The best light and fluffy holiday dinner rolls

by Janette on November 2, 2025

Nothing says “holiday feast” like a basket of warm, homemade dinner rolls. These light and fluffy rolls are golden on the outside, soft on the inside, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Serve them to soak up every drop of gravy!

1. Gather your ingredients

Ingredients for making bread — Image Credit: Culinary Ginger

2 teaspoons instant dry yeast, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 1 cup (240 ml) milk, warmed to 100-110 °F (38-43°C), 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted (see note), 1 teaspoon salt, 2 large eggs, room temperature, 3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour/plain flour, plus more for kneading, 1 egg yolk, whisked with a little milk, sesame seeds.

2. Bloom the yeast

Dry yeast and milk — Image Credit: Culinary Ginger

To a small bowl, add half of the milk, all of the sugar and the yeast. Leave for 10 minutes.

3. Mix the other wet ingredients

Whisking eggs into milk — Image Credit: Culinary Ginger

To another bowl, whisk the rest of the milk, butter, salt and eggs. Set aside.

4. Mix the wet and dry ingredients

Mixing bread ingredients — Image Credit: Culinary Ginger

Add the flour, to a large bowl, then stir in all the yeast mix and egg and butter, until well combined.

5. Knead

Kneading bread dough — Image Credit: Culinary Ginger

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and not sticky.

6. First rise

Bread dough in a bowl — Image Credit: Culinary Ginger

Place the dough into a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Until doubled in size.

7. Punch the dough down

Punching bread dough — Image Credit: Culinary Ginger

Once it has doubled in size. Use a fist to punch it down. Turn out onto a clean surface.

8. Divide the dough

Dough balls — Image Credit: Culinary Ginger

Cut the dough into 16 even balls. You can weigh them to make sure they are all the same size.

9. Second rise

16 bread rolls on a baking sheet — Image Credit: Culinary Ginger

Place the dough balls onto a large, parchment-lined baking sheet fairly close to each other. Cover with a towel and allow to rise again for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C.

10. Brush with egg yolk

Brushing egg wash on rolls — Image Credit: Culinary Ginger

Once risen, brush the tops with the egg yolk/milk mix. Bake in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack.