Easy Yeast Rolls
Just a dozen easy yeast rolls? You got it. No more, no less, and all the easy steps you need to make light, airy rolls anytime you need them.
This recipe was originally published in March, 2014
Yeast rolls seem like they terrify way too many people. Are you one of them? Or maybe you’ve been searching for the softest, most flavorful easy yeast rolls that don’t make a blue ton or use 3 pounds of flour to put together.
You just need 12!
No matter what your situation, these easy yeast rolls will do it. This version is made by rolling two balls of dough about 2 inches in diameter and putting them side by side in a muffin tin to rise. That’s how you get the split down the middle. We called these butt rolls growing up. You can see why obviously.
If you don’t want to roll balls, just put them in the muffin tin in one larger ball or place them in a round cake pan barely touching–that’s another easy way to get your easy yeast rolls done with less fuss.
They’ll emerge from the oven so soft, warm and begging for a smear of butter and jam.
How to make these easy yeast rolls
- You’ll have to tackle yeast. Yes, I know. But you can do it. If you need some help, check out my post on how to activate yeast. It takes about 5 minutes. You can handle it. You can also watch me activate yeast on YouTube.
- Over the years I’ve tried a lot of flours–and a lot of brands of flours–to find one that works best. I actually find that the cheaper the flour is, the better it works, resulting in a lighter dough. If you want to use just all purpose flour, my favorites are King Arthur, Aldi’s flour or Hogsdon Mills from Walmart. I do not recommend Pillsbury or Gold Medal by any stretch.
- Bread flour is also excellent here and something that I really just started using in the last year and a half or so. I really like it here–it has more gluten in it and gives your dough more structure as it rises and I think the the yeast rolls are lighter. I like King Arthur for bread flour. You could also do half all purpose and half bread flour if you wanted to go that route.
- Avoid working too much flour into your dough when you knead it on the counter. A little stickiness won’t hurt anything. Keep your hands floured and avoid dumping it on the dough itself.
- If you want a stronger yeast flavor in your dough, let it rise in a cooler area for longer–the yeast will develop more fully and give you that signature flavor.
The difference between active dry yeast and instant yeast and how to swap them
There have been tons of questions about the difference is between active dry and instant yeast. This recipe calls for active dry yeast which needs to be activated in warm water before using it. I use active dry yeast because it was the standard type of yeast developed before instant and most time trusted recipes are written for that type–but one isn’t necessarily better or worse than the other.
Instant yeast can be activated in water OR it can be added dry right into the flour or dry ingredients and then added to your recipe. Instant yeast does not rise faster than active dry despite the “fast rise” on the package.
If you only have instant yeast on hand
If you only have instant/rapid rise yeast on hand, add the water (warm) that’s used in the recipe in with the eggs and oil. Then open the package of yeast and add it into the flour before adding it to the recipe and proceed as the recipe instructs.
Remember: Instant yeast can still fail
Just because you don’t have to activate instant yeast doesn’t mean it will just automatically rise. Your water must still be the correct temperature (luke warm) and your other ingredients needs to be room temperature as well. Too cold and the yeast still won’t wake up and leaven your rolls.
Not looking to work with yeast? Try my no-yeast quick rolls and give either version a big smear of my slow cooker apple butter.
How to develop a stronger yeast flavor
Yeast doughs develop flavor while they rise. The longer the rise, the more yeasty flavor that will develop. In order to do this, rise your dough in a cool location.
70-80 degree rooms will produce a doubled dough in 1 to 2 hours but to boost flavor, try moving your dough to a cooler part of your house or even a garage or closet that’s about 60 degrees until it doubles in size.
You can rise the dough in the refrigerator but only until it’s doubled–3 to 4 hours.
Can I rise the dough all night in the refrigerator?
Not in this case. I’ve tried it and the yeast amount is too aggressive for a long slow rise resulting in the digestion of all of the gluten in the flour. When morning comes you have a soup of sloppy dough you’ll have to throw out.
If you want to do an overnight or refrigerator roll, you’ll need a recipe written specifically for that process.
Watch me make these rolls on YouTube
Get instructions for this recipe as a loaf of bread here.
How to make these rolls ahead
Freeze them unbaked
The best way to make these ahead is to do the first rise, shape the dough, then freeze the dough balls on a cookie sheet or in the baking pan you want to bake in.
