Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls (Fluffy Pull‑Apart Bread in a Pan)

Introduction – The Crowd‑Pleaser That Smells Like Sunday Supper 🍞

Few aromas can hush a hungry household faster than buttery yeast rolls fresh from the oven. My family calls these easy homemade dinner rolls “snow‑capped pillows” because they puff tall, brown evenly, and brush up glossy with melted butter. The recipe is actually half of my grandmother’s 1960s white‑bread formula—scaled down so you get two 9‑inch round pans of golden pull‑apart rolls instead of enough loaves to feed the church choir.

The method is pure nostalgia: proof yeast in sugary warm water, stir everything together with shortening (yes, the retro kind), knead until bouncy, let the dough nap under kitchen towels, then shape into buns that rise into each other like friendly neighbors. The result? Roll tops you can rip off one by one, steam escaping, ready to swipe through gravy or cradle slider fillings.

Table talk: Do you slather rolls with honey butter, sorghum syrup, or eat them plain? Sound off below!

Why You’ll Love These Rolls

Big‑batch or half‑batch: formula scales easily.
No stand mixer required—knead by hand for workout points.
Shortening keeps texture soft for days.
Make‑ahead friendly: refrigerate shaped rolls overnight.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Ingredient	Amount (Halved batch)	Why It Matters	Swaps
Warm water	1½ cups + 6 cups (step 1 & main)	Activates yeast; hydrates flour	50 % milk for richer crumb
Granulated sugar	1½ tsp + ¼ cup	Feeds yeast; sweetens	Honey (cut liquid back 1 Tbsp)
Active‑dry yeast	1 packet (2¼ tsp)	Leavening	Instant yeast: reduce to 2 tsp & skip 1st rise 5 min
All‑purpose flour	14 cups + up to 3 cups for kneading*	Structure	Bread flour for chewier texture
Kosher salt	1½ Tbsp	Flavor control	1 Tbsp table salt
Shortening	⅔ cup	Tenderizes, slows staling	Soft butter or neutral oil
Melted butter	2 Tbsp for brushing	Gloss & buttery flavor	Garlic‑herb butter or honey butter

*You likely won’t need full extra 3 cups; add until dough no longer sticks to hands.

Equipment Checklist

Two 9‑inch round cake pans (or 9×13 pan)
Large mixing bowl (or dough tub)
Sturdy wooden spoon or dough whisk
Sharp knife or bench scraper
Clean kitchen towels
Cooling rack & pastry brush

Detailed Instructions

1 | Proof the Yeast (10 min)

In a measuring cup combine 1½ cups warm water (105–110 °F) with 1½ tsp sugar and 1 packet active‑dry yeast. Stir; let stand 10 min until frothy.

2 | Make the Dough (10 min)

In large bowl whisk 6 cups warm water, ¼ cup sugar, 1½ Tbsp salt, and ⅔ cup shortening until shortening softens.
Stir in yeast mixture.
Add 14 cups flour in 3 additions, stirring until shaggy. Turn onto floured counter; knead, adding up to 3 cups flour, 8–10 min until elastic and barely tacky.

3 | First Rise (1 hr)

Grease same bowl; place dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with towels; let rise in warm spot until doubled, about 60 min.

4 | Shape Rolls (15 min)

Punch down dough. Use sharp knife to cut into pieces the size of small lemons (≈ 2½ oz each). Shape into tight balls.
Grease two 9‑inch cake pans; arrange 7–8 balls per pan, one in center, others around.

5 | Second Rise (45–60 min)

Cover pans; let rolls puff to nearly fill pan.

6 | Bake & Butter (25–30 min)

Preheat oven 350 °F. Bake 25–30 min until tops deep golden (195 °F internal).
Immediately brush with melted butter.

7 | Cool & Serve

Cool 10 min; invert onto rack, flip upright. Serve warm or room temp. Store airtight 3 days.

Make‑Ahead, Freezer & Reheat Tips

Overnight rise: Shape rolls, cover, refrigerate 12 hr; bring to room temp 45 min then bake.
Freeze baked rolls: Cool; bag; freeze 2 months. Reheat 300 °F 10 min foil‑covered.
Freeze unbaked balls: Flash‑freeze; bag; thaw overnight in pan before final rise.

Flavor Twists

Twist	Add‑In	Notes
Honey Wheat	Replace 4 cups flour w/ whole‑wheat + add ½ cup honey	Use ½ cup extra warm water
Garlic Herb	Mix 2 tsp Italian herb + 1 tsp garlic powder into flour	Brush tops w/ garlic butter
Cheddar Jalapeño	Knead in 1½ cups shredded cheddar + ¼ cup diced jalapeño	Bake 5 min longer
Cinnamon Swirl	Roll balls in cinnamon‑sugar before pan	Sweet breakfast rolls

Nutrition Snapshot (1 roll of 16)

Calories: 210 | Fat: 5 g | Carbs: 35 g | Protein: 5 g | Sodium: 370 mg

Troubleshooting Corner

Problem	Cause	Fix
Dense rolls	Under‑kneaded or old yeast	Knead until window‑pane; always proof yeast.
Dry tops	Over‑baked	Check at 22 min; tent foil if browning too fast.
Rolls pull apart when shaping	Dough too warm	Chill 10 min then shape.

Tiny Bread Science – Why Shortening Is Secretly Awesome

Shortening coats flour in fat without adding water, limiting gluten formation and resulting in softer, squishier rolls that stay fresh longer than butter‑only dough.

FAQ (Schema‑Ready)

Q – Can I substitute oil for shortening?
Yes—use equal volume vegetable oil; texture slightly less tall but still soft.

Q – Can I halve this half‑batch?
Yes—divide every ingredient by two again to yield one pan (8 rolls). Reduce bake 3 min.

Q – Why 14 cups flour first then 3 cups extra?
Humidity affects absorption; add just enough extra flour to create elastic dough.

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Bake these rolls? Tag #EasyHomemadeDinnerRolls and let us see that butter‑brushed shine!