No Yeast Dinner Rolls
No yeast dinner rolls are the perfect solution when you need bread, but you don’t have time to make real dinner rolls. Skip the brown-and-serves and make a batch of these quick bread style rolls. You’ll love how easy they are to throw together.
Jump to Recipe
Sometimes you start dinner 30 minutes behind schedule. Sometimes, your husband is standing on your heels looking in all the pots and won’t go away and all you want to do is smack him.
You need dinner done before you lose your sanity, and you need it done now. These little rolls will help.
These rolls follow more of a quick bread style, and use so few ingredients, you’re bound to have most if not all of them on hand right now.
There’s no yeast to kill, no kneading to do–just mix and drop spoonfuls into greased muffin tins (I like this one to get just the right size). Bake ’em up, spread them with butter or jam and you’ve got a fast, easy option.
Why mayonnaise makes these rolls amazing
Mayo in bread dough? Yep! It’s a wonderful binder and, as such, does a great job of bringing all of the ingredients together into moist rolls with a nice, tender crumb.
Mayonnaise also adds a subtle tang to these rolls, making them wonderful accompaniments to rich, savory dishes.
Chemically speaking, in order for baking powder to activate effectively, it needs to come in contact with some acid.
Mayonnaise is quite acidic and activates the baking powder beautifully, allowing it to work effectively as a leavening agent.
How to Make Self Rising Flour at Home
If you can’t find self-rising flour, make it at home from all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
Sift together 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Is your baking powder fresh? Are you sure?
If you want your rolls to rise properly, it is important to start out with fresh baking powder that is less than 6 months old.
Have a look at the expiration date and think back on whether or not the baking powder has been stored in a cool, dry place. If the expiration date hasn’t passed and the baking powder has been properly stored, you’re in the clear.
Still unsure? You can test it by mixing 1 teaspoon of baking powder with 1/3 cup of hot water. If the mixture bubbles vigorously, your baking powder good to go.
Tip: Make sure they rise
Rolls that don’t rise usually fail because the baking powder in your self rising flour is old. Even if you just bought the bag, it could have sat on the store shelf for a while and lost its mojo. You can always add a bit of fresh from your pantry to your self rising flour if you are unsure how long it’s been sitting around.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Dinner Rolls without Yeast
Combine self-rising flour and sugar in a medium bowl.
Mix the milk and mayonnaise in a second smaller bowl.
Add the milk/mayo mixture to the flour and sugar and stir until just blended.
Drop by spoonfuls into a greased muffin tin and bake.
Tips for success
Here come a few pearls of wisdom that will help you achieve the best no-yeast dinner rolls you’ve ever had.
- Don’t overmix. Overmixing can cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, ending you with tough, overly dense rolls.
- Handle gently. When working with the dough, use a light hand. Be careful not to press any air bubbles out of the dough as this can keep it from rising properly.
- Preheat all the way. Be sure that the oven is preheated all the way before baking. I like using an oven thermometer for good measure.
- Position matters. Position the rolls on the middle rack of the oven. They will bake more evenly, helping you avoid burnt bottoms or tops.
How to store and freeze leftover rolls
Make a double batch of these dinner rolls and store them for later. Allow them to cool completely before sealing them in an airtight container. You can keep them at room temperature for up to 3 days. Do not refrigerate them. They will dry out.
If you would like to freeze the dinner rolls, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap before sealing the wrapped rolls together in a freezer bag and popping them in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the rolls to thaw at room temperature before unwrapping and reheating them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes.
3 ways to add flavor variations to your bread
I love these dinner rolls as they are. They go with pretty much anything. That being said, you can easily add a pop of flavor to tailor them to your meal.
- Cheese. Add shredded cheddar or parmesan cheese to the dough. ⅓ cup will do.
- Herbs. I love adding rosemary or thyme to these rolls, especially during the holidays. Just mix your favorite into the dough and bake as usual.
- Make it sweet. Fold in a handful of raisins and a teaspoon of cinnamon for a sweet twist on the classic.
