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Soft and Fluffy One Hour Dinner Rolls

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One Hour Yeast Rolls . . .  you can have soft and fluffy dinner rolls in sixty minutes! They go perfectly with soup, salad, or just about any meal.

You’ve probably figured it out by now, but homemade breads and rolls are some of my favorite foods on the planet.

one hour dinner rolls title photo

Low carb diets are all the rage right now, but I just can’t seem to get on board. Meat is probably my least favorite food group. But carbs on the other hand? I don’t know how anyone can resist a warm roll smeared with butter. Yum!

basket of rolls

During the fall and winter months, soup and homemade yeast rolls are a staple at our house. I don’t always have time for my regular roll recipe, so I was intrigued when I saw all of the one hour dinner roll recipes online.

My one hour cinnamon rolls turned out fabulous, so I knew I needed to try the dinner roll as well.

roll with butter on a plate

SOFT AND FLUFFY ROLLS IN AN HOUR!

I know it’s hard to believe, but these quick yeast rolls really turn out soft, fluffy, and delicious! I was a skeptic, but I loved them. They are not as absolutely mouthwatering as my favorite white roll recipe, but they are pretty close, and they are so much faster!

How do you make yeast rolls rise faster?

This recipe relies on extra yeast in the dough to hasten along the rise time. That’s why you can make them in less than an hour.

If your house is chilly, you can place the pan of rolls in a warm oven for 5-10 minutes just to get things started. Then you need to take them out so you can preheat your oven.

However, all yeast dough needs a warm environment to raise. When making traditional yeast bread or rolls, if your house is on the cool side, you can let the dough rise in the oven. Set it to the lowest temperature, but turn it off when it reaches about 120 degrees. 

Place your rolls (or unformed dough) in the oven, covered. The warm temperature and lack of drafts will speed up the process.

To really make them rise quickly, place a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of the warm oven and the dough (or rolls) on the top rack. The steam not only helps them raise, it keeps the dough from drying out. 

I have learned that you have to use caution. If the formed rolls or bread rise too quickly, you can end up with a yeast flavor in the finished product. Even worse, if they raise really fast, the structure of the rolls is compromised, and they can collapse when you take them out of the oven.

HOW TO MAKE YEAST ROLLS IN ONE HOUR

(scroll to the bottom of the page to skip my tips and just see the detailed recipe card)

Ingredients needed for this recipe:

  • warm water (You want the water to be about 110 degrees. Hot enough to help the yeast raise, but not too hot to kill it.)
  • instant yeast (I use SAF brand. You must use instant yeast for this recipe, because it dissolves quicker, and you don’t need to let the dough rise till doubled before forming the rolls.)
  • buttermilk (adds a nice flavor to the rolls, but you can use regular milk in a pinch)
  • oil (For softer rolls, use an oil that is liquid at room temperature. Canola, vegetable, or even olive oil will work.)
  • sugar (Adds sweetness to the rolls, but also feeds the yeast. If you use less, the dough won’t rise as fast, and it will take longer for the rolls to brown in the oven.)
  • salt (Adds flavor, but also regulates the yeast. Without salt, yeast breads can raise too quickly and have a “yeasty” flavor.)
  • egg (binds ingredients together, and adds a rich flavor to the rolls
  • all purpose flour (I use unbleached, but that’s a matter of preference.)

PROOF THE YEAST – mix the yeast, warm water, sugar, buttermilk, and oil together. Let sit till nice and bubbly. This step helps activate the yeast so that you need a shorter raise time later on.)

ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS – Mix in the salt, egg, and enough flour to make a soft dough. 

REST THE DOUGH – Let the smooth dough sit for about 5 minutes, just to relax the gluten fibers.

FORM THE ROLLS – Shape the dough into 12 rolls and place them in a greased 9×13″ pan.

pan of roll dough

RISE TIME -Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the rolls raise till doubled in a warm place. While they are raising, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

raised rolls in a baking dish

BAKE – Remove plastic wrap and bake the rolls till they are golden brown. 

