Soft and fluffy dinner rolls topped with Everything Seasoning. This classic dinner roll recipe includes step-by-step photos, as well as overnight and make-ahead instructions for easy holiday entertaining!

Everything Dinner Roll on Plate

There is nothing quite like biting into a warm, freshly baked dinner roll! These classic dinner rolls are the perfect addition to your holiday table this season. They’re soft, fluffy, and tender, with the perfect amount of chew.

Best of all, the dough can be made-ahead, shaped, and refrigerated overnight, making them ideal for entertaining friends and family. You can even bake, freeze, thaw and rewarm them later if you prefer.

These dinner rolls have a few simple twists! The dough is infused with garlic powder and just before baking, the shaped rolls are brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with Everything Seasoning. The combination of salt, dried minced garlic and onion, as well as sesame and poppy seeds add just the right amount of texture and flavor in each bite.

I promise these Everything Dinner Rolls taste just as good as they sound! They are even better served hot from the oven and slathered with butter.


Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book

This yeasted dinner roll recipe comes from my dear friend Kristin ‘Baker Bettie‘ Hoffman’s new cookbook Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book. It is an incredible, one-of-a-kind resource for anyone looking to understand the science and ‘why’s’ of baking.

Kristin is a professionally trained chef and the talented baking instructor behind the popular website Baker Bettie. She also happens to be one of my closest friends!

Kristin’s cookbook provides an understanding and overview of fundamental baking techniques, as well as master recipes and formulas, offering an incredible framework for endless baking creativity.

Her approachable teaching and writing style make it valuable for all baking skill levels too.

If you love to bake or wish to gain more baking confidence, this cookbook will become an instant classic and go-to resource in your kitchen! You can pre-order a copy here.

These soft and fluffy rolls are based on the cookbook’s “Enriched Dough” master recipe, which produces a rich, soft dough.

What is Enriched Dough?

As Kristin covers in her ‘Yeast Breads’ chapter, there are generally two main categories of yeasted dough: lean dough and enriched dough.

Unlike lean doughs, such as sourdough bread or pizza, which don’t contain much to any fat, enriched doughs have a high ratio of fat and generally contain milk, butter, and sugar. These ingredients produce an extra tender and rich dough with a fluffy, soft texture.

This enriched dough recipe can be used to produce a wide variety of bread creations, including dinner rolls, sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, and any other sweet filled breads.


How to Make Dinner Rolls:

For the full recipe, make-ahead and freezing instructions, as well as equipment recommendations, please reference the recipe box at the bottom of this post.

Step 1: Warm the milk to about 110°-115°F (43°-46°C). In a large mixing bowl add the warm milk, the yeast, and ½ teaspoon of the granulated sugar and stir to combine. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until you see some bubbles and foaming.

Step 2: Add the flour, the rest of the sugar, garlic power (if using), salt, butter, and eggs to the mixing bowl. Use clean hands to mix together until a sticky dough forms.

Step 3: If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a floured countertop. Dust flour over the top of the dough and knead the dough by hand for about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If kneading with a stand mixer, fit the mixer with a dough hook and knead at medium speed for 6-8 minutes. Add more flour as needed while kneading the dough. When the dough is finishing being kneaded it will be slightly sticky to the touch, but feels smooth and elastic and should stand tall when rounded into a ball.

Step 4: Move the kneaded dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, and cover with a piece of plastic wrap, a damp cloth, or a clean shower cap to bulk ferment until doubled in size, about 1 hour for rapid dry yeast and 2 hours for active dry yeast.

Step 5: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured and using a bench knife, divide it into 12 equal-sized pieces.

Step 6: To shape the rolls, pull down on the sides of the dough creating a seam at the bottom.

Step 7: Place the piece of dough seam side down on an un-floured part of the countertop. Cup your hand over the dough and roll it under your palm to form a smooth piece of dough. Place the shaped rolls in a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish that has been lightly greased or on a parchment lined sheet pan. Cover the baking dish (or rolls) tightly with plastic wrap.

Step 8: Proof the rolls for about 45 minutes if using quick rise yeast and about 1 hour and 15 minutes if using active dry yeast.

Step 9: Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Brush the tops and exposed sides of the rolls with egg wash and sprinkle liberally with Everything Bagel seasoning (or flaky salt, such as Maldon)

Step 11: Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway, or until golden brown. Serve warm. 

How to Prep Dinner Rolls Overnight

Prepare the dough and proceed through the shaping step. Transfer the shaped dough to a grease baking dish and cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or for up to 16 hours. Roughly 3 hours before you wish to serve the baked rolls, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and allow them to rise in a warm spot of your kitchen for 1-2 hours, or until the rolls are just touching and have nearly doubled in size.

Total rise time will vary depending on the ambient temperature of your kitchen; warm temperature will speed up yeast activity, colder temperatures will slow yeast activity. Meanwhile, preheat the oven as directed and proceed with egg wash and baking . See full recipe below for more details.

Freezing Instructions

Allow the baked rolls to cool completely. Wrap tightly in foil, transfer to a Ziplock bag. and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely on a countertop or in the fridge. Reheat as desired in a toaster oven or 300°F/150°C oven for 10-15 minutes or until warm. If you’re worried about them gaining too much color or drying out, wrap and cover the rolls with foil during warming.

