Pillowy, soft, from-scratch dinner rolls drenched in garlic butter and topped with fresh herbs and sea salt. These Garlic Rolls are the perfect side to almost any meal—especially pasta, soups, or roasted meats. Yum! For another simple, light, and fluffy bread, try my foolproof bread machine recipe!
Garlic dinner rolls: golden, fluffy, with soft texture!
These classic homemade dinner rolls are elevated with rich garlic butter and fresh herbs, making them taste just like garlic bread! They’re the perfect side for everyday dinners or special holiday meals—Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas—when warm, light, and incredibly soft buttery rolls are a must on the table just like my savory bacon and cheese scones. The process is simple: while I used a mixer for convenience, you can quickly knead the dough by hand. And all you need are basic, easily accessible pantry staples and ingredients:
How to make garlic rolls (step-by-step photos)
This is a recipe overview; please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom for detailed instructions and precise amounts.
1. Mix warm milk, yeast, and sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes until frothy. Add flour, salt, melted butter, and an egg. Mix into a shaggy dough.
2. Knead with a dough hook on low for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If sticky, add flour.
3. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1–1.5 hours until doubled.
4. Grease a 9”x13” pan. Punch down dough, divide into 12 pieces, and roll into balls. Arrange in the pan with space between, cover, and let rise 1–2 hours until puffy.
5. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Brush rolls with egg wash and bake for 20–25 minutes until golden.
6. Melt butter, add garlic, and cook until fragrant. Brush over warm rolls, top with parsley and sea salt. Serve warm!
Tips for Success and FAQ
- How to measure flour accurately with measuring cups: Do not stick that measuring cup in the bag of flour and scoop some out; you will get a lot more flour than the recipe calls for. Instead, first, aerate the flour by sifting or fluffing with a whisk or a spoon. Then, spoon it into the cup (using a large spoon) and level off the excess with a knife. Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in excess and a drier dough. Weighing flour is another precise method, though I personally don’t use it.
- Bread flour or all-purpose flour? I used all-purpose flour but bread flour is great, too!
- How warm should the milk be to activate the active dry yeast? If you have a digital thermometer, it should be 110ºF. It’s important the milk isn’t so hot it kills the yeast so it’s best to err on the side of caution if you don’t have a thermometer. If you can comfortably hold your finger in the milk and it feels warm but not hot then it will be fine to use.
- Make sure your active dry yeast is active and not expired. When warm milk, yeast, and sugar are mixed together, it takes 5-10 minutes for the yeast to become frothy and activate. If your mixture doesn’t develop a frothy layer then this probably means your yeast is old, in which case you will need to start over with new yeast.
- Can I make this recipe without a stand mixer? I have given instructions for a stand mixer however it’s entirely possible to make this recipe by hand. If you don’t have a mixer with a dough hook, after step 2 in the recipe, lightly dust a surface with flour and turn your dough out onto it. Knead by hand for 15 - 20 minutes.
- How do I know if my dough is properly kneaded? A properly kneaded dough should feel smooth and elastic. If it feels sticky, add extra flour, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to knead. You can test the dough by gently pressing it and watching to see if it slowly bounces back. If it does, it’s ready for its first rise; if not, keep kneading. You can also perform a “window pane” test by taking a small amount of dough and stretching it in front of a window to check if the light passes through. The dough should stretch thinly but not tear. If it tears and the light doesn’t pass through, keep kneading.
- How can I tell if my dough has doubled in size during the first rise? For the first rise, I suggest taking a photo of the dough in the bowl so you can check that it has doubled in size.
- How do I make sure all my rolls are the same size? When it comes to shaping the dough into rolls it’s a good idea to weigh the dough into 12 equal sections so you can be confident all your rolls will be the same size.
- How long should I let the dough rise? Rising times are approximate and will vary due to your environment and temperature. Use the tips above to judge when your dough is ready to move on to the next stage.
