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 RecipeSometimes 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.
I have seldom baked and don’t own a muffin tin. My first attempt , dollops on a flat tin, were delicious, oddly shaped ‘rolls’. Consumed in minutes. My second attempt, I made rings of several thicknesses of foil to put dollops in ,on flat tray again.
Success ?.Delicious and more shapely. Wonderful recipe, passed on to two people so far. My friend thinks lockdown has made a new woman of me. Who knows. Maybe I’ll be making myself a 77th birthday cake in June!
Many thanks, Rachel. Monica.
Well you get an A for effort and creativity Monica! I think I had a muffin tin in my hand before kindgergarten–funny how we all are so different but that’s what makes the world fun. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed them and I have some great cake recipes here if you need help picking one out! –Rachel
I had to “make” self riding from all purpose. I added 2 tsp of baking powder- to be in the safe side. Almond milk in place of regular and used avocado mayo. I would not normally sub so many ingredients at once but I was desperate for bread with dinner and it was what I had on hand! They turned out perfectly!!! I love this recipe!!
These are amazing! They have a scone-like texture so we use this recipe with some grated cheese for a quick yummy afternoon snack with butter and jam.
My husband just made these for our lunch – he’s hopeless at baking – and they came out looking like the picture and tasted soft and fluffy and were very very nice. We have plans to add herbs/cheese into them next time but will definitely be making them again ?.
Wonderful Joanne! –Rachel
How much baking powder and baking powder did you add? Thanks!
Tina if you need to make self rising flour, add the following to every 1 cup of all purpose flour:
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt table salt or fine sea salt
Thanks, Rachel
Quick, easy and delicious! Mine miraculously look exactly like the photo ( that never happens!!) Will be making these again for sure!
It’s not a miracle Victoria! You just followed the recipe. 😉 Well done! –Rachel
I’m going to be straight up honest – I was skeptical, very skeptical. With the current flour shortage, at least in my area, I was truly reluctant to make these rolls. But I wanted rolls to serve with our meal and these were definitely easy to make and quick. So, let me just say – winner winner chicken dinner! – the rolls were delicious! Soft and fluffy on the inside and a big hit at our dinner table. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’m now a believer.
Hahaha! I’m glad you liked them Jamie. One thing to know about the recipes on this site: if it doesn’t work, it won’t be here. I know there are some comments that would dispute that but I promise I make every recipe worth your time. –Rachel
I just made them for the first time, they look awesome I used regular flour and add red the baking soda and baking powder. With everything that’s going on now, there is no yeast to be found so this is great. It’s the right amount because it’s just me and my granddaughter. Thanx keep it coming.
I made mine with gluten free flour adding salt, baking soda, and baking powder. They were delicious! They were biscuit like in consistency which is fine since I live in the deep south and I never get biscuits! For those using gluten free ingredients: more time in oven may be required so they aren’t so doughy. But …oh yum…oh my soul!!
Mine were tiny because we are a gluten and egg free household, so I had to use a gluten free blend (which I made self-rising by adding 3 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt, because I doubled the recipe to make 12 rolls) and vegan mayonnaise, but they were still the best yeast free rolls I have ever made (we are also a yeast free household, so I have tried a lot of “yeast free roll” recipes!). They looked more like drop biscuits when they came out of the oven, but inside they were definitely as akin to a good restaurant roll as I have ever come! They are scrumptious! Next time I think I will use an aquafaba based vegan mayo, and that will likely help with the rise/size. Regardless, they are perfect for us! THANK YOU!
You sure took on a task with the gluten and egg free version of this Amanda but it sounds like you have your skills well at hand. I’m not an expert on aquafava (though I have used it) and no matter what, if you are happy, I’m happy. The hunt for food that feels “normal” can feel really long when you are on a special diet. Enjoy these many times over! –Rachel