They will rise even more in the oven, and come out perfectly fluffy and soft. I like to brush some butter on the tops when they come out. Irresistible!

This is a great recipe to use for family dinner any time, but these rolls would also be perfect for Thanksgiving or any other holiday. They are even perfect for filling with chicken salad for a great ladies lunch!

Can I double this roll recipe?

Definitely! You can easily double this recipe if you are feeding a crowd. Plan on a little extra time, because it does take a few extra minutes to form the extra rolls.

If you are doubling the recipe, place the rolls on a large cookie sheet so you can bake them all at once. I don’t think they turn out as well when you place two 9×13″ pans on different racks of the oven.

Of course, if you have a double oven, you can use two pans and just place one pan in each preheated oven.

pan of rolls with buttered tops

How to store leftover dinner rolls?

Place any leftover rolls in a plastic bag. (I personally prefer to use ziplock bags so I know I’m getting an airtight seal.) Gently squeeze any excess air out of the bag, then close it tightly. Rolls will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature.

To reheat rolls, just pop one in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. They heat very quickly, so make sure you don’t leave them in too long!

I’m not a huge fan of freezing rolls, they seem to develop freezer burn very quickly. But if you must freeze them, you can wrap them up in a couple layers of plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer ziplock bag. They will only keep for about a month in the freezer.

Personally, I think it’s better to just share your extra rolls with a friend rather than running the risk of ruining them in the freezer!

one hour dinner rolls recipe collage

Here are a few more incredible yeast bread recipes to try!

Easy One Hour Dinner Roll Recipe

Yield: 1 dozen rolls

One Hour Dinner Rolls

One hour yeast rolls. You can have light and fluffy dinner rolls in about sixty minutes with this recipe.

Soft and fluffy dinner rolls made in just one hour.

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp instant yeast
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk (milk can be used in a pinch)
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (or another liquid oil of your choice)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 3 cups all purpose flour (more or less)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl or Kitchenaid mixer, combine warm water, yeast, buttermilk, oil, and sugar. Let rest for 5-10 minutes or till bubbly.
  2. Add the salt and egg with 2 cups of the flour. Beat till smooth. Add enough flour to make a soft and smooth dough.
  3. Let dough rest 5 minutes, then shape into 12 rolls and place in a greased 9x13" pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let raise for about 20-25 minutes while oven is preheating.
  4. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes, or till golden brown. Brush with butter while still hot.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 163Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 69mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 5g

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment below and pin the recipe to Pinterest!

© Kara
Cuisine: American / Category: Bread: Yeast Bread

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marianne

    Mine turned out bland and very dense! They rose beautifully but the end result was not light and fluffy! They definitely need more salt! Not sure what I did wrong😕

    Reply

    • Kara Cook

      If they were dense, you may have needed less flour. Salt inhibits yeast growth, so if you add too much they will take longer to rise. But you could definitely add more. I actually like mine with more salt, but then they aren’t done in an hour. 😉

      Reply

  2. Suzanna Milligan

    These rolls came out looking so good!! They taste amazing!! Love the simplicity of the recipe!! Will be making this again!!

    Reply

  3. Diane

    I made these tonight for dinner. They were WONDERFUL!!!! ❤️❤️❤️ I had company for dinner and they raved about them all thru dinner. I chose this recipe because it had buttermilk in it, which makes everything better!!! Thanks

    Reply

  4. Lynn

    Kara, these are fantastic! I wanted to make these rolls for a Sunday brunch. Had limited time, but these tasted wonderful and disappeared in a hurry! Thank you so much!!!!
    Note: this make a fairly small batch, so made in the Cuisinart. Much easier than hauling out the big old Kitchenaid!

    Reply

  6. Debra

    I’m making this in my loaf pan, just waiting for oven to preheat, I will add 10 minutes since it’s a loaf and let you all know how it turns out

    Reply

  9. Kathy

    I want to try this especially after reading all reviews.

