Small Batch Dinner Rolls (45 minute) (2024)

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Written ByDorothy Kern

Updated OnOctober 29, 2023

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Small Batch Dinner Rolls might seem like a fairytale, but I assure you: it can be done. This is the perfect recipe to make just the right amount of rolls…so you’ll only eat four one. Plus: they’re done in about 45 minutes AND I’m showing you how to make maple butter too!

Small Batch Dinner Rolls (45 minute) (2)

Why you need Small Batch Dinner Rolls
Ingredients Needed
Best Yeast to Use
Active Dry Yeast
How to make Dinner Rolls Fast
Small Batch Dinner Rolls (45 minutes) + Maple Butter Recipe

Why you need Small Batch Dinner Rolls

I love bread. I love it for breakfast. I love it for lunch. For lunch dessert. For dinner. For actual dessert. It’s a scientific fact: if I have bread in the house I will eat it all. Well, that’s a lie. If I have good bread in the house I will eat it all. {Sliced wheat bread need not apply.}

There is nothing I like more with dinner than a hot and fluffy and fresh dinner roll, especially if we’re having soup or salad. Plus, if we’re having soup or salad, that means there are calories left for bread. I have 3 people in my family. My husband is weird and doesn’t eat bread. My daughter and I can eat 12 rolls in one setting!

You can see why it’s really bad for me to make a full recipe of dinner rolls. Since I made 45 Minute Dinner Rolls, they have been super popular. There is only one problem with that recipe, and it’s not because it doesn’t work (#itmostcertainlydoes). The problem is that it makes 12 rolls.

Small Batch Dinner Rolls (45 minute) (3)

Ingredients Needed

Warm Water: think “hot bathwater”
Olive Oil: you can also use vegetable oil or melted butter
Sugar: helps activate the yeast
Yeast: you can make this recipe using active dry yeast OR rapid rise (instant) yeast (see how below)
Salt: for flavor
Flour: Use all-purpose flour for this recipe

Best Yeast to Use

There are two mainstream kinds of yeast that you can use for different recipes: Active Dry Yeast and Instant Yeast (also called Rapid Rise Yeast).

Active Dry Yeast needs to be proofed before adding to the recipe, then requires a double rise after mixing. In contrast. Rapid Rise Yeast is added to the dry ingredients, then only needs a 10 minute rest instead of a full first rise.

Most of the time you need to use what the recipe calls for, but for this recipe I’ve perfected it with BOTH kinds of yeast. However – the methods differ, so be sure and follow the directions for the kind of yeast you’re using.

Because we are speeding up the process of making these rolls, if you’re using active dry yeast, you’ll need to use a full tablespoon (or 2 packets) of yeast.

Small Batch Dinner Rolls (45 minute) (4)

Active Dry Yeast

Mix the yeast with some sugar and very warm water. I heat my water in the microwave for about 30 seconds to get it to very warm bathwater temperature. (Remember – all microwaves perform differently.)
You let that mixture sit in the bowl of your stand mixer with some olive oil for 15 minutes. It gets really frothy.
Then you mix in your flour, slowly, using your dough hook. The dough comes together quite nicely with just a little stickiness. It should somewhat clean the sides of the bowl as it whips around and forms a dough ball. If it’s too sticky (as in, it gets all over your hands and stays there when you try and touch it) you can add more flour, but you shouldn’t need more than an extra 1/4 cup or so.
You should be able to handle the dough well enough to separate it into 4 pieces and place it in your pan.
You let them sit another 5 minutes (place them near the preheating oven), then you bake for 11-15.

How to make Dinner Rolls Fast

Whisk 3/4 cup flour, salt, sugar and yeast in your bowl.
Heat your water to between 120-130°, then stir in oil. Add to dry ingredients.
Add another 3/4 cup flour and mix until smooth, adding up to 1/4 cup more flour so that the dough isn’t too wet.
Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Rest 10 minutes.
Form into 4 dinner rolls and place in pan. Place pan on top of stove (so the heat from preheating can help them rise) and let them rise 15 minutes. Bake 18-24 minutes or until golden.

