Easy Yeast Rolls for Beginners
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Learn how to make fluffy, buttery restaurant style yeast rolls the easy way. While making your own bread may sound hard, this recipe is so simple to follow even beginners can do it.
At some point or another, we’ve all wanted to be superwoman and make our own bread, right? And then there was that TikTok craze in 2020 where everyone on the planet was making bread the old school way.
I didn’t hop on board then because I’ve made my fair share of loaves in the past. But these yeast rolls are too good to pass up. And this recipe is an easy way for beginners to jump onto the homemade bread bandwagon.
We’re sharing tips to help you get the best results with this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and a printable recipe card.
They are perfect when you want to experiment with something new, or simply cut the store bought rolls out of your grocery budget. Yeast rolls are made with pantry staples, making them budget friendly.
You can bake these homemade rolls for the holidays or Sunday dinners. And they can be made ahead of time and frozen for later. We also love serving these rolls with country style ribs, Mississippi chicken and pot roast with banana peppers.
If you’re short on oven space these air fryer dinner rolls are a tasty option.
Easy Yeast Rolls Ingredients
- whole milk
- water
- unsalted butter
- sugar
- active dry yeast
- salt
- all-purpose flour
- eggs
Gadgets You’ll Need to Make This Recipe
- 9×13 baking dishes – you’ll need 2 to make this recipe
- Electric mixer – you can mix the dough by hand, but I prefer to use my stand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
Get the complete ingredients & directions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Easy Yeast Rolls for Beginners
Heat the milk, water, and butter in a small saucepan to 120 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, yeast, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on medium for 3 to 4 minutes using an electric mixer (I use this stand mixer).
Add the eggs and mix on high for 2 minutes.
Slowly add in a cup of flour at a time until the mixture forms a soft dough ball.
Place the yeast roll dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-8 minutes. Add additional flour as needed so the dough becomes stretchy.
Transfer to a greased mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise until it has doubled in size. This should take about 60-90 minutes.
Grease two 9×13 baking dishes.
Punch down the dough and turn it onto a floured surface. Form 24 rolls from the dough and place them into the baking pans.
Cover and place in a warm spot so they can rise for a second time – they should double in size.
Bake the yeast rolls for 12 to 14 minutes at 375 degrees F. Remove from oven, brush with melted butter and serve.
Tips for Making Simple Yeast Rolls
- Double check the yeast expiration date. If it’s expired the dough won’t rise.
- Avoid using rapid rising yeast with this recipe. The rolls may overproof because the rapid kind makes bread rise much quicker.
- Keep a lightly floured surface throughout the process. The dough is very sticky so this will make it more manageable.
- For a tidier workspace, tape a large sheet of parchment paper to your counter before flouring.
- We haven’t tested this recipe in a bread machine.
- If you’re having trouble making the rolls into the same size and shape, mold the dough into a log. Then use a bench scraper or pizza cutter to cut each section into equal pieces. Shape the rolls after cutting.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
You can store leftover homemade yeast rolls in an airtight container or plastic tiptop bag on the counter for 2-3 days.
To freeze, wait until they have cooled completely, then transfer to a freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Reheat the rolls on a baking sheet at 350 degrees F until they are warm.
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How to Make Yeast Rolls for Beginners
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ ounce package active dry yeast
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 ½ to 5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine milk, water and butter and heat to 120 degrees F.1 cup whole milk, ½ cup water, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Whisk together the sugar, yeast, salt and 2 cups of flour in a large mixing bowl.¼ cup sugar, ¼ ounce package active dry yeast, 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on Medium speed for 3-4 minutes.
- Add eggs and mix on High for 2 minutes.2 large eggs
- Gradually add in the flour 1 cup at a time, until the mixture forms a soft ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-8 minutes, adding additional flour if needed, until the dough becomes elastic.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size (60-90 minutes).
- Spray 2 baking dishes (13×9 size) with nonstick cooking spray.
- Punch down the dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and form into 24 rolls.
- Place dough balls into the baking dishes, 12 in each dish.
- Cover baking dishes, place in a warm spot and let the dough rise until it’s doubled in size (approximately 60-90 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and brush with melted butter if desired.
Notes
- Make sure your yeast is fresh – if it’s expired the rolls won’t rise.
- Use a stand mixer if you have one but you can also make them by hand.
- Store leftover rolls in an airtight container or tiptop bag for 2-3 days on the counter.
Nutritional Estimate
Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.
