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
Added cheddar cheese and Italian seasoning and garlic To rolls to go with spaghetti. Delicious and so easy. We never seem to have any garlic bread when making spaghetti. But what a quick solution!
Can I use miracle whip instead of mayo?
No ma’am Ashley. You need the eggs and oil of the mayo (minus all the stuff that’s in Miracle Whip) in order for the rolls to hold together. Has to be mayo. Sorry! –Rachel
These were delicious ?. As the resident bread person in my family, I’m always responsible for making during the holidays. However, this Christmas, I completely forgot about the bread, until about 1 hour to eating time lol. So I started scouring the Internet for a no knead, no yeast roll recipe. Luckily for me, I saw this first.
I did not have any self rising flour, so I followed another commenter, and added a teaspoon of baking powder. I also added a teaspoon of brown sugar, and subbed in buttermilk because I ran out. This recipe saved Christmas lunch from being a roll-less mess. Thank you ❤️
Phew! Dinner was saved! I’m glad they worked for you Ashley! –Rachel
I made it last night and it was very tasty. I added 1 tbs of flour as my mayo was around 3 tbs and added 1 tsp of sugar. Definitely I will make it again. Can I mix all the ingredients the night before place it in the fridge but bake it the following day?
Hey Rose–nope, you can’t. The baking powder in the flour will activate when the dough is mixed and then fall if it’s left to sit and you’ll have hockey pucks when you bake them. :/ Best mixed and baked at the same time.–Rachel
It took over 30 mins to bake and I know my oven temp is right. I would add a bit more sugar, as there was little taste. But definitely easy to make other then mine taking longer to bake. I also added 1 tsp of baking powder, but not sure if that made a difference. Please email me your reply. Thanks so much, Karen
Hey Karen, you’d be one of the few who has independently verified their oven, but I’m glad you have. That said, the longer bake time can be elevation or simply the size and depth of your muffin tin. Those can vary widely. I have a few that are deep and skinny and some that are more round. The baking powder shouldn’t have made any difference other than to make the dough bitter–too much leavening can do that and if you used self rising flour you don’t have to have it–but it can be a good insurance policy against old flour that’s lost its oomph. 😉 –Rachel
Can you add butter instead of mayo?
Hey Cindy, you can’t here because the mayo is providing the eggs and oil that you would need to hold the dough together. Without them they’ll just fall apart. –Rachel
I made these rolls for supper tonight and was quite pleased with the result. I doubled the recipe, but substituted 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour for 1/4 cup of the white flour. I also used 1 tsp of baking powder because my self rising flour might have been more than 6 months old. I used 1 tsp of granulated sugar and 1 tsp of brown sugar and made sure to mix only till combined. They came out just moist enough and quite delicious. I will definitely make these again.
Glad you enjoyed them Dana! –Rachel
Just made these and I’d call them biscuits not dinner rolls. They were very easy and good but not rolls.
Oh I totally agree Dawn. A roll is only a roll when it’s made with yeast. This is just a form of bread to toss on the table in a pinch if you ask me! –Rachel
Absolutely amazing! Our house love fried dumplings (Caribbean mainstay) and was not impressed with me trying to find a healthier version. Have baked these now twice and fast becoming a family favorite. Thanks for all that you do!
These were very heavy and too salty. Is there a particular type of Mayo ?
Hey Sandy, when it comes to the heavy, the batter was either over mixed or the leavening agent in your flour was old. Baking powder (which is in self rising flour) is at its best for about 6 months. If you bought a bag at the store, it’s hard to know how old it is and sometimes, it just doesn’t have the oomph it needs to lift the dough. As for salt…I have no idea because the recipe doesn’t call for salt at all. There would have been salt in your flour. Did you make your own self rising flour or use a bag? It seems like the flour is the culprit here. And as for the mayo I always used Hellmann’s but there’s not enough salt in there to have influenced the flavor. –Rachel