Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (2024)

Published: Last updated: by Shelby Law Ruttan · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

These Sweet Dinner Rolls have a fluffy and light texture and are melt in your mouth delicious! Buttery and flaky, your family will request these rolls every single holiday meal! (At least Grumpy does!)

Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (1)

These Sweet Dinner Rolls are a traditional yeast roll with a fluffy and light texture. Made with bread flour, eggs, milk, and butter, this bread recipe is a buttery, tender sweet roll that is perfect for holiday meals.

Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (2)

This dinner roll recipe is not only a delicious bread to share during the holidays! They also are great as the bun in this Cheddar Jalapeno Burger! I also love to butter a roll and put a few slices of leftover turkey in between for an impromptu turkey sandwich!

Jump to:
  • Holiday Dinner Roll Tradition
  • Ingredients
  • How to make homemade yeast bread
  • Bread Machine Method
  • Other recipes to make with the sweet roll dough
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Holiday Dinner Roll Tradition

Growing up, my Mom and my Aunt Marlene made the most awesome dinner rolls. They were always so tall and flaky and delicious. It just was not a holiday if we didn't have sweet dinner rolls on the table.

I remember watching my mom make the dinner rolls and would be fascinated with the whole process. Which, to me, seemed pretty complicated. However, watching my mom over the years make her yeast bread, and seeing how things changed over the years, I realized it wasn't all that complicated at all. You just need to know a few things about how to make yeast bread.

Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (3)

Ingredients

Bread Flour: I highly recommend the use of bread flour. It has a higher protein content which helps with the development of gluten. If you cannot find bread flour, all-purpose flour will still work. However, the rolls may not rise as high.

Yeast: Dry active yeast or instant yeast - both will work.

Eggs: Be sure the eggs are at room temperature.

Milk: I use full-fat milk for this dinner roll recipe. However, non-dairy cashew milk is a great substitute. I recommend the milk. It adds flavor aids in the dough texture.

Sugar: it's not a sweet dinner roll without the sugar! Please don't skip this or cut down on the amount if you want the same results I had.

9 x 13 baking pans or a sheet pan

Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (4)

How to make homemade yeast bread

I take several shortcuts in making dinner rolls compared to what my mom did. Even proofing is not essential unless your not sure the yeast is good. The only reason the yeast may not be good is if it sat around for a long time. I do still proof the yeast, basically because of habit.

There are always two risings when making these sweet dinner rolls. The first rise happens right after the dough has been kneaded. It is put back in the bowl with a little oil and covered with a towel or plastic wrap.

I use my oven to proof because I have a proof setting. In the past, I would set it in the warmest room of the house to allow it to be warm and cause the dough to rise.

Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (6)

How to slow down the proofing process

The last time I made these sweet dinner rolls, I did something a little bit different. I made them the night before, proofed the dough once, then shaped into rolls and placed in the baking pans, covered with plastic wrap, then placed in the refrigerator overnight to slow down the rising process.

The next morning I removed them from the refrigerator, covered with a clean towel, and placed in my oven to do the second proofing before baking. This is a great way to make rolls ahead of time during the holidays and still have fresh baked hot sweet dinner rolls!

The sweet dinner rolls came out of the oven nice and brown. And, they also had risen to just above the baking pan! I felt like I had succeeded in making rolls that looked as amazing as my Moms!

The roll pulls apart in flakey deliciousness! These golden, delicious Sweet Dinner Rolls will always be my go-to recipe from this point on and should be yours also!

Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (7)

Top Tips

  • Be patient. Bread making is not something you can rush! Take your time and follow each step carefully!
  • The temperatures of your wet ingredients should never be cold or hot. Always let your eggs and liquid be at room temperature.
  • When melting butter, it should only have begun to “just melt”. If it bubbles, it’s too hot and you should allow it to cool until its just warm.
  • When proofing your dough, use your oven or sit the rolls in a warm place covered with a towel.
  • After pulling the rolls out of the oven, rub the tops of the rolls with butter. Unwrap the stick of butter and rub one end over the top until it’s coated with butter.

Bread Machine Method

If you do not own a KitchenAid, but do have a bread machine, this recipe can easily be assembled in the bread machine to do the mixing and rising portion of the recipe.

Assemble the ingredients into the bread machine starting with the wet ingredients, butter, and sugar, Add the flour to the wet ingredients. Make a well in the flour, and add the yeast. Run the bread machine on the dough cycle.

The bread machine will keep your dough at a perfect temperature for proofing. Once the dough cycle is finished, move on to step 8 in the instructions.

Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (8)

Other recipes to make with the sweet roll dough

This sweet dinner roll dough can also be used to make cinnamon rolls. Just roll the dough out, spread some butter, cinnamon sugar on top. Roll the dough up and slice into rolls.

I also have used this dough to make Monkey Bread! Just follow the instructions in this Peanut Butter and Jelly Monkey Bread recipe and sub the roll dough for the biscuits!