Fluffy Dinner Rolls

Flour Substitution Notes:

  • These dinner rolls can be prepared with bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour, depending on personal preference or whatever flours you have in your pantry. Bread flour is higher in protein, which will result in stronger dough and classic, chewier dinner roll. Either option will work and they can be substituted 1:1. If you are not using a baking scale (recommended), please reference my guide on how to measure flour.
  • If you wish, you can replace up to ½ of the total flour with whole wheat flour. This will produce a slightly less fluffy dinner roll, but offers flavor and added nutrition. 
Everything Dinner Roll on Plate

Everything Dinner Rolls

5 stars (1 rating)
These light and fluffy dinner rolls, which can be prepped ahead and baked the following day, are based on the "Enriched Dough Master Recipe" from Baker Bettie's Better Baking Book by Kristin Hoffman. To give them a bit of a twist, they are infused with garlic powder and topped with classic Everything Seasoning for texture and added flavor! For overnight and freezing instructions, please refer to the notes below the recipe.

Ingredients

  • 7 grams (1 package, 2¼ teaspoons) active dry or quick rise yeast
  • 227 grams (1 cup, 240 mL) whole milk lower fat or non-dairy can be substituted
  • 25 grams (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
  • 480 grams (4 cups) bread or unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dusting and kneading *see notes
  • 7 grams (1½ teaspoons) kosher salt or fine sea salt
  • 3 grams (1 teaspoon) garlic powder optional
  • 85 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter very soft
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1-2 tablespoons Everything Bagel seasoning (with salt) I used Trader Joe's brand

Egg Wash:

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon (15 mL) water

Instructions 

  • These dinner rolls can be easily prepped a day ahead, refrigerated overnight, and baked fresh the next day. For overnight and freezing instructions, please refer to the note section and proceed as instructed.
  • Warm the milk to about 110°-115°F (43°-46°C). In a large mixing bowl add the warm milk, the yeast, and ½ teaspoon of the granulated sugar and stir to combine. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until you see some bubbles and foaming.
  • Add 480 grams (4 cups) of flour, the rest of the sugar, garlic power (if using), salt, butter, and eggs to the mixing bowl.
    Dinner Roll Ingredients
  • Use clean hands to mix together until a sticky dough forms.
    Dinner Roll Dough Mixture
  • If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a floured countertop. Dust flour over the top of the dough and knead the dough by hand for about 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If kneading with a stand mixer, fit the mixer with a dough hook and knead at medium speed for 6-8 minutes. Add more flour as needed while kneading the dough. When the dough is finishing being kneaded it will be slightly sticky to the touch, but feels smooth and elastic and should stand tall when rounded into a ball.
    Kneaded Dinner Roll Dough
  • Move the kneaded dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, and cover with a piece of plastic wrap, a damp cloth, or a clean shower cap to bulk ferment until doubled in size, about 1 hour for rapid dry yeast and 2 hours for active dry yeast.
    Proofed Dinner Roll Dough
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured and using a bench knife, divide it into 12 equal pieces.
    Divided Dinner Roll Dough
  • To shape the rolls, pull down on the sides of the dough creating a seam at the bottom.
  • Place the piece of dough seam side down on an un-floured part of the countertop. Cup your hand over the dough and roll it under your palm to form a smooth piece of dough. Place the shaped rolls in a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish that has been lightly greased or on a parchment lined sheet pan. Cover the baking dish (or rolls) tightly with plastic wrap.
    Shaped Dinner Rolls in Baking Pan
  • Proof the rolls for about 45 minutes if using quick rise yeast and about 1 hour and 15 minutes if using active dry yeast.
    Proofed Dinner Rolls in Baking Dish
  • Position an oven rack to the center position. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Prepare the egg wash by whisking together the egg and water until well combined. Brush the tops and exposed sides of the rolls with egg wash and sprinkle liberally with Everything Bagel seasoning (or flaky salt, such as Maldon).
    Unbaked Everything Dinner Rolls
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway, or until golden brown. Serve warm. See recipe notes for freezing instructions.
    Baked Everything Dinner Rolls

Overnight Instructions 

  • Prepare the recipe through step 9 (shaping the dough). Refrigerate overnight or for up to 16 hours. Roughly 3 hours before you wish to serve the baked rolls, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and allow the rolls to rise for 1-2 hours, or until the rolls are just touching and have nearly doubled in size. Total rise time will vary depending on the ambient temperature of your kitchen, a warm spot in your kitchen will speed this process up. Meanwhile, preheat the oven as directed and continue with step 11 (egg wash and baking). 

Freezing Instructions

  • Allow the baked rolls to cool completely. Wrap tightly in foil, transfer to a Ziplock bag. and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely on a countertop or in the fridge. Reheat as desired in a toaster oven or 300°F/150°C oven for 10-15 minutes or until warm. 

Bread Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour

  • These dinner rolls can be prepared with bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour, depending on your personal preference or what you have on hand. Bread flour has higher protein content, which will result in stronger dough and slightly more classic, chewier dinner roll. Either option will work well and can be substituted 1:1. 
  • If you wish, you can replace up to ½ of the total flour with whole wheat flour. This will produce a less light and fluffy dinner roll, but has the added bonus of adding flavor and more nutrition. 
Reprinted with permission and slightly adapted from Kristin Hoffman’s Baker Bettie Better Baking Book (Fall 2021, Mango)
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 223kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 308mg, Potassium: 81mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 231IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 1mg