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.
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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! These are easy and my family loved them. I will be making them often!
Glad to hear that Lori! –Rachel
Is it okay to use “Light” mayo? That’s the only kind I buy.
Hey Melany, yes I think so. As long as there are eggs and oil in it, they should turn out just fine. –Rachel
So you do need eggs and oil for this recipe?
Didn’t see that in the ingredients
No Yosef, because the mayonnaise is made from eggs and oil. That’s why it works so well. 🙂
They were amazing! Super easy and quick to make. I added powered garlic and shredded cheddar cheese. Yummy! I can’t believe how easy they were to make.
Way to go Gissell! I’m so glad you enjoyed them and believe it girl–they really are just that easy!! –Rachel
I’ve made these a few times and love them but do you think it would be possible to use water instead of milk?
Hey Amanda, I mean, probably. I’ve never tried it but I would think they would still turn out okay. –Rachel
They turned out pretty good. They came out a little flat but I used a little to much water so that was my fault.
So you used water and not milk in this run, huh? At least they were edible! Less water next time may help some. –Rachel
Hi, I use water in this recipe every time I make these and they turn out great. I started using water because I never have enough milk. I also substitute canola oil for the mayonnaise when I don’t have it and the recipe turns our great that way too!
I also don’t buy self-rising flour and use all-purpose, but I always add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder per 1 cup of all-purpose flour, and the recipe turns out great that way too (a tip from Rachel 2 years ago!).
Linda you sure are brave–that’s a lot of changes!
Just made these, they were amazing! Me and my husband ate every one of them in one sitting!
Uh oh Charlotte–you may not want to make these too often then! Hahahaha! I’m glad they were good. 😉 Thank you for letting me know. –Rachel
I tried these tonight and like some others they did not end up fluffy or rose as much as the picture showed. They also did not brown. They tasted fine (added cheese to some) but I’m not sure why they didn’t rise as much as it sounds like they should have. It sounds like some had to brush butter, etc to get them to brown and you may want to consider adding that as an option in the recipe if the tops aren’t browning.
Hey Teresa, I think the key here is how fresh your self rising flour is. A lot of people keep their flour too long or they use older baking powder (if you make your self rising flour from scratch) and it can take as little as 6 months for it to lose its power. Maybe you can give them another try sometime and make sure your flour is good and fresh if there’s a chance things had gotten old. And I’ll certainly add the option about the butter but I’ve never had to have it to make mine brown. Every oven is different and unless it’s been calibrated, they can be off as much as 50-75 degrees hotter or colder and that can greatly affect your bake time and how brown they get. –Rachel
I will never use baking mix or canned biscuits again! I only had all-purpose flour – so just as you instructed in comments, I added 1.5 tsp baking powder and .5 tsp salt. I also didn’t have a muffin pan so I just dropped them on a baking sheet (sprayed with cooking spray) with edges of the rolls touching. After baking for 20 minutes, I brushed tops with salted butter and finished on broil to give the tops a slight crisp and nice light brown color. My family went bonkers over these! Will be my go-to from here on out! Thank you for this recipe!
Selena you get MAJOR POINTS for making do with what you had and finding a way to make it work. YOU ARE AWESOME!! I’m so glad they worked for you and you can come back and speak up when people send me nasty notes and tell me that these were hard hockey pucks. LOL. You and I know different. 😉 –Rachel
Rachel, I just used 1/2 a cup plus 2T cream instead of mayo and milk, and then the rest of the ingredients listed. I didn’t have self rising flour, so I used normal flour plus 2 teaspoons baking powder… maybe it was the extra baking powder that made them turn out so good? Regardless, I love this recipe!
Well that’s fabulous Adalia…I’m still shocked they held! LOL. But fabulous nonetheless. 🙂
These are incredible and super easy rolls! I didn’t have mayo so I just used cream instead of mayo/milk and they turned out divine! Light, fluffy, and absolutely amazing. I will definitely be using this recipe again! Thanks so much for sharing it. Also I’ve tried a lot of “quick” bread roll/stick/loaf you name it recipes and they are usually pretty average, so these were above and beyond my expectations.
Hey Adalia! I’m so glad they worked for you and that you were able to swap in what you had tom make them work. That said, I’m shocked that they did work because we count on the mayonnaise to add the egg component you need to hold them together. You just did cream and flour and they worked? This girl is amazed but so glad for you! –Rachel
Wow, thanks for the recipe. When you have three teenage boys at home for the summer you need to always have something nice in the kitchen. I was hesitant about the recipe at first because I never heard of baking with mayonnaise, nevertheless I tripled the recipe (just in case they did turn out well). They did! I only ha all purpose flour so I also added baking powder and salt. I also added a few extra dashes of the sugar. My rolls/biscuits came out so fluffy and I dabbed the tops with butter as soon as they came out of the oven. Easy and delicious. I will be making these again!
Great to hear Millie! I know the mayo throws a lot of people off, but it’s just eggs and oil and if I had asked you to use those you wouldn’t have blinked an eye. Glad you pressed through it and tried them anyway! Feed those boys all they can hold, and you don’t have to kill yourself trying! Love that. –Rachel