17 Homemade Dinner Rolls and Buns to Bake

Deck out your bread basket with these airy, fluffy dinner roll recipes, plus homemade buns.

Sweet Potato Yeast Rolls Recipe
Photo: Victor Protasio

The only thing better than the aroma of freshly baked bread is getting to eat that freshly baked bread, so why not include some in your next dinner plan? We've gathered our best dinner roll recipes, from favorites like garlic knots and Parker House rolls to cheesy pull-apart bread and buttery brioche buns. Whatever's on the menu, these breads will make the meal even warmer.

01 of 17

Buttery Pull-Apart Garlic Knots

Buttery Pull-Apart Garlic Knots

James Ransom / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless

A generous slathering of garlic butter and sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano give these fun pull-apart twisty garlic knots a salty and savory finish. Make these the night before and proof and bake the next day so they're hot and fresh for the holiday.

02 of 17

Fried Herb Yeast Rolls

Fried Herb Yeast Rolls

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

Buttery, soft yeast rolls are strewn with flecks of fried herbs and toasted garlic. The make ahead dinner rolls come out rich and buttery with a fluffy crumb that’s so tender it almost melts in your mouth.

03 of 17

Pull-Apart Milk Bread Wreath

Pull-Apart Milk Bread Wreath Recipe
Greg DuPree

Inspired by Hollywood bakery Bub and Grandma’s milk bread, which uses three types of dairy in the loaves they supply to Konbi, the Food & Wine Test Kitchen created this pull-apart version fit for a holiday spread.

04 of 17

Sweetened Condensed Milk Rolls

Sweetened Condensed Milk Rolls
Photo by Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox

A cross between Chinese milk bread and Portuguese and Hawaiian sweet bread, these tender rolls are easy to make and perfectly sized for sliders. Sweetened condensed milk pulls double duty in this recipe, adding a subtle sweetness to the rolls and a rich, glossy sheen to their tops.

05 of 17

Mustard, Kale, and Cheddar Pull-Apart Bread

Mustard, Kale and Cheddar Pull-Apart Bread

Photo: Jennifer Causey / Food stylist: Ali Ramee

The butter-soaked goodness of garlic knots meets the fluffy, tender delight of pull-apart bread with this savory roll recipe. The whole grain mustard adds a sharp contrast to cut through the richness of the cheese and butter, while the torn kale leaves become crisp like kale chips in the oven. Serve these rolls alongside a cozy stew, braise, soup, or pasta. 

06 of 17

Kete Bread Rolls

Kete Rolls
Photo by Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox

Kete — buttery, flaky Turkish pastries — come in many variations, some sweet and some savory. This savory version, adapted from The Turkish Cookbook by Musa Dagdeviren, incorporates crushed walnuts and a hint of fresh thyme to make herbaceous, multilayered bread rolls with a satisfying crunch to them.

07 of 17

Sweet Potato Yeast Rolls

Sweet Potato Yeast Rolls Recipe
Victor Protasio

When shaping the rolls, use tension in your cupped hand rather than too much excess flour to coax the dough into a ball. A generous brushing of melted butter on the baked rolls adds shine and flavor, while ajowan seeds offer an herbal bite reminiscent of thyme and cumin.

08 of 17

Garlic Bread

Garlic Bread

Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser

Make garlicky butter ahead then let it completely melt into the bread, while the crust gets nice and crunchy, with this 30-minute, go-to recipe.

09 of 17

Pull-Apart Cheesy Onion Biscuit Bread

Pull-Apart Cheesy Onion Bread
© Frances Janisch

Grace Parisi makes monkey bread with biscuits, spreading a savory onion-Gruyère mixture onto the dough, stacking layers of it sideways in a loaf pan, and baking it until golden.

10 of 17

Parmesan-Herb Cloverleaf Rolls

Parmesan-Herb Cloverleaf Rolls
© William Meppem

After they're shaped and topped with lots of melted butter along with Parmesan, parsley, thyme, and rosemary, the unbaked rolls need to be refrigerated overnight, so plan accordingly.

11 of 17

Parker House Rolls

Parker House Rolls

Christina Holmes / Food Styling by Kay Chun

These fluffy, buttery rolls have a homey quality. "They are deep Americana," says chef Alex Guarnaschelli. This recipe makes a big batch, but the unbaked rolls freeze well.

12 of 17

Classic Spelt Garlic Knots

Everything Spelt Garlic Knots
© Con Poulos

Pastry chef Jake Novick-Finder prefers a combination of all-purpose and spelt flours for these crusty garlic knots. "The high protein content of spelt flour gives this dough extra energy," he says. "That energy is what gives this dough structure and its perfect chew and poofy interior after it's baked."

13 of 17

Gluten-Free Parker House Rolls

Parker House Rolls
© Kamran Siddiqi

These fluffy, buttery rolls are an incredible gluten-free version of the original. The ingredients in this recipe are available at a well-stocked natural foods store.

14 of 17

Garlic Bread Rolls

Garlic Bread Rolls
Abby Hocking / Food & Wine

These epically good garlic bread rolls from star chef Daniel Humm are soft, garlicky, and super buttery. The best part is the irresistibly cheesy crumble that’s baked on top.

15 of 17

Buttery Brioche Hamburger Buns

Buttery Brioche Hamburger Buns
Jen Causey

Making homemade buns is easier than you think, and it's a surefire way to impress your family on burger night or guests at your next backyard get-together. Let your mixer do the work of bringing the dough together, then shape the soft, pliable dough into buns. Keep the buns whole until you're ready to serve, then toast (or don't!) and get ready for the compliments (and condiments!) to roll in.

16 of 17

Buttery Brioche Hot Dog Buns

Buttery Brioche Hot Dog Buns
Jen Causey

You don’t have to be an accomplished baker to make these simple homemade hot dog buns. The dough is super easy to work with and yields incredibly tender yet sturdy buns that will hold up to all your favorite toppings, no matter how much you want to pile on. If you want to jazz these buns up a bit, sprinkle them with poppy seeds before baking.

17 of 17

Potato Rolls

Lobster BLTs on Potato Rolls Recipe
Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer

The perfect potato buns are pillowly, plush, and lightly sweet; just right for Lobster BLTs or hamburgers. Potato flour holds moisture, keeping these buns moist even after toasting.

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