Easy Yeast Rolls

24 Rolls
1 hr 16 min

Light, fluffy, piping hot, no knead easy yeast rolls. Easily started in your bread machine, then finished in the oven, for perfect, hot, soft buttery yeast rolls.


Thought it took someone with a PhD in baking to make these beauties? Guess again, I told you when I first started this blog that I am surrounded by people who are excellent cooks, bakers and candlestick makers, okay maybe not the last one, but it sounded good.

These go ideal with any meal, but are especially amazing with a holiday meal! Last Christmas I started them in the afternoon and they were ready for a pat of butter by dinnertime! Who doesn’t want a piping hot, fresh buttery roll with a bowl of your favorite soup?


Place all ingredients in the bread pan in the following order:


  • water
  • butter, softened
  • egg
  • bread flour (all-purpose flour may be substituted in a pinch)
  • sugar
  • salt
  • active dry yeast
  • TIP: Yeast is temperamental, if possible when placing it in the pan put it next to the sugar, not the salt. Yeast feeds on sugar, salt tends to kill it.

Place ingredients in your bread maker and choose the white, large, dough cycle; not the full bread cycle, just the dough cycle, you will finish them up after the first rise.


After the dough cycle is finished, punch down and plop onto a floured surface and divide into 16-24 equally shaped pieces. I love using my bench scraper to divide them, it’s quick and easy.


Next pinch into round little dumplings, place pinched side down on a parchment lined or greased sheet pan. Brush tops with melted butter and a sprinkle of flaky or kosher sea salt.

PRO TIP | I like to set my oven to 100º, turn off, then place the rolls in to rise. Or if your oven has a “proof” setting use that, or if really chilly, turn light on in your oven.


Once doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes, remove from oven and preheat oven to 375º F. Bake until golden brown, if desired brush again with melted butter just before serving and sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt.


CAN I MAKE ROLLS WITHOUT A BREAD MACHINE?

  • Yes, simply add all ingredients to mixer, preferably with a dough hook. Mix on low until dough combined.
  • Then scraping sides of bowl and bottom, continuing mixing on medium for 2-3 minutes, until dough is slightly sticky, but is stretchy and holds together.
  • Place dough in medium bowl coated with a little oil, turning to cover both sides of dough, cover with damp tea towel or plastic wrap.
  • Place in warm spot (oven with lights on works) for about 30 minutes until doubled.
  • Once doubled in size, remove and pinch into balls, then continue with balance of recipe.
Recipe details
  • 24  Rolls
  • Prep time: 1.5 Hours Cook time: 16 Minutes Total time: 1 hr 16 min
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup water, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 ¼ cups bread flour (may substitute all-purpose flour, end result slightly different, but still delicious!)
  • ¼ cup sugar (I use all natural cane sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 teaspoons active dry yeast or bread machine yeast
  • 2-3 Tablespoons Melted butter for brushing
  • Kosher Salt or Flaky Sea Salt for Topping
Instructions

Place first 7 ingredients in bread machine (*see notes for how to make without bread machine) pan in order listed. Try and make sure that the yeast is by the sugar, not the salt.
Place in bread machine, start white, dough, large cycle (not the full bread). Once cycle is finished, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or spray with non-stick spray.
Remove dough from bread pan and punch down, separate pieces into 16-24 equal dough balls. Pinch together bottoms of dough to form little dumpling sized dough balls.
Place upside down on cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Cover with clean, damp tea towel and let rise in warm location* for 30-40 minutes until doubled.
Once doubled, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Brush tops again with melted butter, if desired and sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt.
Tips
  • *Note: Turn your oven on and heat to 100 degrees, then turn off and place dough in oven to rise.
  • How to Make Rolls without a Bread Machine Simply add all ingredients to mixer, preferably with a dough hook. Mix on low until dough combined. Then scraping sides of bowl and bottom, continuing mixing on medium for 2-3 minutes, until dough is slightly sticky, but is stretchy and holds together. Place dough in medium bowl coated with a little oil, turning to cover both sides of dough, cover with damp tea towel or plastic wrap. Place in warm spot (oven with lights on works) for about 30 minutes until doubled. Once doubled in size, remove and pinch into balls, then continue with balance of recipe.
Kathleen | The Fresh Cooky
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Comments
  • Margaret Margaret on Nov 24, 2020

    I’m afraid I don’t understand; if the yeast is not supposed to touch the salt, why are the two listed as next to each other in the recipe? Would I put the sugar on one side of the bread machine chamber, the salt on the other?

    thanks, Margaret wright

  • Grace Grace on Jan 23, 2023

    What size pan should we bake the rolls in?

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