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One thing almost everyone can agree on is these soft, fluffy, buttery homemade Buttermilk Dinner Rolls. Made with yeast, buttermilk, and butter, these may just become your family’s favorite. We make them in a muffin tin, and the whole process takes about three hours.
Oh my goodness, I love bread so much. We used to live near a Mennonite bakery and restaurant, and I would beg my Granny to buy their homemade yeast bread. I slathered it with butter and devoured it daily. And we regularly had Granny’s buttermilk biscuits for breakfast. That may or may not explain some high school weight gain…
I do exercise a little more self-control these days when it comes to bread, but I certainly don’t forgo it altogether. These buttery yeast dinner rolls are so good, but I can’t trust myself to keep them in the house. I make them when I know there will be lots of kids over to help eat them!
Testing results for buttermilk dinner rolls
- This is one of the few recipes in which I use salted butter. Most of my baking is done with unsalted butter, but I like the extra salt in these rolls.
- I do not use my favorite White Lily flour for this recipe. You need a higher protein flour for yeast rolls, so I use King Arthur bread flour. King Arthur all-purpose flour also works well.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Serving suggestions: I like to serve these rolls with my Southern Pot Roast, and, of course, they are always on the table for Thanksgiving dinner.
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients in this recipe.
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Active dry yeast: This is not the same as instant yeast.
Buttermilk: This is key for the flavor and texture.
Pin this now to save it for laterHow to make buttermilk dinner rolls
- Stir together the flour, baking soda, and yeast, and set aside.
- Heat the butter, buttermilk, salt, and sugar until warm but not boiling, then stir this mixture into the flour until the dough is a large ball (you can use a stand mixer for this.)
- Cover the dough and let it rise for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Knead the dough, then make small balls and place them in a muffin tin. Allow the dough to rise for an hour.
- Bake for about 20 minutes and serve!
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Buttermilk Dinner Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cups full-fat buttermilk
- ½ cup salted butter, diced
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups full-fat buttermilk, 1/2 cup salted butter, diced, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons salt. Heat on low until the buttermilk is warm but not boiling. It should stay between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit. The butter may not be completely melted at this point, which is fine.
- Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. If you are using a stand mixer, use the dough hook and mix until the dough is a large ball. If doing it by hand, stir using a wooden spoon until the dough is smooth.
- Cover and let rise for 60 minutes. It should double in size.
- Punch the dough down and gently knead on a floured surface until smooth.
- Divide the dough in half. Set aside one half for now.
- With the other half, flatten slightly and divide into 6 equal parts. Divide each section into 3 or 4 pieces and roll them into balls. Repeat the process until all the dough is in small balls.
- Place 3 or 4 of the small dough balls into each muffin cup. Cover the muffin tin for another 60 minutes. It will continue rising in the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon water. Lightly beat them together.
- Brush the egg mixture onto the tops of the dough.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the buns are golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Questions and tips
Storage
Store the baked rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
You have a couple of options for making these rolls in advance:
Option 1) Freeze the dough to bake later: skip the second rise. Shape the dough into small balls and place them on a baking sheet. Place them in the freezer until they are frozen solid (about 1-2 hours). Once they are solid, transfer them to a freezer bag. You can keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
When you are ready to bake, remove the balls from the freezer and place 3-4 of them in a greased muffin tin. Cover loosely with a clean tea towel and allow to thaw and rise until the dough has doubled in size. This can take 4-5 hours for thawing and rising. Once they have risen, brush with the wash and bake as usual.
Option 2) Refrigerate the dough: You can also make the buns a day in advance and keep them in the fridge. If doing this, skip the second rise, shape the rolls, and place them in the muffin tin. Cover with plastic wrap (as best as you can, it can be loose) and place the pan in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. When you are ready to bake, remove the pan from the fridge and allow the dough to come to room temperature and finish its final rise. This could take 30 minutes to an hour.
