The Best Yeast Rolls Recipe (2024)

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The Best Yeast Rolls Recipe Ever – Light, airy, and kissed with honey! This is an easy yeast roll recipe you’ll make again and again.

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Easy Dinner Roll Recipe

Today we’re serving Honey Yeast Rolls that are light, airy, and kissed with sweetness! This is honestlyThe Best Yeast Rolls RecipeI’ve ever made. A classic you’ll come back to again and again.

People get funny when you call somethingthe best.

Here, shove a honey yeast roll in your mouth… It will make you feel less sensitive. *wink*

To clarify, I want it to be known that this is The Best Yeast Rolls RecipeI’veever made. You can choose to disagree, but you’ll need to make and test them first.

Then you’ll find it tricky to say much about anything, because your face will be packed with one yeast roll right after the other.

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Let me tell you why this is The Best Yeast Rolls Recipe…

First, each little yeast roll is kissed with honey. There is honey in the dough and a honey butter glaze over the top.

Second, to balance the light sweetness, these yeast rolls have a generous dose of sea salt to bring out the best flavor.

Third and most important, the dough is sticky, meaning it will rise and bake into delicate pillows of wheaty goodness.

Convinced?

The Best Yeast Roll Recipe is such a versatile rolls recipe. You can shape the dough any way you want and use them as a side dish, or as buns for sliders.

For sliders, I like to roll the dough into balls for a perfectly round yeast roll you can cut in half.

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What Ingredients You Will Need

  • 4 1/4 – 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter divided
  • 2/3 cup honey divided
  • 1 packet dry active yeast about 2 1/4 teaspoons
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
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How To Make Homemade Yeast Rolls

Instructions…

Pour the milk into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until it comes to a simmer to scald the milk, then immediately remove.

Add 1/4 cup butter to the milk, stirring until the butter melts. (This starts cooling the milk.) Then stir in 1/3 cup honey.

Pour the milk into the bowl of an electric mixer, and test with your finger for temperature. The milk needs to be just lukewarm before proceeding, so it doesn’t kill the yeast.

When the milk mixture is barely over room temperature, sprinkle the yeast over the top.

Swirl the bowl a couple of times, then let the yeast sit and foam for at least 10 minutes.

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Once the yeast looks foamy, add in eggs and salt.

Then place a bread hook on your stand mixer and turn it on low.

Slowly add the flour until the dough comes away from the sides into a ball, but is still sticky.

Only add 4 1/4 cups of flour, unless extra is needed to make the dough pull away from the sides.

Once the dough pulls away from the bowl, stop the mixer – Do not over-mix.

Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and allow it to rise for 1-2 hours, until it is double in size.

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Everyday and Holiday Rolls

These rolls are perfect for everyday dinners or Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. I like to make bread basket rolls for these occasions, I like to tie them in knots as you see above.

Just roll a piece of dough into a short rope, cross one end over the other, then push one end through the hole.

And for Easter, I like to make The Best Yeast Rolls Recipe into bunnies!

Simply roll the dough into ovals.

Then poke “eyes” in one end with a chopstick, and usekitchen sheersto snip ears and tail. Fold the tail down to make it round.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How Long To Knead The Dough By Hand?

If kneading by hand, instead of with an electric mixer, it can take about 10 minutes for the right amount of gluten fibers to form. The dough should be tacky, but not sticky, smooth and slightly firm.

Can This Dough be Made and Frozen in Ball Form?

Yes, absolutely! Freeze them flat on a foil-lined baking sheet. Once the rolls are hard, put the balls in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months.

Is There A Reason Why You Don’t Use Bread Flour In This Recipe?

Bread flour is best for recipes where you want a strong gluten stretch… Like pizza dough or sourdough bread. However, with “delicate” baked goods and breads it’s better to use a lighter flour.

Can I Use Quick Rise Instant Yeast instead of Active Dry Yeast?

Yes, you can and it should work the same.

What Can I Use Instead Of Honey?

Maple syrup or brown rice syrup are good substitutions in this dinner rolls recipe!

Can These Be Made Ahead of Time?

You can definitely make the dough early and refrigerate or freeze it, but I would definitely bake right before serving. When making them the night before, I would shape them, brush with butter to protect the exterior, and then chill them overnight. However, you could wrap the whole dough ball with plastic and shape the rolls in the morning.

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Whether you make round rolls, knots, or bunnies, you will soon discover this roll recipe is The Best Yeast Rolls Recipe after all.

It’s one to tuck in yourkitchen journaland use for years to come!

Looking for a gluten-free variation? Try theseGluten Free Dinner Rolls.

We also love thesePotato Rolls.

Check the printable recipe card for the prep time, total time, and nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, fiber, vitamin, and calcium percentages.

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The Best Yeast Rolls Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

The Best Yeast Rolls Recipe Ever – Light, airy, and kissed with honey! An easy yeast roll recipe you’ll make again and again.

Servings: 32 rolls

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Pour the milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until itcomes to a simmer to scald the milk, then immediately remove. Add1/4 cup butter to the milk, stirring until the butter melts. (This starts cooling the milk.) Then stir in 1/3 cuphoney. Pour the milk into the bowl of an electric mixer, test with your finger for temperature. The milk needs to be just luke-warm before proceeding, so it doesn't kill the yeast. When the milk mixture is barely over room temperature, sprinkle the yeast over the top. Swirl the bowl a couple times, then let the yeast sit and foam for at least 10 minutes.

