How to Reheat Dinner Rolls So They’re Soft, Warm, and Actually Good Again

If you need to reheat dinner rolls without drying them out, whether it’s for a holiday meal, weeknight dinner, or leftover rolls, the best method is simple:

Wrap them in foil and heat at 300°F for 8–10 minutes.

This softens the rolls and warms them through without making the tops tough.

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Below, you’ll find the methods and timing that work for every situation: store-bought trays, homemade rolls, frozen rolls, toaster oven, microwave, and how to keep rolls warm for serving.

Quick Answer: Best Way to Reheat Dinner Rolls

Best overall method:

1. Wrap rolls in foil
2. Bake at 300°F (150°C)
3. Heat 8–10 minutes

This keeps them soft, warm, and moist, no drying out.

Quickest method: 10–12 seconds in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel
Best for crusty rolls: 350°F for 5 minutes (no foil)

More detailed steps below.

Why Do Rolls Get Hard and Weird Anyway?

Okay, quick science moment (I promise it’s useful): When bread cools down, the starch molecules inside start to crystallize. This process is called starch retrogradation, which is just a fancy way of saying “your bread is getting stale.”

The good news? Gentle heat plus a little moisture reverses this. The starch softens back up, and your rolls taste fresh again. The bad news? Too much heat or no moisture, and you’ve just made croutons.

The Best Way: Oven Method (My Go-To)

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This is what I do 90% of the time. It’s foolproof and works for basically any kind of roll.

What you need:

• Aluminum foil
• A baking sheet
• Optional: a tiny pat of butter if you’re feeling fancy

How to do it:

1. Preheat your oven to 300°F. Not 350°F, not 400°F. Trust me, high heat will toast the outside before the inside even warms up.
2. Wrap the rolls in foil. You can do them individually or bundle a few together. The foil traps steam, which is key to keeping them soft.
3. Heat for 8–10 minutes. If you’ve got bigger bakery-style rolls, give them an extra 2–3 minutes.
4. Eat them right away. Seriously. Once they cool, the starch starts crystallizing again and they’ll firm back up.

Why this works: The foil creates a little steam chamber. That moisture re-hydrates the bread while the gentle heat softens everything up. It’s the closest you’ll get to fresh-baked without actually baking.

The Quick Fix: Microwave Method

I’ll be honest, the microwave isn’t my favorite for rolls. But if you’re starving and can’t wait 10 minutes, here’s how to not mess it up.

The trick: Wrap each roll in a slightly damp paper towel. This gives the microwave some moisture to work with instead of just zapping the bread into oblivion.

How to do it:

• One roll: 10–12 seconds
• A few rolls: 20–30 seconds
• Check and add 5-second bursts if needed

Important warning: Eat these immediately. Microwaved bread turns rubbery fast because the heat tightens up the starch molecules. If you wait, you’ll regret it.

Toaster Oven or Air Fryer? Here’s What Works

Toaster Oven

This is basically the oven method but smaller. Perfect if you don’t want to heat up your whole kitchen.

• Wrap rolls in foil
• Heat at 300°F for 6–8 minutes
• Serve right away

Air Fryer

Air fryers are great for a lot of things, but they’re basically designed to remove moisture, which is the opposite of what we want here. So you have to be strategic.

• Wrap rolls in foil (non-negotiable)
• Heat at 280–300°F for 3–4 minutes
• If you want the tops a little crispy, unwrap and heat for 1 more minute

Reheating Frozen Rolls

Whether these are homemade, Rhodes, Parker House, or whatever brand, here’s what works.

Oven (Best Option)

• Don’t thaw them first
• Wrap frozen rolls in foil
• Bake at 325°F for 15–20 minutes
• Serve immediately

Microwave (If You Must)

• Wrap frozen roll in a damp towel
• Microwave 20–30 seconds, checking halfway

Those Heat-and-Serve Rolls from Costco/Walmart/Wherever

You know the ones, they come in the aluminum tray and you’re never quite sure if you’re supposed to eat them cold or what. (You’re not.)

Here’s the universal method:

1. Preheat oven to 300–325°F
2. Keep the rolls in their tray or transfer to a baking dish
3. Cover tightly with foil
4. Bake 12–18 minutes (depends on roll size)
5. Uncover for the last 2 minutes if you want lightly crisp tops

This works for Costco artisan rolls, Walmart dinner rolls, Rhodes warm-n-serve, H-E-B rolls, basically any “bake or serve” situation

How to Keep Rolls Warm During Dinner

This is clutch for Thanksgiving, parties, or any time you need rolls to stay warm while people are eating.

Option 1: The Warm Oven Trick Heat your oven to 170°F, then turn it off. Put the covered rolls inside, they’ll stay warm for up to 30 minutes without drying out.

Option 2: The Bread Basket Move Line a basket with a clean kitchen towel, add your rolls, and fold the towel over the top. This traps heat and looks nice on the table.

Option 3: Slow Cooker Line your slow cooker with a clean towel (keeps condensation off the rolls), add the rolls, cover with another towel, and keep on warm for up to an hour.

Mistakes I’ve Made So You Don’t Have To

1. Heating them too hot (350–400°F) The outside gets toasted before the inside even warms up. Not what we’re going for.

2. Microwaving without covering them Instant rubber. Every time.

3. Reheating them too early If you heat rolls and let them sit for 20 minutes, they’ll be firm again by the time you eat. Warm them right before serving.

4. Storing rolls in the fridge Refrigeration actually speeds up starch retrogradation. Room temp or freezing them is better.

5. Skipping the foil All the moisture escapes and you’re left with a sad, hard roll.

Quick Reference Guide

Roll Type	Temperature	Time
Room-temp rolls	300°F	8–10 min
Refrigerated rolls	300°F	10–12 min
Frozen rolls	325°F	15–20 min
Toaster oven	300°F	6–8 min
Air fryer	280–300°F	3–4 min
Microwave	—	10–12 sec (1 roll)

Before You Go

Soft rolls come down to one thing: gentle heat and a little steam. It works for every type of roll—from homemade yeast rolls to store-bought heat-and-serve.

If you like understanding why bread behaves the way it does (and how to make it work in your favor), check out my Bread & Baking Tips Hub.
It’s where I break down bread science in simple, practical ways that actually help in the kitchen.

You can also explore my Reheating Foods Hub if you want more guides like this that help you warm leftovers without drying them out.