Easy Dinner Roll Recipe {Feather Rolls}

This easy dinner roll recipe is perfect for any meal, especially holiday dinners! No kneading required, these soft, fluffy, rolls are perfect every time.

This dinner roll recipe is not only easy, it is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I bet you can’t eat just one! They are a variation of my grandmother’s famous Feather Roll recipe she makes every Thanksgiving. I have loved her recipe for years and years and really like this version of it. It actually doesn’t even need to be kneaded! When I say this is an easy dinner roll recipe, I mean it.

One of my favorite baking tips of all time is to spray the top of your dough with cooking spray to keep it from sticking to your plastic! Nothing is worse than spending hours on a dough only to have it all stuck to the plastic and be ruined. Do this at every rise {proofing} step! Here are some great tips on how to handle sticky bread dough – this is a sticky dough!

My only tip specific for this dinner roll recipe is this: use a BIG bowl.  Obviously, mine wasn’t quite large enough. It makes a lot of dough! It also uses a lot of butter. Which is why these rolls are so gosh-darn delicious. I go through so much butter during the holidays. I should probably start stock-piling it in my freezer starting now…

Shaping the dough can seem intimidating, but with this handy list + the video below, you’ll know exactly how to do it!

How to shape rolls for this dinner roll recipe:

1. After the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a well-floured surface and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Additionally, divide the remaining stick of butter into 4 equal pieces.

2. To cut the rolls, I roll each quarter of dough into a rectangle that is about 12 inches by 8 inches by 1/3 inch thick.

3. Spread 2 tablespoons of butter on half of this rectangle and then fold the rectangle over on itself cross-wise so it measures 6x 8 inches {reference video}.

4. Cut the folded piece in half lengthwise and then cut each length into 5 pieces, or rolls.

5. Repeat with remaining dough quarters.

So, if you are hosting Thanksgiving this year and need a killer and easy dinner roll recipe, this one is for you. I make these the night before, slightly under-baking them by a few minutes. Then on Thanksgiving day, I pop them in the oven for a few minutes to brown up and finish baking – so easy!

One of my favorite things to do with this dinner roll recipe is to freeze the dough. I make the whole recipe and then divide the shaped rolls onto greased disposable pie plates {affiliate link} into groups of 6 or so.

Then I put the pie plates in freezer bags and stick them in my freezer. When I am making a meal that needs some delicious rolls to go with it, I just pull out one of the pie plates and put it frozen into the oven and bake until the rolls are golden brown. So easy and good. {You can read more about all my Freezer Tips and Tricks here!}

Give this easy dinner roll recipe a test run this weekend and pair them with this delicious Chicken and Noodles recipe – you won’t regret it!

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Easy Dinner Roll Recipe {Feather Rolls}

These easy dinner rolls are perfect for any meal, especially holiday dinners! No kneading required, these soft, fluffy rolls are perfect every time.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword dinner roll recipe, easy dinner rolls, homemade dinner rolls

Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Servings 40 rolls

Calories 170 kcal

Author Longbourn Farm • Alli Kelley

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 cup butter 2 sticks, divided
• 9 cups flour (AP) amount will vary, see note
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 2 cups water
• 1 egg
• Additional butter for brushing on baked rolls

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. In a large glass measuring cup (see note), heat milk, 1/2 cup (1 stick) of the butter, and the honey in the microwave until melted and just starting to boil about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 8 cups of the flour, salt, and yeast.

3. Add the cooled milk mixture, water (see note), and the egg to the dry ingredients. 

4. Stir well, until almost totally combined.

5. Add the last cup or two of flour (see note) - the dough should be slightly sticky and difficult to stir (reference video).

6. In the same bowl, proof the dough until doubled, about an hour.

7. After the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a well-floured surface and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Additionally, divide the remaining stick of butter into 4 equal pieces.

8. To cut the rolls, I roll each quarter of dough into a rectangle that is about 12 inches by 8 inches by 1/3 inch thick. 

9. Spread 2 tablespoons of butter on half of this rectangle and then fold the rectangle over on itself cross-wise so it measures 6x 8 inches (reference video). 
   

10. Cut the folded piece in half lengthwise and then cut each length into 5 pieces, or rolls. 

11. Repeat with remaining dough quarters.

12. Place formed rolls onto baking sheets, 20 fit snugly on each cookie sheet (reference video).

13. Proof until doubled again, about 45-60 minutes.

14. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on the top.

15. Brush additional butter on the top of the rolls, if desired. 

16. If you want to bake these in advance (like for a holiday) and then heat them up the day you need them, bake them a few minutes shy of being done and then finish them off the day you want to serve them. 

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Heating the milk, butter, and honey until just boiling is called scalding. This can be done in a pan on the stovetop but is also easily done in a large (4-cup) glass measuring cup in the microwave if you are lazy like me and hate washing pans. 

I will often add the 2 cups of water (room temperature) to the milk mixture to help it cool off more quickly. Because in addition to being lazy, I am also impatient. 🙂 

The exact amount of flour you will need for this recipe (or any baking recipe) can vary by as much as a cup. This is due to altitude, humidity, and weather. I live in an arid high-desert mountain climate, so often my readers need to add additional flour if they live at a lower elevation with more humidity. Reference the video for how sticky the dough should be. 

Nutrition Facts

Easy Dinner Roll Recipe {Feather Rolls}

Amount Per Serving

Calories 170 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5g 8%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Cholesterol 17mg 6%

Sodium 221mg 9%

Potassium 50mg 1%

Total Carbohydrates 27g 9%

Sugars 5g

Protein 3g 6%

Vitamin A 3.3%

Calcium 1.7%

Iron 7.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.