- Try a flavored butter. Brush garlic or honey butter over the top of the rolls the moment they come out of the oven.
What to serve with no yeast dinner rolls
You can’t have dinner rolls without dinner so here are a few of my favorite entrees to serve these warm, fluffy rolls with.
- Pot roast. I love dipping these rolls in the juices from my Dutch oven pot roast.
- Spaghetti and meatballs. Sop up the last of the sauce from my spaghetti and meatballs recipe with these dinner rolls.
- With breakfast. I usually serve my homemade breakfast sausages with biscuits but these rolls make a great substitution.
No Yeast Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup self rising flour see note below
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon sugar cane sugar or honey also works here
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Instructions
- Mix the flour and sugar together in a medium bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise and milk and stir to combine.
- Spray a 6-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or brush with oil of your choice. Spoon batter into the tin, filling 3/4 full.
- Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown on top–about 12 to 15 minutes.
- You can double the recipe to make a dozen.
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you Thank you Thank you!!! My grandmother made these and as a child I would watch her. I remembered all of the ingredients but couldn’t remember the measurements. I’ve talked and raved over these rolls for years but was unable to make them until now. I’ve made them for my family 3 nights in a row using some of the add ins I’ve seen in the comments. DELICIOUS!!! And so simple. My husband is still in disbelief that there is no yeast as he is a huge fan of yeast rolls. Can’t thank you enough for sharing.
I’m so glad you loved them!
I get you have a thing about flour not being fresh but I made someone elses recipe with the same flour and they turned out fine so the flour is fine. I got what looked more like cookies from this.
I’m sure it’s my fault as plenty of people seem to have made and enjoyed these but my flour is fine and I didn’t overmix.
I wish I could make these work
Hey Amy–I understand! It’s actually not the flour that’s the issue but old baking powder. If you had self rising flour, the baking powder in it was likely old. Just need to make sure that’s fresh and you’ll be good to go!
Was looking for a quick and easy dinner roll to make for dinner tonight. I believe I have found it! Got rave reviews from my hubs and he even said he wants to make them in the future! Win-win in my book! Thanks for the delicious recipe! No complaints here about hard, flat or miserable! We loved them!! Have bookmarked for future reference!
Made some tonight to go with chili and they were delicious.
Just out of curiosity…could I sub Greek yogurt for the mayo? I’m not a baker so I’m not trying to sound dumb but like to add protein whenever I can.
Hey Tonya, in this case the mayonnaise is serving as the binder since it has eggs and oil in it. Greek yogurt of course has no eggs so I’m not sure you’d get the same final result but you’re welcome to try. Without the egg to bind they would be more crumbly. –Rachel
Yes could I use all purpose flour using instructions on bag to make it self rising?
Possibly use extra baking powder. All ingredients with a good freshness date.
Thanks
Yes you can Elizabeth!
This is my 4th or 5th time making these and I keep trying new variations. I had some blueberries to use up so I made the recipe as is- but increased the sugar to a tablespoon. Then added about 3/4 of a cup of blueberries. This made 8 muffins. They could have used more sugar, so I whipped up a simple powdered sugar glaze and added lemon extract to it- and dipped the tops of the muffins in it. Amazing! I love your recipe so much, thanks again!
I made these tonite for our “leftovers” dinner. Awesome simple to whip up. And the taste is simple enough to go well with everything. Mine turned out a little flat, but I have a tendency to over-stir biscuits, muffins etc which flattens them. But they were not heavy at all. And perhaps I should have added a bit more baking powder than I did. I definitely will use this recipe again with a few adjustments. Thank you for this.
At least you recognize that you over mix Kitty! Just stop stirring as soon as the flour is in. 🙂 Glad you liked them! –Rachel
I love them! I’ve made them twice now and last time I made the pepperoni rolls you mentioned. I added some cheddar, garlic and pepperoni and they were also really good. I’m allergic to yeast, so thanks for a great recipe I can have!
I’m glad you enjoy them Ruthi!