When you want to bake, remove from the freezer, place the dough balls in a greased muffin tin (if you didn’t freeze them in it) and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled which will take 6 to 12 hours then bake.
Freeze them already baked
You can also bake the rolls and freeze them in an air tight container then wrap them in foil and reheat in a low oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Homemade Yeast Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup water about 110 degrees or just slightly warmer than lukewarm
- 1 package active dry yeast *see note 1 for using instant yeast instead
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons flavorless oil I prefer avocado but vegetable or canola also works
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 3-3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
- Add the sugar, oil, egg, salt, and half of the flour and mix until just combined.
- Add one more cup of flour and mix until the flour is combined again.
- Add between 1/2 of a cup to 1 whole cup of the remaining flour as needed until the dough comes together and is soft but not gooey. (Usually takes about 3/4 of a cup for me, but will depend on weather and humidity)
- Spray the top with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap.
- Allow to rise in a warm place for one hour or until doubled.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times until the dough is slightly smooth.
- Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Pinch off balls of dough about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place two in each muffin tin side by side.
- Allow to rise about one hour more until doubled again.
- Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes and brush melted butter over the tops when you take them out of the oven.
Thank you so much! This recipe was easy and fantastic!! I will make this a holiday fave for every year.
I’m so glad Michelle! Thank you for letting me know. (PS it makes a great easy weeknight dinner with a salad too–so don’t just save it for holidays!) –Rachel
These rolls are as close to my mamaw’s yeast rolls as I have ever gotten. They are delicious. I live at a higher altitude, so I used a bit more water, but followed the recipe otherwise and they were beautiful and delicious. I also made clover rolls like my mamaw. This is a recipe I will add to my collection. Thank you for sharing!
That’s wonderful Laura! So glad to hear that! –Rachel
I am planning on making your recipe today for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I plan on refrigerating the rolls after they are formed prior to the second rising, then taking them out of the refrigerator a few hours before cooking for them to come to room temperature and rise. I am hoping against hope that this will work. My question to you is, can this recipe be doubled? Or would it be better to make it twice?
Yes Athena, you can double it and it works fine. I’ve done it! What I’d recommend you do is refrigerate the dough for its first rise and then take the dough out the next day, punch it down, knead it and shape them tomorrow and allow them to rise normally. You do run the risk of over rising them if you shape and put them in the fridge and they may deflate when you bake them but you are welcome to give it a try anyway. –Rachel
Are you using Instant, Active Dry, or fresh yeast?
Active dry here Keri. Instant is one that goes directly in to the flour without activation and fresh–well–that’s not my jam. 😉 –Rachel
Looking forward to making your recipe. Can you make your recipe up through rolling into balls and then flash freezing the balls and then taking the frozen balls out as needed to rise and bake?
Hey Kay, I think you could. After all, that’s what the frozen dough is that you buy in the grocery store. You’d want to put the frozen balls in a pan, cover with greased plastic wrap, and allow to thaw and rise–that could take 6 to 8 hours depending on the temperature of your house. –Rachel
I DID IT! I’m normally so bad with yeast recipes, but I followed this one and they were flavorful and good and I got them made also while doing five things. For Friends-giving this Thursday (all of us are far from home so we get together as friends) I was making these and so I did a test run. They’re not the same size, they’re not super pretty, but they’re fluffy and soft on the inside, and they taste amazing – that’s th eway more important part!
Maq that’s so great! I’m so glad you took the time to let me know. And they don’t have to be the same size or all that pretty. It only matters that you made them and yes, that they taste good. That’s always important. 🙂 Happy Friendsgiving to you and I hope you’ll come back and try another recipe soon. –Rachel
Let me start by saying I am a disaster in the kitchen……. I made these beautiful rolls yesterday. I followed both the written instructions and the Youtube video. When they were done, they looked beautiful, but were flavorless. What did I do wrong? The texture was fluffy – but I have a feeling they could have been lighter and more fluffy. Maybe I should use a better brand of flour? I used what I had on the shelf (which was Pillsbury bread flour). Do you have any idea as to what went wrong? They are so beautiful, I do’t want to give up on them!
Thank you!
Don’t give up Kelly! You’ve already done something amazing so pat yourself on the back and let’s start tweaking. Here are my thoughts:
1) Remember that working with bread is a practiced skill. You get better each time you do it so be patient with yourself.
2) I wanted to cover my eyes when I read Pillsbury flour. I happen to know that that flour makes the heaviest of all breads. The reason I know is because we had a bread baking class here years ago and the students brought their own flour. One girl brought Pillsbury and they were the worst of all of them when they baked. Worst in flavor and texture and the heaviest. SO: get your hands on a bag of King Arthur bread flour or try Hogsdon Mills all purpose from Walmart OR if you have an Aldi, get the Baker’s Corner all purpose. I use all of those with great success, but King Arthur is my favorite.
3) A slow rise is going to build a more yeasty flavor in your dough. So for the first rise, as I said in the video, it’s fine to let the dough sit for two, even three hours in a cool place (70 degrees) so the yeast really has time to flavor things. If you did a shorter 1 hour rise, that can contribute.
4) Did you remember to put the salt in? I’ve forgotten it before and it makes the most bland dough EVER. Bleh.
I really think your biggest issue was the flour and maybe needed a tad longer rise time. Try again and see if things don’t get better with these tweaks. You’re doing great! If you can master bread, you can master anything. Let me know how it goes and I’ll be here to help. –Rachel
This is my favorite recipe for anything that I’ve ever gotten online. It’s so easy and absolutely delicious. My rolls are always pillowy and perfect. I love to brush the top of them with honey butter, cinnamon butter, or garlic butter. The leftovers make great slider buns the next day! This recipe makes two cake pans full (I prefer the texture to the way they are when made in a muffin tin, but I tried it that way too and they really did turn out beautifully) and lately I’ve been using half the recipe for the rolls amd the other half for cinnamon rolls the next morning. THE MOST INCREDIBLE CINNAMON ROLLS YOU WILL EVER EAT. Seriously, this recipe was life changing. My husband and daughters thank you!
Oh Maggie that makes me so happy! I make mine in a cake pan a lot too so I know what you mean about that. They are soft on all the edges. 😉 I think it’s just one dough that works great for anything you’d want to turn it in to. I do have an amazing cinnamon roll recipe here on the blog that I think makes even better ones that what this dough would make. Here’s the recipe if you ever want to try it: https://feastandfarm.com/soft-homemade-cinnamon-rolls/
But thank you so much for your kind words no matter what version you make! I love it!!!! –Rachel
I have tried many different recipes. Until now I thought the more ingredients and more complex would render the best rolls. Not true. This recipe is easy and made the best rolls ever. This is a keeper. Thank you!
Hey Michelle,
If there’s one thing I know to be true, it’s that a few simple ingredients always make the best meals. That’s really the whole premise behind this blog and these rolls are a great example. If you ever get the chance, get your hands on some King Arthur bread flour and use that here. It makes their structure even better. I’m so glad you enjoyed them. We love them too. 🙂 –Rachel
I made these for the first time yesterday but halved the recipe since it’s only my fiancé and myself. I did only 1 tsp of yeast instead of 1 1/8tsp. They turned out wonderfully! My fiancé absolutely loves them, he says they’re like the brown and serve rolls found in the bread aisle but so much bigger and better and without all the additives. Next time I make this recipe, I intend on doing it to make the full dozen to see if there is any difference. Do you recommend a way of storing off the dough so I can bake it later? I’ve only recently started baking yeast breads so I’m trying to learn as much as possible. Thank you for such a great recipe! I’m adding it to my recipe book!
Hey Lisa, yeah yeast is pretty flexible. It probably wouldn’t have hurt if you’d thrown the whole 2 1/4 in there. And gosh I hope they’re better than brown and serve rolls. I hate those things. 😉 And you can freeze rolls. If you look in your frozen food section you’ll find frozen roll dough in bags, so it can be done. Here’s what I would recommend:
Make your dough, let it rise the first hour, punch it down, knead it. Shape your rolls and place them on a cookie sheet with about an inch of space between them. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer until the balls are totally frozen. A couple of hours probably. Then transfer the balls to a good quality zip top freezer bag and get as much air out as you can. Freeze them like this until you’re ready to use them. They can handle about a month in the freezer.
To bake, take out the frozen balls, grease the pan of your choice and set them in with a couple of inches of space between. Cover them with plastic wrap you’ve sprayed with baking spray and allow them to thaw and rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk. That’s going to take about 8 hours or so, then just bake them as usual.
You could set them out before you go to work and probably have them ready when you got home. 🙂 Welcome to the world of bread baking! It will change your life. Use good flour (I like King Arthur bread flour) for the best results. –Rachel