These soft and flavorful Herb Dinner Rolls are made with an aromatic blend of thyme, basil, oregano, onion, garlic, and Grana Padano cheese.
There's nothing like a soft dinner roll slathered in butter to go with Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas dinner. These savory herb and cheese buns are perfect for that application and any day in between those holiday meals. Like my Molasses Oatmeal Dinner Rolls or Brioche Dinner Rolls, these homemade rolls are simple and achievable for the average home baker!
Be sure to check out my Quick Garlic Rosemary Focaccia Bread or Cheddar Garlic Butter Biscuits for more savory bread and biscuits to serve alongside a great meal!
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⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- Texture - These rolls are fluffy and soft, yet a little dense which is what I think a good dinner roll should be like.
- Flavor - The flavorful blend of herbs, garlic and onion powder, and shredded Grana Padano cheese (or parm!) imparts tons of flavor to these rolls!
- Method - This recipe is so easy to make - don't be intimidated by baking with yeast! It does not require any special mixers or pans which makes it achievable for anyone!
🧈 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make these herb and cheese dinner rolls.
Ingredient Notes
- Warm Water - You will need filtered water that has been warm to around 100-110℉. Any hotter will kill the yeast and the rolls won't rise.
- Active Dry Yeast - Also called traditional yeast, this kind of yeast needs to "bloom" for about 10 minutes in some warm water with a little bit of sugar mixed in until the yeast has dissolved and is bubbly and foamy.
- Herbs - A combination of dried basil, oregano, and thyme brings great flavor.
- Garlic & Onion - Both garlic powder and onion powder are added for additional depth of flavor.
- Cheese - You can use finely ground Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese.
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with measurements.
📃 Instructions
Step 1: Mix 1 teaspoon of sugar and 2 teaspoons of active dry yeast into ½ cup of warm water (110℉). Let proof for 10 minutes until bubbly and foamy.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix ¾ cup warm water (110℉), melted butter, remaining sugar, salt, thyme, basil, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add in the yeast mixture after it is bubbly.
Step 3: Add 2 cups of the flour and shredded cheese to the combined wet ingredients.
Step 4: Stir just until a loose dough forms. Turn the mixture onto a clean countertop and knead for about 5 minutes, adding up to ½ cup more flour, if needed, until a smooth, still slightly sticky dough forms.
Step 5: Form the dough into a smooth ball and place it in an oiled bowl. Coat the top and sides of the dough with oil as well.
Step 6: Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Step 7: Punch down the dough to deflate and use a sharp knife to separate into 16 equal pieces.
Step 8: Form each piece of dough into a roll by pulling the dough around itself and pinching to create and bunched seam at the bottom. Place on a prepared baking sheet.
Step 9: Cover loosely and let rise for an additional 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
Step 10: Top with a sprinkle of additional cheese on each roll and bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden.
💡 Top Tip
I love to serve these rolls with soup or stew or use them to make little slider sandwiches with lunch meat and a slice of cheese. They would be extra delicious served with garlic butter.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes, it is best to line the baking sheet with parchment paper to make the rolls easy to remove from the pan and help make cleanup simple!
Adding too much flour is likely the culprit for tough rolls and bread. Add just enough flour to be able to work with the dough and knead it until smooth and still slightly sticky, yet not sticking to your hands.
Dinner rolls have softer edges and are sometimes baked closer together to keep them softer. Buns typically have a crustier exterior.
Store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
🧀 More Savory Recipes
Looking for other recipes for savory breads, rolls, and scones like this? Try these:
If you tried these Herbed Dinner Rolls or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and write a little note telling me how it went in the comments below. Thank you!!
📖 Recipe
Herb Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- measuring cups & spoons
- large mixing bowl
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water (110℉)
- 2 teaspoons granulated white sugar divided
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast (traditional yeast)
- ¾ cup warm water (110℉)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter melted
- ¼ cup shredded Grana Padano cheese or parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 ½ - 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Stir 1 teaspoon of sugar and yeast into the ½ cup of warm water and let sit for 10 minutes until the mixture is frothy and bubbly. In another bowl, stir together ¾ cup of warm water, melted butter, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar, thyme, basil, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Whisk in the yeast mixture once it is bubbly, then add 2 cups of flour and the cheese and continue stirring while adding about another ½ cup of flour.
- Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 5 minutes or until the dough is soft, smooth, and no longer sticking to your hands. Dust the counter with a small amount of flour when you notice the dough sticking to your hands but try not to add too much extra flour (too much flour will make the dough tough). Form the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. The dough should double in size.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. After the dough has risen, punch it down into the bowl and knead a few times to get the air bubbles out. Cut the dough in half and then cut each half into 8 equal pieces - 16 pieces in total. Form each piece into a bun and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place again for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350℉ while the buns finish rising.
- After the buns have risen, remove the towel and the plastic wrap and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving with butter. Enjoy!
Carole
These are easy and a new family favorite! I used parmesan because that's what we had. Fluffy, tasty, and the smell is divine. Thank you for this recipe. Our new dinner roll go-to!
Naomi
I'm so glad to hear that, Carole! Thank you for leaving a review!!
Naomi
Isabel Olivetti
Another fantastic yeast roll recipe! These are so flavorful, and as an added bonus, your kitchen will smell amazing 😉
Naomi
Thanks, Isabel! These rolls do smell incredible while baking!!
Thank you for the 5-star review!
Naomi