American · Breads & baking

Soft pull-apart dinner rolls

Name: Soft pull-apart dinner rolls
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 2 h 37 min
Yield: 15 rolls
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 cups (480 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed; 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 100–110°F; 2 large eggs, divided; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and divided; Neutral oil, for the bowl and pan; 1 tablespoon water

Buttery, lightly sweet rolls baked shoulder-to-shoulder with feathery centers and glossy soft tops.

About 2 hr 40 minTotal

About 55 minActive

$Cost

ModerateDifficulty

Makes 15 rolls

Equipment

Use another light-colored 9 × 13-inch metal pan and begin checking browning early.
Best metal 9-by-13 pan
USA Pan 9-by-13-Inch Rectangular Baking Pan · 1110RC
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use another light-colored 9 × 13-inch metal pan and begin checking browning early.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched exact interior dimensions and metal heat behavior, then checked material, maximum temperature, coating care, stable model identity, and retail destination. Kwilt has not baked with this pan.
USA Pan 9-by-13-Inch Rectangular Baking Pan · 1110RC: The exact 9-by-13-inch baking surface and aluminized-steel construction match recipes whose dough depth and bottom browning depend on a standard metal pan. Trade-off: The nonstick surface calls for hand washing and nonmetal tools, and efficient heat conduction can brown faster than glass.
Another workable path: Use another light-colored 9-by-13-inch metal pan; glass changes heat behavior and is not an equal substitute for every high-heat bread method.
Sources
USA Pan 1110RC specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 15 rolls

4 cups (480 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk, warmed to 100–110°F
2 large eggs, divided
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and divided
Neutral oil, for the bowl and pan
1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Whisk flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add warm milk, 1 egg, and 4 tablespoons butter. Stir to a shaggy dough, then knead 8 to 10 minutes until smooth, supple, and tacky but not wet, adding extra flour only by the tablespoon.
Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and rise 60 to 75 minutes until doubled. Grease a .
Divide dough into 15 equal pieces, ideally about 58 grams each. Flatten each, gather edges underneath, and roll against an unfloured counter into a tight smooth ball. Arrange in a 3-by-5 grid with small gaps.
Cover and rise 35 to 50 minutes until puffy and touching. Heat oven to 375°F. Beat remaining egg with water and brush a thin coat across the tops without deflating them.
Bake 19 to 23 minutes until glossy golden and 190°F inside. Brush immediately with remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cool 10 minutes, and pull apart warm. Cover cooled rolls tightly to preserve softness.

United StatesNorth America · modern enriched dinner-roll tradition with European precedents

From the table

About this recipe

Small enriched yeast rolls occur across European and American baking traditions, so “dinner roll” does not point to one inventor or fixed regional formula. Milk, eggs, sugar, and butter distinguish these soft table breads from lean crusty loaves, while close placement in a pan encourages tender sides that pull apart.

In the United States, the form became strongly associated with communal dinners and holiday tables, where a pan of uniform warm rolls could be passed and shared. This recipe follows that household branch with fifteen weight-guided balls, modest enrichment, an egg-washed top, and butter added after baking to preserve softness.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe