Skim by Section
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
Fluffy, golden rolls with a crisp crust and toasted sesame seeds for extra flavor and crunch—like little clouds of deliciousness!
Each bite is soft, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious — perfect with butter, gravy, or all on its own.
Bake or Air Fry
These sesame seed dinner rolls can be baked in the oven or made in an air fryer! Directions for both as included below.
These delicious from-scratch dinner rolls need no fancy equipment, just a few pantry staples and some patience as you let the dough rise and the yeast work its magic.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
Here's a look at what you'll need to make these dinner rolls:
- Water. This will need to be warm but can be out of the tap or use a microwave to quickly warm it.
- Milk. The milk will also need to be warmed using the microwave. It's best to have a digital thermometer handy so you can be sure it's the ideal temperature for activating the yeast.
- Yeast. You'll need just one packet or fresh dry active yeast. Make sure it's not expired.
- Sugar. Standard table sugar is all you need. You can replace with honey if you'd like.
- All-purpose flour. For best results, spoon into a measuring cup and level with the flat side of a butter knife. This ensures it's the right ratio of flour to other ingredients so your roll comes out nice a fluffy! For a more chewy texture, you can substitute all purpose flour with bread flour.
- Sea salt. Fine grain is best so it easily dissolves.
- Unsalted butter. Since we're adding salt, you'll want to make sure your butter is unsalted.
- Egg. Just one egg for the egg wash to get that beautiful golden brown top.
- Sesame seeds. These are optional but make a great looking topping, add flavor and also a nice texture. I like to use toasted sesame seeds for even more flavor.
That's it! Pretty simple.
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
These homemade rolls are very easy to make at home. The biggest hurdle in working with yeast is the time it takes for the dough to rise.
However, letting the dough rise is a hands-off process. The dough does its own thing so you just need to allow enough time for it to sit.
Here's a look at the steps:
- Activate yeast with warm water, milk, yeast, and sugar.
- Stir in flour and salt.
- Combine yeast mixture with melted butter. Cover and let rise.
- Gather the dough.
- Divide and roll each piece into a ball and add to pan. Let rise.
- Brush with egg and sprinkle on sesame seeds, the bake.
That's it. The prep is simple. Just be sure to allow enough time for the dough to rise and you will end up with fluffy and soft dinner rolls!
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Yes, you can substitute instant yeast for active dry yeast in this recipe. You can skip the warming and proofing steps, as instant yeast can be added directly to the dry ingredients. Whisk it in with the flour and salt then add water, milk, and butter.
To keep your dinner rolls soft and fluffy, store them in an airtight container or a plastic bag at room temperature for 3-5 days. You can also refrigerate them to extend their life a little longer.
If you have a lot of leftovers, you can also freeze them in a ziplock bag for later use. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just thaw to room temperature before serving.
Yes. You can prepare the dough in advance, let it rise once, then refrigerate overnight.
When ready to bake, bring the dough to room temperature, shape the rolls, and let them rise again before baking for best results.
No problem! While a stand mixer can make the process more convenient, you can knead the dough by hand. It might take a bit more effort, but you can achieve the same soft and fluffy results with manual kneading.
Several factors can affect the texture of your rolls. Ensure that you're using fresh yeast, allowing enough time for the dough to rise sufficiently, not overmixing, or not adding too much flour.
You'll also need to make sure you're letting the dough rise in a warm spot. A sunny window, the oven or microwave (turned off), or even the laundry room are some of the spots I choose. The ideal air temperature should be between 72° and 77°F.
Sure! Customize your rolls by adding herbs, garlic, cheese, or honey to the dough. Experiment with different flavor variations to suit your taste preferences. Alternatively, you can brush rolls with herbs and butter after they are baked.
To revive the freshness of leftover rolls, lightly toast them in a toaster oven or wrap in foil to preserve moisture and bake at 350º for about 8 minutes.
Alternatively, you can microwave them briefly, but be cautious, as this method may affect the texture slightly. About 10-15 seconds is all you need.
Yes, you can experiment with gluten-free flour blends. Keep in mind that the texture may differ from traditional rolls, and you might need to adjust the recipe or use a gluten-free baking mix for better results.
★ More Bread Recipes ★
Love homemade bread?
Check out my other easy bread recipes and be sure to Pin your favorites for later!
Sesame Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- air fryer (optional if not oven-baking)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water warmed
- ½ cup milk warmed
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour for chewier texture!
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 egg for the egg wash
Optional Topping
- 2 teaspoon sesame seeds
Easy-Order Groceries
- Add All Ingredients to Your Walmart Cart Adds everything with one click! You can edit items before you check out.
Mighty Mrs. is a #WalmartPartner.
Instructions
- Activate yeast. Mix warmed water, warmed milk, dry yeast, and white sugar. Stir and set aside for 10 minutes until east has bloomed.
- Mix dough. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Add activated yeast and melted butter. Stir to combine.
- First rise. Cover dough bowl with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm environment (72-75ºF) for 1 ½ hours.
- Separate dough. Gather dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball. Place rolled dough balls a greased round baking pan, a cast iron skillet or an air fryer pan lined with parchment paper.
- Second rise. Allow dough balls to rise for 45 more minutes.
- Add toppings. Brush top of the rolls with a beaten egg then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Air Fryer
- Set the Air Fryer to 300ºF and cook rolls for 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them while they cook! Air fryers can cook quickly, so adjust cook time as needed.
Oven
- Bake in a preheated oven at 325ºF for 18 minutes. Cover loosely with foil if they begin to brown too early.
Video
Notes
- Patience is key! The dough needs time to rise and double in size. Don't peek too often. Just let it do its thing.
- If adding a foil tent when oven baking: Spray foil with cooking spray to prevent sticking if applying to dough that still looks wet.
- Warm Water & Milk: Use a thermometer to make sure they're around 100-110°F . Not too hot, not too cold!
- Make sure melted butter has cooled slightly. 130ºF or above can kill the yeast.
Leave a Reply