    If using the Kitchen Aid with dough hook how long do I let this mix?

    How long would you bake it in a loaf pan and what size loaf pan using metal or glass pan?

    I had to find out what type of flour to use and found this in the reviews … ALL PURPOSE FLOUR. Maybe you can change this recipe to say ALL PURPOSE FLOUR.

    Glad you were specific about questions on instant yeast (I assume it is the same as Quick yeast) and explained how sugar is necessary to activate rising the dough and that you can add a little extra salt. Thanks

    Reply

    • Kara Cook

      Just mix it until it’s smooth, it will depend on how lumpy your flour is, the temperature of the ingredients, etc. I haven’t baked it in a loaf, but I would guess that a regular 1 pound loaf pan would work. (Mine is 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″.) And I did update the recipe card to specify all purpose flour. 🙂

      Reply

    • Kara Cook

      No. Overnight rolls are the exact opposite of this recipe. They have less yeast and sugar so that they will rise very slowly. If you let these sit that long, they will over-rise, then deflate.

      Reply

    • Kara Cook

      I haven’t tried it, but they should be fine. Just make sure you double wrap them and store them as airtight as possible so they don’t dry out. I’d use them within a month.

      Reply

    • Kara Cook

      Since the yeast feeds on the sugar, the extra sugar helps the rolls rise faster. You can use less, but you may need to leave more time for the rolls to fully rise.

      Reply

  13. Heidie

    Very good recipe I love that it’s so fast, just a bit too sweet. Question though do you really need to use that much sugar?

    Reply

    • Kara Cook

      You must use instant yeast if you want the rolls ready in an hour. Regular yeast not only takes longer to dissolve, you need to let the dough rise before forming the rolls. So you can use regular yeast, but they will take up to two hours.

      Reply

  16. Anita Guyll

    I made these into a loaf. The bread was so soft and fluffy. I definitely will make these over and over again.

    Reply

  17. Nikki

    Made a double batch of these last night for my brood! Turned out nice and light! Kids loved them!! Definitely needs more salt though! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  19. Korey

    I have tried many dinner roll recipes, and I must say this by far is my favourite one! Thank you so much for sharing this one with us all!

    Reply

  22. Nicole Campbell

    Hi, can’t wait to try these! Couple questions-If I’m using my KitchenAid do I need to use the dog or the beater attachment? And do you not need to knead this dough? Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Kara Cook

      I use the dough hook. And since you are using an electric mixer, you shouldn’t need any further kneading. The beating in step #2 activates the gluten strands. If you make the dough by hand, you would need to knead it.

      Reply

  23. Nadine

    I tried this recipe tonight. I used buttermilk, but I found these rolls to be flavorless and very sweet. I don’t know if it’s the fast rise and the dough does not have time to come together.

    Reply

  26. DwAna

    Couple questions. Do you add the buttermilk right with the yeast and warm water. Since buttermilk is cold, I was wondering how that would affect the yeast. Or do you mix yeast and warm water together first alone then add other ing.?

    Also when you add the flour do you also use the kitchen aid to beat it or just stir with spoon?

    Reply

    • Kara Cook

      Yes, I add the buttermilk right in with the yeast and warm water, and they turn out fine. If I make them in the kitchenaid, I beat the flour in (on low). I’ve also made them in a large bowl with just a hand mixer, and after I beat in a cup of flour, I stir the rest in by hand. Both methods work equally well!

      Reply

    • Kara Cook

      I live at a high altitude. As long as you add just enough flour to get a soft dough, and watch the rolls to make sure they rise till just doubled, they will work just perfectly. High altitude can make them rise a little faster. 🙂

      Reply

    • Kara Cook

      I’ve never baked with gluten free flour, so I’m not sure. Hopefully one of my readers will know. Or you could give it a try and let us know how they turn out!

      Reply

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