Make a batch of these delicious, easy holiday dinner rolls that have a fluffy texture, buttery top and make the perfect side dish for family dinner or holiday gatherings. With just one batch, you can split the dough into 15 large rolls, 24 smaller or even 48 mini rolls.
A favorite holiday side
I created this easy holiday dinner roll recipe so that if you need to feed a crowd for a seasonal gathering, you can easily make one batch with plenty of rolls to share. This recipe makes 15 big rolls, 24 medium or 48 smaller rolls, depending on your needs. If you make 48, the rolls are about half the size of traditional fluffy dinner rolls, but I think they make the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas (when your plate is already loaded up with other things!)
Here is a picture of the recipe when I make them into 15 rolls. I use a 9×13 pan and the rolls get nice and tall and fluffy!
Favorite toppings to enjoy with this dinner roll recipe? I love brushing butter on the tops of the rolls and putting them back into the oven for a minute or two. Doing this makes the butter bake on a little bit and gives the tops of the rolls a salty flavor. These rolls are delicious with berry jam, warm honey or honey butter!
How many rolls does this recipe make?
Depending on your needs, this roll recipe can make 15, 24, or even 48 rolls. It will all depend on what size you cut the dough. As a reminder, the rolls will almost double in size upon baking.
To get 48 rolls, I used a 3 1/2″ cookie cutter, then used a knife to cut each circle in half and formed the rolls out of that size. The rolls will get bigger while rising and baking. For 48 rolls, I use one baking sheet and add 40 rolls (5 per row) and then use a small glass pan for the extra 8 rolls. If you make 24, they can all fit on one baking sheet. If you make 15, use a 9×13 pan.
It is not required to use a cookie cutter or drinking glass to cut the dough. You can pinch the dough off and roll it if that’s easier for you!
This recipe can also be used for cinnamon rolls, although I have a couple of different recipes for that HERE, HERE and HERE.
More holiday side dishes to enjoy
How do I shape the dough to get a round roll?
When shaping the rolls, pinch the sides of the dough under and make a ring shape with your thumb and index finger, pushing the dough ball through and making it round. Then use your hands to gently “roll” the bottom half of the dough to pinch it all together. Place on a prepared baking sheet for a second rise.
If you don’t want to cut the dough with a cup or cookie cutter, you can definitely just pinch your desired amount of dough and shape the round roll in your hand. This typically results in the rolls all being a slightly different size, but you can reshape as needed to get them as close as possible.
Ingredient list for easy holiday dinner rolls
- Whole Milk
- Water
- Salt
- Yeast (I use SAF Instant!)
- Granulated Sugar
- Melted, Salted butter
- Flour
Be sure to give the dough the rise time it needs. This will make all the difference in the texture of the finished rolls.
When shaping the rolls, pinch the sides under and make a ring shape with your thumb and index finger, pushing the dough ball through and making it round. Then use your hands to gently “roll” the bottom half of the dough to pinch it all together. Place on the baking sheet to rise.
When rolls are done baking, remove from the oven and brush melted butter on the tops of the rolls. Return to the oven for 1 minute more. This will sort of bake the buttery flavor into the tops of the rolls. It also makes them so glossy and beautiful for serving!
To store extra rolls, simply place them in a gallon ziplock bag and enjoy for 2-3 days. Rolls can be baked, cooled and frozen if you need to make them ahead.
Easy Holiday Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 Cup Warm, Whole milk
- 1 Cup Warm water
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Instant Yeast I use SAF
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 1/4 Cup Melted Butter Extra butter for brushing on rolls after baking
- 5 1/2-6 Cups All purpose flour
Instructions
- Combine warm water, warm milk, yeast and sugar.
- Add melted butter, salt and 4 cups of the flour. Mix until everything is well incorporated and then add the remaining flour (I usually only add 5 1/2 cups total, but you can add the extra 1/2 cup if the dough is sticky, or use that when you turn the dough onto the counter).
- Allow the dough hook to mix the dough for 5-7 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and elastic.
- Dump dough into a bowl prepped with oil or non-stick spray.
- Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour. Dough should have doubled in size. If it did not, then your yeast may not have activated.
- When dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a very lightly floured counter. Use a rolling pin to roll dough and use a cookie cutter to cut rolls out. You can also skip the rolling and cutting and just pinch dough off in portions if you'd like. *If you are making 15 rolls, you can roll the dough into a 12×16" rectangle and cut 15 rolls. Bake in a 9×13. If you're making 24 or 48 rolls, you can roll the dough a little thinner, and cut out as many as you need. I like to use my cookie cutter that is close to 3 1/2 inches, cut the circles and then cut those in half to make the 48 even rolls.
- Shape dough into balls by pinching the sides down under the round, and using your hands to gently roll the bottom half of the round to seal it.
- Place the rolls onto a prepared baking sheet (sprayed with non-stick spray) in rows. Allow the rolls to rise for another 45-60 minutes.
- Bake rolls at 375 for about 20 minutes. The rolls should be golden on top.
- Remove from the oven, and brush the rolls with melted butter. Place back in the oven for 1 more minute to bake butter into the rolls. This will create a buttery, salty top on the rolls.
- Serve warm with butter, honey or jam.
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