A classic recipe that’s perfect for a special dinner, everyone will love these super soft, feathery light, and buttery rolls.
Plenty of yeast makes these relatively foolproof. If you don’t rush them and follow the instructions, you’ll be just fine.
Old Fashioned Soft Yeast Rolls
Fluffy, buttery, and easy to make, this recipe makes a dish of super soft and high-rising yeast rolls. Serve at holidays or just at a special family dinner.
Prep Time 45 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Rising time 2 hours hours
Total Time 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
Serving Size 24 rolls
Equipment
Large mixing bowl
Stand mixer optional
Ingredients
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup water room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil or melted butter
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
For topping the rolls
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
Knead. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Knead by hand, with a stand mixer, or with a bread machine set on the "dough" cycle. (If using a bread machine, skip step 2 and allow the machine to complete the full cycle.). If the dough still seems dry or dense, add a bit more milk. The dough is kneaded enough when windows (translucent areas) appear in the dough when it's stretched out.
The first rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a clean, lightly oiled bowl to rise. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size
Divide and shape. Turn out the dough onto a clean surface and divide into 24 pieces with a sharp knife. Shape the pieces into balls by pinching the bottoms until the tops are round and smooth. Spray a glass 13 x 9 baking dish with nonstick spray and place the dough balls inside.
The second rise. Cover with greased plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until very puffy, about 45 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the rolls with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.
Bake. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter while still warm. Let the rolls cool for about 20 minutes and serve directly out of the pan.
Notes
You can allow to cool completely and freeze for up to 1 month. Warm in 200 degree oven for 10 minutes before serving
Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 95IU | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
🧂 about the Ingredients
You’ll need the following for these yeast rolls:
- eggs
- milk
- butter
- sugar
- salt
- all-purpose flour
- instant yeast
- Large mixing bowl
- Stand mixer optional
🥫 Storage instructions
Leftover rolls will stay fresh at room temperature, tightly covered, for 2-3 days.
Homemade rolls freeze quite well. Allow them to cool completely and freeze for up to 1 month.Warm in 200-degree oven for 10 minutes before serving.
🔍 FAQs
What is the best way to knead the dough?
I prefer to use a mixer with a dough hook, but you can absolutely do it by hand. If you have a bread machine, using the dough cycle is a great and easy choice.
Are you sure I can just add the ingredients all at once?
Yes, I am. I promise.
What should I top them with?
Brushing rolls with butter is all the topping they need, but you can definitely add sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or anything else you’d like.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- When it comes time to cut the dough ball into 24 pieces, do it like this: divide it into half, then quarters, then eighths. Finally, divide each eighth into 3 pieces.
- Arrange the dough balls 4 balls wide and 6 balls long.
- Start with room temperature ingredients. Cold ingredients will slow down the rising times. You can briefly microwave the milk to take the chill off, but you don’t need it to be warm.
📘 Related Recipes
- Soft and Fluffy Brioche Burger Buns
- Braided Italian Bread (Soft and Fluffy)
- No-Knead Bread without a Dutch Oven
- Simple Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
- Easy Bread Machine Sandwich Rolls
🍽 Serve it with
Old-fashioned soft rolls go with just about anything. Here’s a meal anyone would love:
- Roast chicken
- Texas Roadhouse green beans
- Classic redskin potato salad
- Strawberry rhubarb cobbler
