Garlic Butter Rolls (Fluffy Yeast Dinner Rolls)

These garlic butter rolls are soft, pillowy, slightly sweet, and topped with a rich, roasted garlic herb butter. They’re made with a Japanese milk bread–style starter (tangzhong), which keeps the rolls extra tender and fluffy for days instead of drying out after one meal. Baked until golden brown and brushed with the garlic butter as soon as they come out of the oven, these garlic butter yeast rolls are perfect for holidays, Sunday dinners, or any night you want bakery-quality bread on the table without leaving your kitchen.

Why You'll Love This Garlic Butter Rolls Recipe

I’ve been wanting a truly “go-to” dinner roll recipe, one you can make for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a random Tuesday and know it’s going to turn out soft and fluffy every time. I was inspired after seeing a video for fluffy dinner rolls on TikTok and decided to build on that idea with a tangzhong (Japanese-style starter) for extra softness and flavor. That little cooked flour–milk paste adds moisture and structure to the dough, which helps these yeast rolls stay unbelievably soft and slightly chewy even on day two or three, instead of turning dry and crumbly.

The dough itself is easy to work with and very forgiving, even if you’re not super confident with yeast bread. It comes together in a stand mixer or by hand, rises reliably, and shapes into smooth little rolls that puff up perfectly in the pan. Once they come out of the oven, brushing them with roasted garlic herb butter takes them to another level. They taste like a cross between classic fluffy dinner rolls and soft garlic bread—rich, aromatic, and melt-in-your-mouth tender.

These garlic butter rolls pair with everything from roast chicken and beef to soups, pastas, and holiday mains, and they’re the kind of bread that makes people immediately ask, “Did you actually make these from scratch?”

Ingredients You’ll Need

Homemade Starter (Tangzhong):

• 3 tablespoon water
• 3 tablespoon whole milk
• 2 tablespoon bread flour

Dough:

• 2 ½ cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoon milk powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 egg
• 6 tablespoon butter, melted
• Prepared Japanese starter
• ½ cup whole milk

Roasted Garlic & Herb Butter:

• ¼ cup softened butter
• 1 small garlic bulb, roasted until soft
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh chives, chopped
• Salt, to taste

How To Make Garlic Butter Rolls

Step 1: Make the starter

In a small saucepan, whisk together the water, milk, and flour until there are no lumps and the mixture is smooth. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2–3 minutes, or until it thickens into a pudding-like paste (this is your Japanese starter, or tangzhong). Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. This step adds extra moisture and is what makes the rolls so soft and fluffy.

Step 2: Make the dough

In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add the bread flour, milk powder, garlic powder (if using), salt, sugar, and yeast. Whisk everything together so the yeast and seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the flour.

Step 3: Mix the dough

To the dry ingredients, add the egg, melted butter, cooled Japanese starter, and milk. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms and most of the flour is moistened. If you’re using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and mix on low speed to bring the dough together.

Step 4: Knead until smooth and elastic

Knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface or with the dough hook on medium-low speed for 8–10 minutes, until it becomes smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky. The dough should stretch without tearing easily when you pull it. If it’s very sticky, add a small amount of flour (1 tablespoon at a time) just until it’s manageable—be careful not to add too much or the rolls will be less soft.

Step 5: Let the dough rise (first rise)

Lightly grease a clean bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it once to coat all sides lightly with oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Step 6: Divide and shape the rolls

Once the dough has doubled, gently punch it down to release the air. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12–15 equal pieces, depending on how large you want your rolls. Shape each piece into a smooth ball by tucking the edges underneath and rolling gently under your hand. Arrange the balls in a greased or parchment-lined baking pan, leaving a little space between each one so they have room to rise and touch as they bake.

Step 7: Let the dough rise again (second rise)

Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a towel and let the rolls rise again for 30–45 minutes, or until they look puffy and have nearly doubled in size. They should be touching or very close to touching each other at this point.

Step 8: Bake the dinner rolls

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Once the rolls have finished their second rise, uncover them and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the rolls sound hollow when gently tapped. If they’re browning too quickly, you can tent the pan loosely with foil for the last few minutes.

