These Super Soft Honey Dinner Rolls are the most amazing dinner rolls I’ve ever had in my life! They are pillow soft, perfectly sweet, and beautifully golden brown. Serve these with dinner!
When these soft and buttery dinner rolls came out of the oven, I could not wait to devour them. These soft honey dinner rolls were a big hit at my table. They were life-changing. The best homemade dinner rolls ever!
I spent a lot of time baking bread this year, learning more and more each time. And it’s honestly been so fun and therapeutic. Here I share all I know about how to make soft dinner rolls, so let’s get started!
How to Make Soft Dinner Rolls
Helpful tips and recommendations to achieve that pillowy soft texture below!
1. Use milk instead of water
Baking bread with milk gives the final product a richer and softer texture, and will also make the crust tender. That’s because milk has more fat and sugar than just water, obviously.
2. Use bread flour
Bread flour, as opposed to all-purpose flour, has higher protein content, which produces more gluten. This creates a tender and light bread. Bread flour also provides better structure, so these will rise very beautifully!
3. Don’t knead too much
Over-kneading develops too much gluten, which will make your bread chewy and tough. The dough for these soft dinner rolls should be a bit sticky and moist. Unlike other breads, I form the dough in the mixer and then knead by hand for only a few minutes, until the dough comes together and springs back slowly when poked.
The Yeast Dough
Apart from the tips above, you need to make sure your yeast is good by proofing it. Proofing yeast means you activate it and make sure it is alive. Tip: add a teaspoon of granulated sugar. Sugar is like food to yeast.
If you’re unfamiliar with working with yeast, here’s a guide on how to proof yeast to get started.
You’re looking for a moist and slightly sticky dough that is easy to handle. If too sticky (like, you can’t even knead it at all), keep adding flour little by little. After a dough has come together, knead on a floured surface by hand for about 3-4 minutes only, until the dough has truly come together and is soft, slightly sticky, and springs back slowly when poked.
Like most breads, this dough needs to rise twice. The first time in a large bowl, and the second time in the pan. The most important step for rising dough is to keep them in a warm environment, draft-free. I usually use a previously warmed up oven (shut it off when dough is rising though).
Since this recipe uses bread flour, they will rise nicely and tall. I mean, just look at those rolls! I think I’m in love with these.
Whip Some Honey Butter
As easy as it sounds. Honey + butter, whipped. Spread on these heavenly dinner rolls. Repeat. Life is good!
I am seriously obsessed with these super soft honey dinner rolls! They are like the best thing ever.
Make these dinner rolls this week, or for your next family or friends gathering. They will be gone within minutes, I promise you!
Don’t forget to pin this recipe 🙂
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Super Soft Honey Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110 to 115 F
- 1 package (0.25 oz) active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 ½ to 4 cups bread flour
- Melted butter for brushing
Honey Butter (optional)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Pour warm milk (110-115 degrees F) into the bowl of stand mixer. Add sugar and yeast. Stir, and let it stand for about 10 minutes until frothy.
- Set up the dough hook attachment in the stand mixer. With the mixer on low speed, mix the eggs, 1/4 cup melted and cooled unsalted butter, honey, and salt. Increase to medium speed, and add flour 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time. Add the remaining flour in 1/4 cup increments as needed, until a dough has formed. If it’s sticking to the bowl too much, continue adding flour in ¼ cup increments. I ended up using 3 1/2 cups. The dough should be slightly sticky, moist, and manageable.
- Transfer to a floured surface and knead by hand about 4 minutes, sprinkling more flour as necessary. The dough should be moist, slightly sticky, and should spring back slowly when poked. Do not over-knead or the bread will be tough.
- Form into a ball and place on a lightly oiled bowl (olive oil is fine), making sure to coat the dough with some of the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm environment for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough and transfer to a clean surface. Cut the dough in half, and then each half into 6 equal pieces.
- Shape into balls, pinching the bottom. Arrange in a greased 9x13 baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for another hour in a warm environment, until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F while the dough is rising.
- Brush bread with melted butter. Bake for about 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
- Combine butter with honey with a whisk. Brush some over the top and/or use it as a spread.
These rolls look so fluffy and delicious!
thank you Natalie!
These turned out great, so tall and fluffy. Will be my go to recipe.
Thank you, Jo! I’m so glad you liked these buns!
These sound yummy! I’m assuming they would be better freshly cooked- but have you ever served a day old?
Day old buns are, like you said, not as great as freshly baked. But, I’ve kept leftovers for the next day or 2, and they are still yummy! Just be sure to let the buns cool COMPLETELY and then cover the pan with plastic wrap. Store it in a dry and cool environment – your countertop should be fine. When ready to eat/serve, I like to microwave them for a few seconds to warm them up.
Can you do this on the dough setting on a bread machine?
Hi Karen – Unfortunately I haven’t tested this recipe on a bread machine, so I’m not sure if you can. If you decide to make it with a bread machine, let me know how it goes! 🙂
Very good rolls .. dough is sticky but that’s what makes them so fluffy. These are large rolls! Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you, Christine!
I have tried these twice. Both times they fall after the second time of rising. What am I doing wrong.
Hi Betty! Sometimes that can happen when it’s “punched.” Are you using plastic wrap to cover the buns during the second rise? If so, is the wrap pulling on the buns? This can cause them to deflate.
Can I use 2% milk?
Hi Stephanie! For best results, use whole milk. The fat in the milk helps with flavor, and creates a softer and richer texture.
Hello, have you made this recipe without honey? If so, what is the adjusted recipe?
Hi LaKisha! I haven’t made this recipe without honey, so I can’t say for sure.
These are amazing! I made them for Thanksgiving and am doing them again today for Easter. So soft, fluffy, and the density is PERFECT!