU (2%), Calcium: 30mg (3%), Iron: 2mg (11%)

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Krolls Korner

Krolls Korner

Welcome to my tiny “korner” on the Internet! I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who loves cookies as much as kale. (OK, maybe I like cookies a little bit more but shh, don’t tell anyone). I am so glad you’re here! Follow along for hassle free, realistic and approachable recipes.

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16 Comments
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Brandi

I lost my grandmother’s sweet knots recipe in a house fire a few years ago. This is the closest thing to it! Absolutely amazing every time!

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Andrea

Followed the recipe & they came out perfectly. Thanks for teaching me how to tie a knot with dough? Taste amazeballz!! ?

IMG_4375.jpeg
Shelley Parker

Delicious !! but why not instant yeast?

Valerie Bar

First of all these are amazing!
I had a question for you. How can we store this dough if making ahead of time?
Thanks Valerie

Cassidy

I made a half batch of these for Thanksgiving dinner and the whole family loved them. The sweetness level was great. I pulled them out of the oven after 13 minutes and I actually think I could have baked them even a minute less— it’s possible my oven temp isn’t 100% accurate! Otherwise they were perfect. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂

Nicole

Wow, these are absolutely amazing! My mom and I needed a new dinner roll recipe and this it it!
Thank you!!!

Sandhya's Kitchen

Sweet dinner rolls are so easy to make. I love making garlic knots with my daughter.. Next time, I am going to try this out.

Maria San Juan

This is probably the easiest dinner rolls recipe I’ve ever come across with. I will definitely try this one!

Chenée Lewis

These rolls look perfect and so simple to make! I can’t wait to try them.

Jessie

These look so good! And little kneading!!! I am sold trying this weekend.