We also love to make fried dough with this recipe. When I do this, I will make 18 dinner rolls, then use the remaining dough to make the fried dough.

📖 Recipe

Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (9)

Sweet Dinner Rolls

Shelby Law Ruttan

These Sweet Dinner Rolls have a fluffy and light texture and are melt in your mouth delicious! Buttery and flaky, your family will request these rolls every single holiday meal! (At least Grumpy does!)

4.43 from 257 votes

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Additional Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course Breads

Cuisine American

Servings 24

Calories 224 kcal

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

Instructions

Place ingredients in Kitchenaid attached with a dough hook as follows:

  • Water, milk, eggs, sugar, butter, 3-½ cups flour, salt, yeast.

  • Stir on low setting until the mixture starts to come together. This will be a wet, loose dough.

  • Scrape down the sides of the Kitchenaid and stir with the dough hook another two minutes.

  • Add remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, stirring with the dough hook on low until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

  • Knead the dough for another 3-4 minutes in the KitchenAid. The dough will pull away from the bowl.

  • Remove the dough from the KitchenAid bowl and set the dough on a lightly floured surface.

  • Clean the KitchenAid bowl, then lightly grease the bowl with oil. Place the dough back into the bowl and cover it with a towel. Set in a warm spot and let rise until doubled in size.

  • Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half. Then cut each piece in half two more times (you will have 8 sections). Cut each of those sections into 3 equal pieces. You should have 24 rolls.

  • Shape roll and place in 1-9x13 pan (18 rolls 3 across and 5 down) and in a 9x5 loaf pan (2 across and 3 down). Let dough rise for 1 hour.

  • Bake the rolls at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately brush tops with butter.

  • Serving Suggestion: Use a Bread Basket warmer and Stone to take from oven to table and keep your rolls warm!

  • Store any leftover rolls in an airtight bag.

Notes

Please note that should you decide to use the bread machine to mix the dough, you should cut the recipe in half. The bread machine suggestion is only for mixing and proofing purposes, you are to not use the bread machine to bake the rolls.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 224kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 6gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 206mgPotassium: 65mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 195IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Sweet Dinner Rolls

Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

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About Shelby Law Ruttan

Shelby is the author/owner of Grumpy's Honeybunch. Established in 2007, she shares and preserves family recipes as well as recipes for cooking light and keto. She has authored the One-Pot Paleo Cookbook and The Pescatarian Keto Cookbook. She is an experienced, self-taught home cook who loves to share recipes with others. She also authors the websites Honeybunch Hunts and The Best Vegetarian Recipes. You can see her work on websites such as Veal Made Easy, Parade, Community Table, SoFab Food, Yummly, and FoodGawker.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Shelby Law Ruttan

      Fleishman's is a brand of yeast. As long as you are using active dry or instant yeast you will be fine. 2 tablespoons is what the recipe calls for so yes, you need 2 tbsps.

      Reply

  1. T

    Can I use fresh yeast?

    Reply

    • Shelby Law Ruttan

      Yes, just read your packaging and follow directions for using that type of yeast.

      Reply

  2. Lesa

    Do you have the recipe in grams? Mainly the flour or how do you measure your flour? I’m fairly new to bread making and I want them to turn out right.
    Thanks
    Lesa

    Reply

    • Shelby Law Ruttan

      Lesa, I do not have them in grams as in the post, however there are 120 grams of flour in each cup so for 8 cups it would be 960 grams. If staying with a measuring cup, be sure to stir the flour in the canister, then lightly spoon it into the measuring cup. Do not tap the cup to pack it. I always fill to the top of the cup,then scrape excess off with a knife. Please do check it out the other tips I provide in the post and good luck!

      Reply

  3. Kim

    Can I use it to make a loaf of bread instead of rolls

    Reply

    • Shelby Law Ruttan

      I don't see why not however it will be a heavier loaf due to the fact it has the eggs in it. I do have a recipe for homemade white bread here on the site if you are looking for a soft loaf of bread.

      Reply

  4. Jenna

    Can I use rapid yeast in this recipe?

    Reply

    • Shelby Law Ruttan

      Yes you may do so, if doing so, it probably will rise quicker than if you used active dry so you will need less rise time.

      Reply

  5. Liz

    Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (14)
    We love these rolls! I'll make them again for Easter!!!

    Reply

  6. Jennifer

    Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (15)
    I love homemade rolls, and these seem so easy to make! I can’t wait to try them!

    Reply

  7. Cheryl

    If you have 8 then cut those into 4 piecs each that is 32 rolls not 24. Did you only divide into 3 to get 24 rolls?

    Reply

    • Shelby Law Ruttan

      You are correct. Thank you for bringing this error to my attention.

      Reply

      • Debbie

        I don't have a dough mixer can I do by hand

      • Shelby Law Ruttan

        Yes, you can do by hand, just be sure to knead it good. Enjoy!

    • Sewingmom1

      Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (16)
      I made this recipe this past weekend. They were so fluffy. I make 15 rolls and then made cinnamon rolls qith the left over.

