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
Just made these today (Easter Sunday) & loved them! I added the extra baking powder & a little more sugar & they are so tender & delicious! I usually make my yeast rolls, but that’s makes 48 of them & because of the pandemic, our large family couldn’t be together today 🙁 Thank you, thank you from Kentucky & God bless! 🙂
I know we have all missed our families Kathy and you’re right–48 rolls is a lot without people to share them with. I’m glad these filled a bit of that void. –Rachel
These came out fairly good. No yeast at stores due to all the hoarders so I’m rationing what I have for bread and pizza. Found a link to this on Pinterest recipes.
Specifics:
I added bacon bits and shredded cheddar jack cheese. I didn’t have self rising flour so I used bread flour and added 2t baking powder, and 1/8t salt. They were a little bit heavy/chewy, maybe I should have used all purpose flour? (I make biscuits a lot so I know to just barely mix). Definitely on the bland side, next time I’ll add more salt or other spices. Also going to try adding a Tbl of melted butter. My oven may run cold, they took 18 min at 350. I’m wondering if it would be better to try 375 for a hotter and shorter bake time. 350 seems low for biscuits…
Will try these again, they were super quick and easy and worth it, even needing the tweaks I mention. Sort of reminded me of bannock. Thanks!
Hey Bruce, Yes all purpose would have helped significantly and I assume you are sure your baking powder was fresh. That matters more than anything. To make all purpose or bread flour into self rising flour you would have needed 1/2 teaspoon salt per cup of flour and you added 1/8 teaspoon so yes, you were short on salt from the get-go. Good luck with your future adjustments. –Rachel
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for the speedy reply! I figured since self rising is bread flour (and that’s what would be used for dinner rolls), then bread flour was the logical choice, but I’ll use all purpose next time, and more salt! And yes, the baking powder was just bought 3 weeks ago.
Hey Bruce, self rising at least here in Kentucky is made from all purpose. Bread flour is just bread flour as a freestanding product. –Rachel
Hey Rachel,
Thanks! You are educating me! Here’s a neat link I found to info from King Aurthur Flour (hope it’s ok to post) https://joythebaker.com/2014/05/baking-101-the-difference-between-baking-flours/
Here’s what I found specific to my flour question- “Self-rising flour has an even lower protein content that all-purpose flour because it’s made using a soft wheat flour rather than the hard wheat flour that makes up all-purpose flour.”
So… when the store shelves ever have flour again, I’ll buy some self-rising (which I’ve never tried) and make these dinner rolls/muffins again and expect they will be awesome!
Yes certainly try it. You’ll see a huge difference. That said if you can’t get it, all purpose will make a decent substitute with salt and baking powder added in the right ratio. Be well Bruce and let me know how they turn out when you try them again! –Rachel
5 Stars. A very light, fluffy dinner roll. I followed the recipe and they were not like a biscuit. I these were served at a fancy restaurant I would be very happy. You nailed it with this recipe. Easy, quick and delicious.
I’m so glad to hear that Erick! Enjoy! –Rachel
I was looking for a simple, yeast free recipe and came across this one. The rolls came out nice & soft. I added garlic & chopped corriander & also took your advice & added 1/2 a teaspoon of baking powder. Thanks!
Way to go Sally!
Great recipe! Light, fluffy, and half gone straight out of oven. Added 1/2 tsp garlic powder & 1/2 cup graded cheese.
We are under quarantine due to the COVID-19 virus and I ran out of yeast and haven’t been able to find any in the stores. Luckily I came across this recipe and it saved the day. I made them with light mayo because it is what we had. They turned out AMAZING! They had a good rise and were light and fluffy on the inside. Needless to say, there was none leftover. I will be adding these into my weekly dinners as they are so easy and quick. Thank you so much for sharing, I love these!
These were so light and fluffy. More like a biscuit but so good. I did not have self rising flour so i made my own by adding an 1/8tsp sea salt and 2 tsp baking powder to my flour. This will be my go to for all biscuits and the occasional Roll replacement.
Thank you, I will definitely make these again!
I am not quite sure where I went wrong…My batter was rather thick and dough like and not light and fluffy.
What kind of flour did you use Irena?
I tried these this evening and they were wonderful! I had to scrape the bottom of the mayo jar (I don’t think I had quite 2 Tbs), I added a bit of baking powder since I didn’t have self rising flour, (I did sift the flour, powder and sugar) a bit of grated cheddar and a little Italian Seasoning. They were quite light and tasty. Will make them again soon!