These garlic butter dinner rolls are extra soft and fluffy, baked golden in one pan, and brushed with a warm garlic herb butter right out of the oven.
Picture a basket of warm, buttery rolls in the middle of the table, and everyone reaching in at once.
These garlic butter dinner rolls are made with a soft, easy dough and baked side by side in one pan, so they pull apart into fluffy, tender pieces.
While they are still hot, they get a generous brush of melted butter with fresh garlic and parsley that soaks right into every roll.
They are perfect for holiday dinners, Sunday roasts, or alongside a big bowl of soup.
If you are planning a dinner spread, try my crispy baked carrot fries, roasted cabbage steaks, and tomato burrata salad!
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Why this recipe works
- Extra Soft Dough: Milk and oil make a tender, enriched dough that bakes into the fluffiest rolls and stays soft for days.
- Pull-Apart Rolls: Baking the rolls close together in one pan keeps their sides soft, so they pull apart into perfect pieces.
- Garlic Butter Finish: Brushing the warm rolls with garlic herb butter lets the flavor soak in, so every bite tastes like garlic bread.
- Even Sizes: Weighing the dough balls makes every roll the same size, so they bake evenly and look bakery-made.
- Freezer Friendly: Bake a big batch and freeze the extras, so you always have warm dinner rolls ready for the next meal.
Ingredients
Before starting, measure and prepare your ingredients so the baking process goes smoothly. You can find the exact measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
The dough
Flour: All-purpose flour makes soft rolls, while bread flour gives them a little more chew. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off, or, even better, use a kitchen scale to weigh it.
Granulated Sugar: A little sugar feeds the yeast and helps the rolls brown. Caster sugar works great too.
Kosher Salt: Gives the rolls their flavor.
Instant Yeast: Makes the dough rise quickly into light, fluffy rolls. Make sure it is fresh.
Milk: Warm whole milk makes the dough rich and tender.
Oil: Olive, vegetable, or canola oil keeps the rolls extra soft.
Egg: Beaten and brushed on top for a shiny, golden crust.
The garlic herb butter
Butter: Unsalted and melted. If using salted butter, remove the salt from the recipe.
Garlic: Fresh garlic, finely minced, gives the butter its bold flavor.
Parsley: Fresh chopped parsley adds color and a fresh, herby flavor.
Step by Step Instructions
Make the dough
1. Mix the Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast, and mix on low until combined.
2. Add the Wet Ingredients: Add the milk and oil and mix on low for about 2 minutes, until the dough comes together.
3. Knead: Mix on medium speed for at least 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
4. Rise: Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled or tripled in size.
Shape and bake the rolls
5. Divide: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces, about 80 g each.
6. Shape and Rise: Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place in a 9x13-inch pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled or tripled in size.
7. Bake: Brush the rolls with beaten egg and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown on top.
8. Garlic Butter: Mix the melted butter, minced garlic, and parsley, and add a pinch of flaky salt if you like. Brush it generously over the warm rolls.
Expert Tips
- Knead Long Enough: A full 10 minutes of kneading gives the rolls their soft, fluffy texture.
- Watch the Dough, Not the Clock: The dough should double or triple in size, which can take more or less time depending on your kitchen.
- Weigh the Dough Balls: Same-size rolls bake evenly.
- Tuck the Seams Under: Pinch the dough underneath each ball so the tops stay smooth.
- Brush While Warm: Warm rolls soak up the most garlic butter.
Troubleshooting
Why are my rolls dense?
The dough wasn't kneaded long enough or didn't rise fully. Knead until smooth and elastic, and let it double in size before shaping and again before baking.
Why didn't my dough rise?
The yeast was old or the milk was too hot. Use fresh yeast and warm, not hot, milk, and let the dough rise in a warm spot.
Why are the tops browning too fast?
Ovens vary. Cover the pan loosely with foil for the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Use the same amount, but dissolve it in the warm milk with the sugar first and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy, then add it to the flour.