      Reply

  8. Kelley

    You said store leftovers in a bag…..I can’t imagine having any left over lol. Thanks for the recipe!!

    Reply

  9. Jen

    Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (17)
    These are delicious. It took me a few tries to get the hang of working with dough but I followed it exactly and they are so good!

    Reply

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Sweet Dinner Rolls Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (2024)

FAQs

Why are my dinner rolls not light and fluffy? ›

Too much flour, or not the right kind, could be to blame. Dough made only from flour with a high or even average amount of protein (like bread flour or all-purpose flour) can become tough from overmixing. Protein gives bread structure in the form of gluten—the more you mix and move the dough, the more gluten you get.

Are Hawaiian sweet rolls the same as dinner rolls? ›

Hawaiian dinner rolls are soft and fluffy and a little bit sweet. They're a bit different than other dinner roll recipes as they are sweetened with both pineapple juice and brown sugar. What is this? They are also enriched with both butter and eggs which makes them similar to brioche buns.

What are sweet rolls made of? ›

A sweet roll or sweet bun refers to any of a number of sweet, baked, yeast-leavened breakfast or dessert foods. They may contain spices, nuts, candied fruits, etc., and are often glazed or topped with icing. Compared to regular bread dough, sweet roll dough generally has higher levels of sugar, fat, eggs, and yeast.

How do you enhance store bought dinner rolls? ›

9 Easy Ways To Upgrade Store-Bought Dinner Rolls
  1. Bring on the Cheese. Amaze your guests with a TikTok-worthy cheese pull! ...
  2. Garlicky Goodness. If you like garlic bread, then make garlic butter dinner rolls. ...
  3. Presto, Pesto. ...
  4. Only the Freshest Herbs. ...
  5. Spice It Up. ...
  6. An Italian Twist. ...
  7. Add Your Favorite Spice Blend. ...
  8. Cinnamon Sugar.
Nov 17, 2023

How can I make my bread fluffier instead of dense? ›

Potato Flakes or Potato Water

Starch helps the dough by trapping the gas from the yeast in the dough and makes the bubbles stronger. This helps the bread to rise and be lighter and fluffier. If you are boiling potatoes, you can use the unsalted water in place of the water in your bread recipe to help out the yeast.

What ingredient makes bread light and fluffy? ›

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

Why are Hawaiian sweet rolls so good? ›

Hawaiian Rolls are distinctly sweet and ridiculously soft and light, perfect for making delicious mini sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, sliders, and more. Your kids will go crazy for these rolls, too!

Do Hawaiian sweet rolls have honey? ›

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, also known as Portuguese Sweet Bread, are dinner rolls made with an enriched dough with ingredients like eggs, milk, and honey to produce a soft fluffy bread roll. They also usually have a secret ingredient of pineapple juice, which leads to their color and sweetness.

Are sweet rolls rich or lean dough? ›

RICH DOUGHS:

Brioche dough is made with a high portion of butter and eggs, and is especially rich. Sweet rolls including coffee cakes, cinnamon rolls and many other breakfast goodies. These have a high fat content and usually contain eggs and often have a sweet filling.

Why are my sweet rolls dry? ›

You want to add only the amount of flour that it takes so your dough is not sticky. Adding too much flour will make your rolls very dry. Once you have added the appropriate amount of flour, turn your mixer to a low speed and let the machine do all the kneading for you.

What is a German sweet roll called? ›

Franzbrötchen is a sweet cinnamon sugar-filled pastry roll from Hamburg, in northern Germany. Think of it as the lovechild of a croissant and a cinnamon roll! It is a flaky cinnamon roll, that is incredibly delicious. Traditionally, it's made using a yeasted laminated pastry dough (called Plunderteig in German).

Should you brush dinner rolls before baking? ›

Butter basting: Rolls can be brushed with butter before, during, or after baking. While it doesn't brown the surface as much as egg wash will, it does promote browning and adds a lot of flavor.

Why do my dinner rolls taste bland? ›

Salt adds flavor to bread. If none or too little is used in a recipe, the bread will lack the right flavor and taste "bland." If you reduce the amount of salt, try adding some dried herbs to increase the flavor.

Why are my homemade dinner rolls dense? ›

Rolls that are not light and fluffy can be the result of using too much flour (not measuring the flour correctly, as we mention above), or not using the type of flour your recipe calls for. Another reason for dense tough rolls is overmixing, which will produce too much gluten.

Why are my rolls dense and not fluffy? ›

There may be several reasons for a dense, cake like texture in bread. It may indicate the kneading wasn't enough for the gluten to develop properly, or the dough was proved for too short a time or the dough may have been too dry. It is also worth checking the flour you used.

What happens if you add too much flour to dinner rolls? ›

Avoid adding too much extra flour to the dough.

Your instinct might be to add extra flour; however, any extra flour will create a denser, tougher roll instead of the light, fluffy, soft dinner roll we want.

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