Step 9: Make the roasted garlic herb butter and serve

Expert Tips For The Best Garlic Butter Rolls

• Use bread flour for the fluffiest texture. Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, which means it develops more gluten and gives you better structure and chew. For soft, pillowy garlic butter rolls that still hold their shape and rise tall, bread flour is ideal. 
• The tangzhong (Japanese starter) is your secret weapon. Don’t skip the cooked flour paste—also called tangzhong. Cooking flour with milk and water until thick helps the dough hold extra moisture. That’s why these rolls stay soft and fluffy for days instead of drying out by the next morning. Make sure the paste thickens to a pudding-like consistency and cools to room temperature before you add it to the dough.
• Use warm, not hot, liquids and a room-temperature egg. Yeast is happiest with warmth, but not heat. Aim for your milk and tangzhong to be just warm to the touch (about 100–110°F), and use a room-temperature egg. Cold ingredients can slow down the yeast and make the dough harder to knead; overly hot liquid can kill the yeast and prevent the rolls from rising at all.
• Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. For truly fluffy yeast rolls, gluten development matters. You’ll know the dough is ready when it feels smooth, springs back slowly when pressed, and can stretch into a thin “windowpane” without tearing easily. This usually takes 8–10 minutes in a stand mixer or slightly longer by hand. If the dough is sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time; too much flour will make the rolls dense and dry.
• Proof in a warm, draft-free spot. Yeast dough rises best around 75–85°F. If your kitchen is cool, you can create a warm environment by placing the covered dough in an unheated oven with the light on, or near (but not on) a warm stovetop. If the dough is too cold, it will rise very slowly; if it’s too hot, the surface can dry out, or the yeast can be stressed. The dough is ready for shaping when it has doubled in size, not just after a fixed amount of time.
• Weigh or portion the dough for evenly sized rolls. If you want rolls that bake evenly and look professional, divide the dough with a scale or by eye into 12–15 equal pieces. Shaping each piece into a smooth ball by tucking the edges underneath helps them rise uniformly and gives you that classic, rounded dinner roll look.
• Use a small pan for tall, bakery-style rolls. Place the rolls close together in the pan with just a bit of space between them. As they rise the second time, they’ll touch and push up rather than spreading out, which creates taller, fluffier garlic butter rolls with soft sides. A 9x13 pan works well for 12–15 rolls.
• Roast the garlic properly for sweet, mellow flavor. To make the garlic butter taste great without being harsh, use soft, caramelized garlic. Slice the top off a whole garlic bulb to expose the cloves, drizzle with a little olive oil, wrap it tightly in foil, and roast at 400°F for 35–40 minutes until the cloves are very soft and lightly golden. Squeeze the cloves out and mash them into the softened butter for a sweet, mellow garlic flavor that spreads like a dream.
• Brush the rolls while they’re still hot. As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, brush them generously with the roasted garlic herb butter. The heat helps the butter melt into the tops and seep slightly into the crust, giving you a glossy finish and infusing every bite with garlic and herbs. If you wait until they’re cool, the butter will just sit on top instead of soaking in.

Garlic Butter Rolls FAQs

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?

Yes, you can make these garlic butter rolls with all-purpose flour, but bread flour will give you the fluffiest, highest-rising rolls. The higher protein content in bread flour creates stronger gluten, which helps the rolls rise taller and gives them that classic bakery-style chew. If you do use all-purpose flour, the rolls will still be soft, just slightly less lofty.

Can I make these garlic butter rolls ahead of time?

Yes, these rolls are great for making ahead, especially for holidays. For an overnight option, shape the rolls, place them in the pan, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight after the first rise. The next day, take them out, let them come to room temperature and rise until puffy, then bake as directed. You can also bake them completely, cool, and rewarm them gently in the oven before serving.

Can I freeze the dough for later?

You can freeze the rolls after shaping but before the second rise. Place the shaped dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. When you’re ready to bake, thaw them in the pan you’ll bake in, let them rise until doubled and puffy, and then bake. This is a great way to have homemade garlic butter rolls ready to go on busy days.

How do I store leftover garlic butter rolls?

Once the rolls have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container or well-wrapped in foil at room temperature for 2–3 days. For longer storage, you can refrigerate them, but bring them back to room temp or warm them in a low oven before serving so they’re soft and fluffy again.

What’s the best way to reheat these rolls?

To reheat, wrap the garlic butter rolls in foil and warm them in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8–10 minutes, or until heated through. You can also brush on a little extra garlic herb butter after warming if you want to refresh the flavor and shine. The microwave works in a pinch, but the oven keeps the texture closer to freshly baked.

What makes these garlic butter rolls so soft and fluffy?

The ultra-soft texture comes from a combination of the tangzhong starter, which adds extra moisture to the dough, proper kneading to develop gluten, and the way the rolls are baked close together in the pan. As they rise and bake, they help each other puff up and create steam, which keeps the crumb tender and pillowy—similar to Japanese milk bread or classic fluffy dinner rolls.

Can I leave out the garlic for plain dinner rolls?

Yes, you can easily turn this into a simple fluffy dinner rolls recipe by skipping the roasted garlic and herbs in the butter. Simply brush the warm rolls with plain melted butter or butter mixed with a little salt. The rolls themselves are neutral enough to work as everyday dinner rolls without the garlic.

Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?

Yes, instant yeast works well in this recipe. You can usually add instant yeast directly to the dry ingredients without blooming it first. The rise times may be slightly shorter, so start checking the dough earlier during each rise. The overall method for these yeast rolls stays the same.

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