Brush it on right after the rolls come out of the oven. The warm rolls soak up the butter and the garlic flavor, and the crust stays soft.
Oil keeps the dough extra soft and the rolls stay tender for days, while the garlic butter on top gives them all the rich, buttery flavor.
Storing
Store the rolls in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freezing
Baked rolls: Cool completely, place in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 2 hours or in the fridge overnight.
Unbaked rolls: Shape the rolls, freeze them on a tray until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Place in the pan, thaw and let them rise until puffy, then bake.
Reheating Tips
Oven: Wrap in foil and warm in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
Microwave: Warm for 15 to 20 seconds for a soft roll.
Make It Ahead Of Time
Shape the Rolls the Night Before
Shape the rolls, place them in the pan, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, let them sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until puffy, then bake.
Substitutions
Sugar: Use the same amount of honey.
Whole Wheat Flour: Replace up to half of the flour with whole wheat flour. Using all whole wheat makes the rolls dense.
Dairy-free: Use oat or almond milk in the dough and plant-based butter in the garlic butter.
Variations
Herbs: add your favorite herbs to the dough by chopping them finely.
Dried herbs: If you don’t have access to fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs for the garlic herb butter topping. You can use dried basil, dried parsley, dried oregano, etc.
Fresh herbs in the dough: Add ⅓ cup of chopped herbs of your choice to the dough for additional flavor and a beautiful look.
Cheese: Top these rolls with ¼ cup of parmesan cheese or ½-2/3 cup of mozzarella cheese for a cheesy flavor and texture.
Cheese stuffed: Stuff every dough ball with 1-2 tablespoon of mozzarella and bake them according to the instructions.
How to Scale This Recipe
Multiply all the dough and garlic butter ingredients by the amount below.
- Half Batch: Make ½ of the recipe for 6 rolls in an 8x8-inch pan.
- 16 Smaller Rolls: As written. Divide into 16 pieces and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
- 24 Rolls: 2x. Bake in two 9x13-inch pans.
Equipment
More Bread Recipes
Love homemade bread? Try my brioche dinner rolls, challah buns, and no knead focaccia!
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📖 Recipe
Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls (Extra Soft)
Ingredients
- 4 cups Flour AP, plain, or bread flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon Granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Instant yeast
- 1 ¼ cups Milk
- ⅓ cup Olive oil or vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 Egg for the egg wash
Garlic herb butter
- 2 tablespoon Butter melted, unsalted
- 2 cloves Garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon Parsley chopped
Instructions
Make the dough
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast, and mix on low until combined.
- Add the Wet Ingredients: Add the milk and oil and mix on low for about 2 minutes, until the dough comes together.
- Knead: Mix on medium speed for at least 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Rise: Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled or tripled in size.
Shape and bake the rolls
- Divide: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces, about 80 g each.
- Shape and Rise: Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place in a 9x13-inch pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled or tripled in size.
- Bake: Brush the rolls with beaten egg and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
- Garlic Butter: Mix the melted butter, minced garlic, and parsley, and add a pinch of flaky salt if you like. Brush generously over the warm rolls.
Notes
- Weigh the Flour: For the most accurate results, weigh the flour on a kitchen scale.
- Active Dry Yeast: Dissolve it in the warm milk with the sugar for 5 to 10 minutes before adding to the flour.
- Warm, Not Hot, Milk: Hot milk can kill the yeast.
- Knead Well: 10 minutes of kneading makes the rolls soft and fluffy.
- Even Rolls: Weigh each dough ball at about 80 g.
- Brush While Warm: Warm rolls soak up the most garlic butter.
- Salted Butter: If using salted butter, skip the flaky salt on top.
- Make Ahead: Shape the rolls, refrigerate overnight, and let them rise at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before baking.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Freeze baked rolls for up to 3 months, or shaped unbaked rolls for up to 1 month.
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