How to Reheat Dinner Rolls in Microwave
Learn the SOFT Secret how to microwave dinners rolls like I did in restaurants in the 1970s…
About How to Reheat Dinner Rolls in Microwave
This is how to reheat dinner rolls in microwave. It comes from many years of restaurant work and focusing on speed while maintaining quality and soft rolls. Also, visit our Bakery category of recipes for wonderful ideas of homemade fresh breads, pizza dough, cornbread, sub rolls, and French bread.
This example is for reheating 4 King’s Hawaiian dinner rolls. Adjust slightly for less or more rolls.
Step 1. Prepare The Dinner Rolls
FROZEN Dinner Rolls Prep
If the dinner rolls are frozen, you’ll need wrap them in paper towels, place in the microwave, and run the microwave on its reheat cycle (or power level of about 30%) for about 45 seconds to 1 minute. They should still be cold in the center. Then, open up the paper towel and advance to next step.
REFRIGERATED or ROOM TEMP Dinner Rolls Prep
Position 4 dinner rolls in the center of a full sheet of a paper towel (or 2 pull-apart paper towel sections as 1 piece).

Step 1. Position the dinner rolls onto the paper towel center.
Step 2. Sprinkle Water and Wrap Up The Dinner Rolls
- Position the rolls on the open paper towel near faucet. Run the tap of cold water and wet your (clean) fingers. Move your wet fingers over and above the rolls, while flicking then to drizzle (sprinkle) water drops across paper towel and rolls. Repeat this action one more time.
- Wrap up the slightly moistened dinner rolls with the slightly dampened paper towel. This is strategically done by folding one corner of the paper towel at a time to drape across and just past the rolls center. It’s repeated with all 4 corners.

Step 2. Sprinkle some water across rolls and the paper towel. Then, fold in the corners to wrap it up.
Step 3. Reheat The Dinner Rolls in the Microwave
Turn the paper towel wrapped rolls upside down so the folded corners are on the bottom. Place into the microwave.

Step 3a. Turn the wrapped rolls “packet” upside down and place into microwave.
Turn on microwave to run full power for about 12 seconds.

Step 3b. Turn on microwave for about 12 seconds.
Open them up and check rolls for any needed additional time. They’re typically perfectly moist, warm, and ready for serving.
Storing Microwave Reheated Dinner Rolls
After the dinner rolls are reheated, they can be served immediately in the usual way. However, if you’ve got about 5-10 minutes before the rest of dinner is ready, you should NOT open their paper towel. Just leave them fully wrapped up and set aside.
If It’s Later Than 10 Minutes After Reheating Rolls
They will hold their warmth for a typical max of around 10 minutes. If dinner is determined to be noticeably later than that, just do this. Leave them wrapped up; then, just a couple of minutes before dinner is served, pop them back into the microwave for 5 seconds.
Storing Leftover Reheated Microwave Dinner Rolls
So, usually if dinner rolls have been reheated a 2nd time, they’re not as good a quality for serving by reheating a 3rd time. But, they can be used as leftover bread for other purposes such as these:
- Let them dry out to make bread crumbs.
- Use them for making your own croutons from the oven or skillet.
- Split them open in halves and apply butter, garlic, and salt. Then broil them for miniature garlic toast as a perfect side dish.
- Think of your own bread ideas that doesn’t require these leftover rolls to be soft.
Extra Tips for Reheating Dinner Rolls in the Microwave
- Time will vary with microwave strength; this example uses one with 1,200 watts.
- When drizzling the water drops, you will want to have dispersed about 2-3 teaspoons of water for 4 dinner rolls.
Related Recipes
Here are some related recipes.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve learned how to reheat dinner rolls in the microwave, go ahead and try it! And, you also have good usage ideas for leftover reheated dinner rolls as well.
And, don’t forget, you can make an incredible Sliders Recipe using dinner rolls also!