Milk and Honey Dinner Rolls

With just one bowl and a few pantry ingredients, you will have warm, golden, buttery rolls for dinner in no time. These dinner rolls are light, fluffy, and perfect with Sunday dinner; the leftovers also make great slider sandwich buns. This dough also makes the best cinnamon rolls you have ever tasted!

Why I love these rolls so much

These classic dinner rolls have a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the dough is so versatile. I use it to make cinnamon rolls and hamburger buns, and it’s also great for thick-crust pan pizza. I based this recipe on one that I used for years in my bread machine. I gave my bread machine to my niece, because I never used it anymore, or not enough to justify the space it was taking up in my cupboards. However, I then had to figure out a way to make my dinner rolls without it. I did. And honestly, it’s not that hard. Who needs machines? All you need is one bowl and a few hours for the dough to rise, and the perfect homemade yeast rolls can be on your dinner table. These rolls have the best flavor, and warm rolls are amazing with soup, chili, spaghetti, and just about any other type of dinner that calls for sopping up gravy with fresh rolls!

Gather these ingredients

Pour evaporated milk into a small bowl, add butter, and microwave until butter is soft and milk temperature is no higher than 95 degrees F. Whisk in honey. Sprinkle yeast over the top of the warm milk. Set this aside for 10 minutes.

Whisk the egg into the milk yeast mixture. It’s best to let the egg sit out and come to room temperature, as a cold egg can lower the temperature of the ingredients.

Measure 3 1/4 cups of flour into a large mixing bowl and mix in salt. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine with a dough whisk or large spatula until just smooth. The dough will be sticky. For the first rise, cover with a kitchen towel and set in a warm place or in your oven on proof until doubled in size. This will take about two hours.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of flour onto the countertop and dump the risen dough onto the lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch.

Using a bench scraper or a knife divided dough into 16 equal pieces, place in a buttered 9×13 inch baking pan.

Cover the rolls with a light cloth and place them in a warm corner of your kitchen. Alternatively, if your oven has a proofing setting, you can use that as well. Allow rolls to double in size; this will take about an hour. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes. Brush with butter as soon as the rolls are done baking and are out of the oven. 

Tips for perfect milk & honey rolls

• Use the right amount of flour: Add just enought flour for a tacky dough that’s soft but not sticky. Too much flour will make your rolls dense instead of tender.
• Using a stand mixer: Start by combining the ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer using the dough hook and knead until the dough forms a smooth ball. Cover, set in a warm place, until doubled in size.
• Let the dough rise in a warm environment: Yeast loves warmth! Cover the bowl and let your dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size.
• Handle with care: When dividing the piece of dough into balls of dough, keep them uniform in size so they bake evenly.
• Grease Matters: Place the shaped rolls in a greased baking pan so they don’t stick and brown beautifully. I like to grease my pan with butter.
• Brush with melted butter: Just before or right after baking, brush the tops with melted butter (and even a drizzle of honey) for glossy, golden perfect rolls.
• Overnight option: You can make the honey rolls ahead! After shaping, cover and refrigerate them overnight, then let them rise and bake the next morning- fresh, warm rolls with minimal effort!
• Watch the bake time: Every oven is a little different. Start checking your rolls a few minutes early for that just-right golden brown finish.

Variations to try:

• Whole Wheat Honey Rolls: Swap half of the bread flour for whole wheat to add a touch of nuttiness and a heartier texture.
• Herb & Honey Rolls: Mix in finely chopped rosemary or thyme to balance the sweetness with a savory note. (1 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs, or more if you like)
• Cheesy Honey Rolls: Add shredded cheddar or gouda into the dough or sprinkle on top before baking for a sweet-and-savory surprise. This is also great in combination with adding fresh chopped herbs.
• Cinnamon Rolls: This dough makes incredible cinnamon rolls. Roll dough out into a long rectangle about 15×8. Spread 1/2 cup of soft butter over rolls and sprinkle with 1 cup of brown sugar, and dust with as much cinnamon as you like 1-3 teaspoons. Roll dough up and slice into 1 inch sections. This will make 12-16 rolls depending on how you cut them. Place rolls in a buttered 9×13 baking dish, cover, let rise, bake at 350 f for 20 minutes. Frost with a your favorite cinnamon roll frosting!
• Freeze & Reheat: After baking and cooling, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe zip-loc bag and freeze the rolls. Rewarm in the oven for bakery-fresh flavor anytime.

Troubleshooting

• Dough not rising? Make sure your yeast is fresh and your liquids are just warm- not hot. A too cool environment will slow the rise, while too much heat can stop it completely. (If you have a thermometer check the temperature of milk it should be around 95 F)
• Dough too sticky? Add a bit more flour, one tablespoon at a time, until its a soft, tacky dough that doesn’t cling to your hands.
• Dough to dry or stiff? It is key to measure your flour properly, fluff up the flour and spoon it into measuring cup, and level off the measuring cup. Never pack flour into a measuring cup. If you have added too much flour or measured improperly add a teaspoon or two of warm milk to bring back moisture.
• Uneven rolls? When dividing your piece of dough, use a kitchen scale or cut as evenly as possible for uniform balls of dough and consistent baking.
• Overbrowned tops? Tent the baking pan loosely with foil toward the end of bake time. This will help stop the tops from becoming overly brown or burning.

Serving and storage

Serve rolls warm with butter and or honey. To store rolls: first allow them to cool then keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze cooled rolls in a freezer safe zip-loc bag for up to 2 months; allow to thaw and warm in the oven. Leftover rolls make a great slider buns or breakfast toasts.

I hope this dinner roll recipe because a new family favorite and is enjoyed for generations! Be sure to leave me a comment below. Also, don’t forget to give this recipe a star rating in the recipe card below. Share on your socials tagging Eat2gather! I love to see what you are all cookin’ up from my website. XO, Sheila