Some of them tasted similar to me, but the textures were a little all over the place.
King's Hawaiian was a close second, but my favorite roll was from Nature's Own.
There's nothing like a freshly baked roll — but I figured there must be a few store-bought options that make a worthwhile accompaniment.
I tried five brands of premade rolls first on their own and then warmed up with butter.
Here's how I'd rank the rolls from my least favorite to my favorite.
6. Safeway dinner rolls
Safeway has its own variety of dinner rolls in its bakery section.
Chelsea Davis
Having lived across from a Safeway for most of my life, I decided to try its dinner rolls first.
I figured the rolls from the bakery section of the store — which actually bakes bread daily — would be decent.
When I tried the roll straight out of the bag, it was a little dry.
I don't think I would eat these rolls again.
Chelsea Davis
The roll itself was super light and airy, but I found it a bit dry right out of the bag.
After warming it up and adding butter, it still seemed a little dry but it was chewier. I probably wouldn't buy them again.
4. Signature Select artisan-style dinner rolls
The Signature Select dinner rolls were marketed as "artisan."
Chelsea Davis
The Signature Select rolls looked very soft, and I think they'd probably be great for sliders.
The rolls were soft, chewy, and slightly sweet.
Signature Select makes a pretty standard dinner roll, but I didn't love it warmed up.
Chelsea Davis
I didn't have any major complaints about the roll right out of the bag — they seemed pretty standard.
But after I microwaved it, it got even softer. The texture was chewy and doughy, which isn't what I normally expect from a dinner roll.
3. Artesano bakery-bread bakery rolls
Artesano also has a classic bakery roll for sale.
Chelsea Davis
The Artesano bakery rolls seemed very standard, and I think they looked pretty similar to the Signature Select rolls.
I couldn't really find a different between these and the Signature Select rolls.
Artesano and Signature Select were neck and neck in the ranking.
Chelsea Davis
Straight out of the bag, the Artesano rolls looked and tasted like the Signature Select version.
But when I warmed it up, the texture was thankfully just a little less chewy. That alone earned it a higher spot in the ranking.
2. King's Hawaiian original Hawaiian sweet rolls
I remember liking King's Hawaiian rolls as a kid.
Chelsea Davis
King's Hawaiian rolls are a classic brand I grew up with. But I noticed they didn't feel as soft as I remember.
The rolls were definitely sweet.
King's Hawaiian came close to winning the taste test.
Chelsea Davis
After trying the roll, I stand by my theory that these used to be softer, or maybe I just got a bag that was slightly stale.
That said, when I warmed it up, it was one of the best rolls I tried — even without any butter. It maintained its texture and didn't become overly chewy.
The only reason it's not in the top spot is that I found the rolls a little dry right out of the bag.
1. Nature's Own brioche-style butter rolls
Nature's Own markets its butter rolls as being brioche-style.
Chelsea Davis
The description of Nature's Own's brioche-style dinner rolls sounded promising to me.
I was expecting the texture to be extra soft.
Nature's Own was my favorite of all the rolls.
Both the taste and texture stood out in the Nature's Own rolls.
Chelsea Davis
I thought Nature's Own was the best overall, thanks to its flavor. It was very similar to a buttery brioche roll — soft and slightly sweet as advertised.
It wasn't as soft as Signature Select or Artesano, but that was a good thing. After I warmed it, it tasted even better and wasn't overly chewy or doughy.
None of these quite came close to a freshly baked dinner roll, but I think Nature's Own is a great store-bought alternative.
This story was originally published on November 20, 2023, and most recently updated on November 13, 2024.
