Easy Yeast Rolls for Beginners

These easy yeast rolls are the best rolls ever. You can make them with plain all-purpose flour and they turn out soft and fluffy every single time. Serve them plain as dinner rolls or use them as a base to customize into any shape or flavor you wish!

I love these easy yeast rolls. These are perfect for beginners wanting to try their hands at making bread and rolls.

This is a basic homemade rolls recipe and is perfect for customization to many different types of buns and rolls. The best part is these yeast rolls can be made using all purpose flour or bread flour which makes it super convenient too.  

Direct Dough Method

These rolls are made using the direct dough method, where all the ingredients are added in and mixed together, unlike other methods such as the starter dough method for sourdoughs and pre-cooked dough method like the traditional Tangzhong.  

I used instant yeast in the recipe, which is slightly different from active yeast in that it does not require any activation of the yeast. Activation refers to the process of mixing the yeast and liquid and letting it turn frothy over a period of about 10 to 15 minutes before mixing in the rest of the ingredients. This step is normally required for active yeast but not for instant yeast. Hence, with instant yeast, there is not need to wait for the yeast to be activated.

You simply mix the instant yeast with milk (the liquid used in this recipe), followed by all the other ingredients, and knead the dough. A mixer with a hook will make the kneading super easy and all done in about 10 minutes. But if you prefer to knead by hand, the process should take approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

The dough consistency is sticky so try not to add too much flour for dusting if you choose to knead this easy yeast rolls by hand.  

These easy yeast rolls require 2 stages of proofing before baking. The dough also freezes well, so that is another plus point with these easy yeast rolls. You can make them in advance, and bake them fresh just when you want.

How to Make the Rolls

Ingredients

• All purpose flour (or bread flour) + salt
• Instant Yeast
• Milk
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Butter

Mixing the dough

1. Start by measuring yeast into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the milk to it. The milk can be at room temperature but take note that it should not be any hotter than just lukewarm. Stir until the yeast is dissolved.
3. Next, add the sugar, egg, flour and salt and turn your mixer to a low-medium speed.
4. Mix until the dough comes together for approximately 2 minutes. Add the softened butter and continue kneading for another 7 to 8 minutes at the same speed.
5. At the end of it, the butter should have been all incorporated, and the dough should be stretchy. If you were to knead the rolls by hand, you would need to knead the dough for approximately 15 minutes.
6. Turn it onto your workspace, knead lightly and form it into a ball. It will be sticky and that is how it is meant to be. Dust your workspace with flour but try not to add too much flour into it as you knead it.

First proof

1. Place the dough ball back into your mixing bowl, cover it with a towel or cling wrap and leave it in a warm place to proof.
2. It should double in size and this can take any time between 30 minutes to 1 hour (or sometimes longer if it's cold where you live).
3. Once doubled in size, remove the wrap and press the dough to remove air bubbles.
4. Turn it out onto your workspace.

Forming the yeast rolls

1. Divide the dough into 6 sections.
2. Form each section into round balls. To form the balls, use your fingers to bring and pinch the edges to the center.
3. Rotate the rolls as you repeat the pinching. What you are effectively doing is forming a tight ball, by pulling the edges of the dough ball to the center and pinching it together.
4. Place the unbaked rolls (with the pinched side facing down) on a well-greased baking tray.

Second proof

1. Cover with a piece of light kitchen towel and let the rolls proof until they are double in size. These easy yeast rolls will continue to rise as they bake so it is sufficient to let them proof until double in size.
2. Bake in a preheated oven at 165 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes. Place the rolls on the lowest rack in your oven.
3. Once baked, remove the yeast rolls from the oven and brush the top with melted butter.
4. Turn the rolls onto a wire rack and let them cool further. These easy yeast rolls are super soft and fluffy on the day they are made. They turn slightly dry the next day but a light toast just before eating makes them all fluffy again.

Chilling and freezing the dough

• These easy yeast rolls can be chilled overnight for next day baking or even frozen for up to 1 week to be baked on a different day. To chill the dough as soon as it is mixed, place it in a deep bowl and cover with cling wrap. Refrigerate it. The dough will continue to proof in the fridge and the next day, all you need to do is unwrap the bowl, punch the dough, form the rolls, proof, and then bake them.
• If you wish to freeze the dough, you can do it in 2 stages. The first stage is at the point of the first proofing. As soon as the dough is mixed, form into a ball and wrap it tightly with cling wrap. Place it in the freezer. Before baking, let it thaw at room temperature, before unwrapping and placing it in a warm place for the first proofing. Follow the rest of the steps as above.
• The second stage of freezing is at the point of second proofing. Once the first proofing is done, shape the rolls and arrange them in a baking tray. Wrap the tray with cling wrap and place it in the freezer. When they are ready to be baked, thaw them to room temperature, remove the cling wrap and cover with a kitchen towel for second proofing before proceeding to bake them as usual.

Convenient, is it?

Like this recipe? Here are my other recipes you might want to check out

• Old Fashioned Homemade Yeast Doughnuts
• Homemade White Bread Loaf
• Homemade Fried Dough Recipe - Dough Bites in Simple Syrup
• Brioche Donuts - Perfectly Soft and Fluffy
• Chocolate Brioche - Easy Brioche Loaf
• Pandan Bread - Homemade Milk Loaf with Raisins
• Ube Rolls - Soft and Fluffy Twisted Bread Rolls
• Cinnamon Raisin Rolls
• Coffee Rolls with Coffee Cream Cheese Glaze
• Coconut Rolls with Coconut Glaze
• Strawberry Rolls with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze

Recipe (Printable)

Here is the full printable version of my easy yeast rolls recipe.

Easy Yeast Rolls for Beginners

Make the softest yeast rolls with this easy recipe. It's simple and versatile, the dough can be refrigerated or frozen for up to one week!

4.41 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Easy Yeast Rolls

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Proofing Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Yield: 6 rolls

Author: Priya Maha

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Metric - US Customary

Ingredients

• 280 g all-purpose flour (or bread flour)
• 4.5 g instant dry yeast
• 20 g granulated sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 egg
• 40 g butter
• 125 ml milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Prepare a rectangle baking tray. Grease it well and set aside.
• Add yeast to a large mixing bowl. Add half of the milk and mix with a spoon until the yeast is dissolved.
• Add the remaining milk, egg, sugar, flour and salt. Knead on medium speed for 2 minutes (with a hook attachment). The dough should come together into a ball.
• Cut the butter and add to the dough. Continue to knead until the butter gets fully incorporated and the dough turns stretchy. This should take approximately 7 to 8 minutes at medium-high speed.
• Turn the dough onto a working space. The dough will be sligthly sticky at this stage. For easier handling, dust your workspace with some flour. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl.
• Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or cling wrap and place it is a warm place to proof. This should take approximately 1 hour depending on the surrounding temperature. The dough should almost triple in size.
• Press the proofed dough to release air bubbles.
• Turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 6 equal sections.
• Shape each piece into a round ball. Place the rolls on the prepared baking tray. Place them well apart to allow space for rising.
• Cover the shaped rolls with a kitchen towel and let them proof until slightly more than double in size.
• Bake the yeast rolls at 165°Celcius for 20 minutes until the top of the buns have turned brown.
• Once baked, remove the rolls from the oven and brush the top of each roll with melted butter.

Nutrition

Calories: 256.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.3g | Protein: 6.8g | Fat: 7.3g | Saturated Fat: 4.1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 43.7mg | Sodium: 165.2mg | Potassium: 96.4mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 4.5g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 36.6mg | Iron: 2.3mg

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And that’s that, my super soft and fluffy easy yeast rolls recipe!

Happy baking 🙂