  • Once the yeast looks foamy, add in eggs and salt. Then place abread hook on your mixer and turn on low. Slowly add the flour until the dough comes away from the sides into a ball, but is still sticky. Only add 4 1/4 cups of flour, unless extra is needed to make the dough pull away from the sides. Once the dough pulls away from the bowl, stop the mixer – Do not over-mix. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and allow it to rise for 1-2 hours, until it is double in size.

  • Punch the dough down and cut into 32 equal pieces with a floured knife. Then gently roll into balls, or roll into short ropes and tie into knots. (Or make bunnies! See photos above.) Place the yeast rolls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart, and cover with lightly dampened tea towels or paper towels. Allow the rolls to rise a second time for 30-45 minutes.

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Melt the remaining 1/2 cup butter and whisk with 1/3 cup honey. Once the rolls have risen the second time, remove the towels and gently brush each rollwith honey butter. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Wait five minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pc, Calories: 203kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 120mg, Potassium: 65mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 165IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 1.7mg

Course: Biscuits, Bread

Cuisine: American

Author: Sommer Collier

Making this recipe?Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!

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The Best Yeast Rolls Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my yeast rolls not light and fluffy? ›

Rolls that are not light and fluffy can be the result of using too much flour (not measuring the flour correctly, as we mention above), or not using the type of flour your recipe calls for. Another reason for dense tough rolls is overmixing, which will produce too much gluten.

What yeast is best for rolls? ›

INSTANT YEAST is best for quick rising breads.

Is milk better than water for yeast rolls? ›

Bread made with water will not be as soft or fluffy as bread made with milk, the crumb won't be as fine, and it will go stale faster as well. Basically, the texture will be a bit more like my French bread than my hamburger buns. Another option is to use reconstituted powdered milk when you're baking.

Can you let yeast rolls rise too long? ›

“If the dough has risen too long, it's going to feel fragile and might even collapse as you poke it,” says Maggie. If this is the case, there's a chance you can save your dough by giving it a quick re-shape.

What ingredient makes bread light and fluffy? ›

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

What yeast do professional bakers use? ›

Fresh yeast, sometimes called cake yeast or compressed yeast, is a block of fresh yeast cells that contains about 70% moisture and is commonly used by baking professionals. It's pale beige in color, soft and crumbly with a texture similar to a soft pencil eraser, and has a stronger yeast smell than dry yeast.

Is butter or shortening better for yeast rolls? ›

Shortening traps more air bubbles and has a higher melting point than butter, so recipes using shortening tend to produce baked goods with more lift and that hold their shape during baking. Interior texture will also be softer and lighter.

How do you make yeast bread more flavorful? ›

Use the Refrigerator to Boost Your Dough's Flavor

When cooled, the yeast development slows down and allows for more gluten to be created. This results in improved dough structure and releases more flavor into the flour. Additionally, when dough is fermented slower, the complex starches and sugars can ferment fully.

How do you make yeast flavor stronger? ›

Longer fermentation gives bread stronger flavors. “A yeasty aroma and acidic flavors start to develop, adding more flavor to the finished bread,” Blakeslee said. Some bakers choose to do the extra step of making a sponge in order to add a slight sour and tangy flavor to the bread.

What causes yeast rolls to be heavy? ›

The dough was under or over proofed. This is the most common reason for dense bread because it can be hard at first to determine when dough is ready to bake. But both under and over fermenting can cause dense bread.

What yeast is best for baking rolls? ›

SAF Red is your best choice for all-around baking, from sandwich loaves to crusty no-knead bread to freeze-and-bake dinner rolls.

What makes yeast rolls not rise? ›

Yeast is too hot Yeast may have been dissolved in water that was too hot, or the liquid ingredients in the recipe may be too hot, causing the yeast to die. Yeast needs to be warm - not too hot, not too cold. Yeast is too cold If the other ingredients are too cold, it could cause some of the yeast to die.

Why are my yeast rolls so dry? ›

Too much flour makes dough too stiff to rise properly, creating a dry texture. A range of flour is always given in yeast bread recipes because flours vary in moisture content, reacting in different ways depending on the time of year, weather conditions, etc.

Why are my rolls dense and not fluffy? ›

Too much flour, or not the right kind, could be to blame. Dough made only from flour with a high or even average amount of protein (like bread flour or all-purpose flour) can become tough from overmixing. Protein gives bread structure in the form of gluten—the more you mix and move the dough, the more gluten you get.

Why isn't my yeast puffing up? ›

Yeast is too hot Yeast may have been dissolved in water that was too hot, or the liquid ingredients in the recipe may be too hot, causing the yeast to die. Yeast needs to be warm - not too hot, not too cold. Yeast is too cold If the other ingredients are too cold, it could cause some of the yeast to die.

Does letting bread rise longer make it fluffier? ›

Does Rising Bread Affect Its Texture? For a fluffy bread texture, the key is to let the bread rise long enough.

Why did my yeast rolls turn out heavy? ›

There may be several reasons for a dense, cake like texture in bread. It may indicate the kneading wasn't enough for the gluten to develop properly, or the dough was proved for too short a time or the dough may have been too dry. It is also worth checking the flour you used.

References

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