- How do I know when the rolls are fully baked? Properly baked rolls will look golden brown and the internal temperature should be 190ºF.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
As with most bread recipes and baked goods, these garlic rolls are best eaten fresh as soon as they come out of the oven. Once left to cool, they tend to harden due to the added garlic butter, so any leftovers should be reheated, which will help them to soften.
- Store at room temperature or in the fridge in an airtight container or ziplock bag for 4 days.
- Freezing tips: Let baked rolls cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to one month.
- Reheating tips: Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Or, reheat in the preheated oven at 350°F until heated through.
Serving Suggestions
- Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Creamy Tuscan Salmon
- Roast Duck
- Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna
- Herb-Butter Roasted Cornish Hens
Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup warm milk about 110ºF
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour or bread flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg at room temperature (for the dough)
- 1 large egg beaten (for egg wash)
For the garlic butter topping
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- In the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the warm milk, yeast and white sugar. Use a handheld whisk to combine then cover and leave for 5 minutes to become frothy.
- To the frothy yeast mixture add the flour, salt, melted butter and one egg. Use a handheld whisk to combine the ingredients into a shaggy dough.
- Turn the mixer to its slowest speed and let the dough hook knead the dough for 10 minutes, after which time the dough should be smooth and elastic. If the dough is sticky add a tablespoon of flour and knead again. To test the dough press it with a clean and dry finger, the indent where you’ve pressed the dough should slowly bounce back. If it doesn’t keep kneading for a few more minutes.
- Lightly oil a large bowl and turn the dough out into it. Cover with cling wrap and put somewhere warm for 1 - 1 ½ hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, grease a 9”x13” baking pan with olive oil.
- After the first rise, punch the air out of the dough then divide it into 12 equal sections. You may find it easiest to weigh the dough to ensure each roll is the same size.
- Roll each section into a smooth ball then arrange in the baking pan, leaving some space in-between.
- Cover the pan with cling wrap and leave somewhere warm for 1-2 hours, or until the balls have puffed up and joined together.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- After the second rise, brush the tops and sides of the rolls with the egg wash then bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 20- 25 minutes, or until the rolls are a light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and prepare the garlic butter.
- In a small saucepan set over a low heat melt the butter then add the minced garlic and cook for a couple of minutes or until fragrant - don’t allow the garlic to brown.
- Brush the garlic butter over the tops and sides of the rolls then scatter over the chopped parsley and add a sprinkling of sea salt.
- Serve while still warm. Enjoy!
Notes
- To measure flour accurately with measuring cups, don't scoop directly from the bag, as this compacts the flour and leads to excess, resulting in a drier dough. Instead, aerate the flour by whisking or sifting, then spoon it into the cup (using a spoon!) and level it off with a knife.
- For activating yeast, use warm milk (should be around 110ºF). If you don’t have a thermometer, test by dipping your finger—if it feels warm but not hot, it’s safe to use. When mixed with sugar and warm milk, yeast should become frothy within 5-10 minutes. If no froth develops, the yeast may be expired and should be replaced.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, knead the dough by hand on a floured surface for 15-20 minutes until smooth and elastic. To test if it’s ready, press gently—if it bounces back, it's good to go. The "window pane" test is another method: stretch a small piece of dough—if it becomes thin and translucent without tearing, it’s properly kneaded.
- To ensure even-sized dinner rolls, divide the dough into 12 equal portions by weighing them. Rising times vary depending on the environment, so use visual cues rather than a strict timeline. Taking a photo at the start of the first rise can help determine when the dough has doubled in size. Fully baked rolls should be golden brown with an internal temperature of 190ºF.
- Storage: These garlic rolls are best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Leftovers tend to harden due to the garlic butter but will soften when reheated. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds or in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
- For freezing, let the rolls cool completely before storing them in an airtight container for up to one month.
- Want another super easy bread idea? Try my popular bread machine recipe that results in a perfectly fluffy loaf every time!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I love garlic bread and when I saw these rolls in my email yesterday, I had to make them! Love that you always use fresh garlic (and not garlic powder!). These came out well, and I'll be trying your tomato soup next. Thank you, Julia!