Small Batch Dinner Rolls (45 minute) (5)

Tips & FAQ

Rising: it helps if you let the rolls rise in a warm place. The perfect place is near or on the stove top where the heat from the preheating oven can warm them.
Water Temperature: this differs between yeast. Active Dry Yeast: 110-115° or Instant Yeast: 120-130°
It’s best to use an instant read thermometer to measure the water temperature.
Do you have to use a stand mixer? No but it speeds up the process and does most of the kneading for you. The recipe will probably take longer than 45 minutes if you’re doing it by hand.
To make maple butter: stir the syrup and extract into softened butter. Store in refrigerator.

Other Yeast Recipes

45 Minute Dinner Rolls
Homemade Pork Buns
Zucchini Cinnamon Rolls
Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

Small Batch Dinner Rolls (45 minutes) + Maple Butter

3.77 from 105 votes

Ingredients

Rolls with Active Dry Yeast

▢ 1/2 cup warm water 30 seconds in the microwave; think hot bathwater (110-115°)
▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
▢ 1 tablespoons sugar
▢ 1 tablespoons active dry yeast
▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
▢ 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Rolls with Instant Yeast

▢ 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour up to 2 cups
▢ 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ 1 packet Instant (rapid rise) yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
▢ ½ cup warm water 120-130°
▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil

Maple Butter

▢ 1/4 cup salted butter very soft
▢ 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
▢ 1/8 teaspoon maple extract optional

Instructions

Rolls with Active Dry Yeast

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 6” round cake pan (or other similar sized pan) with cooking spray.
Place the water, olive oil, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes. It will be very frothy when your timer rings!
Mix in the salt and flour using the dough hook. Start on “Stir” for a few seconds, until the flour starts to incorporate. Switch to “2” for about 30 seconds and then kick it up to “3” until the dough completely comes together. You know it’s done when all of the dough will join to form a ball and the sides of the bowl are almost clean (no dough left). If your dough is too wet, add an additional tablespoon or two of flour.
Place dough on a lightly floured cutting board and section into 4 balls. Place the rolls prepared pan. Let rest for 5 more minutes.
Bake for about 11-15 minutes, or until the tops start to get golden.

Rolls with Instant Yeast

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 6” round cake pan (or other similar sized pan) with cooking spray.
Whisk ¾ cup flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Heat water to between 120-130°F. Add oil then add to dry ingredients. Mix with dough hook until wet and combined then add ¾ cup flour and mix until dough forms, adding up to ¼ cup additional flour so that dough is soft but not wet.
Turn out dough onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Let rest 10 minutes. Form in to 4 balls, place in prepared pan. Let pan sit in a warm place to rise 10-15 minutes.
Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden on top and cooked through. Serve warm.
See Also
Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Maple Butter

Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl. Store covered in refrigerator, best served at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

You can mix by hand or using a hand mixer.
Use an instant read thermometer for best results measuring water temperature.
Use a loaf pan, 6-inch round cake pan, or just bake rolls on a cookie sheet.
You can make 4 rolls or 8 smaller ones.

Recipe Nutrition

Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Author Dorothy Kern

Did you try this recipe? Click the stars to rate the recipe below

If you’re as in love withsmall batch recipes as I am, be sure to try out my small batch brownies, chocolate chip cookie, and blondie recipes. Or even small batch confetti cupcakes or small batch snickerdoodles!

Learn how to make a small batch of dinner rolls in about 45 minutes! This is the perfect small batch recipe for a smaller family or when you want homemade dinner rolls!

Last Updated on October 29, 2023

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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124 Comments

I’ve made this recipe twice and it’s a keeper. So soft and fluffy…
Reply
I just made these dinner rolls. They are awesome and very easy to
make. I use milk instead of water and I used bread flour. They are
so soft and delicious, I made 8 rolls.
Reply
I make a lot of yeast breads/rolls and have tried a few quick and small batch recipes. This one is fabulous! My rolls were some of the prettiest I’ve ever served. They also were so light and fluffy, but full of flavor, where some recipes are too airy and don’t have much taste. Thanks for this recipe.
Reply
so glad you liked them!
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