Name: Soft Homemade Yeast Rolls Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 125 min
Ingredients: 4 ½ to 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour; 1 ½ cups milk (warmed to 110°F to 115°F); 2 tablespoons rapid-rise yeast; ¼ cup granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled); 1 large egg; Melted butter (for brushing)

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These homemade yeast rolls are soft and fluffy in the middle with golden brown tops brushed in melted butter. They’re exactly the kind of warm rolls that make restaurant bread baskets so hard to leave alone.

You don’t need to go out to dinner to get a good yeast roll, though. This recipe makes 24 smaller rolls that are great for holiday meals, Sunday dinner, or sliders the next day.

John and I usually serve them with butter, honey, or strawberry jam, but gravy or garlic herb butter are all pretty great choices, too. These rolls are also great with olive oil and balsamic bread dip for a quick appetizer.

Tips for Soft, Fluffy Yeast Rolls

Check the expiration date on the yeast before you begin. Old yeast is one of the most common reasons bread dough doesn’t rise.

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This recipe uses rapid-rise yeast, so it can be mixed directly into the flour. There’s no need to dissolve it in the milk first unless you want to make sure it will still activate. In case you need it, I have lots of info on activating yeast.

Be careful not to add too much flour. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky, not firm or dry. Too much flour can leave the finished rolls dense and heavy.

Let the dough tell you when it’s ready. Rising times are only a guide, and a cool kitchen may slow things down.

To check the first rise, flour your fingertip and press it gently into the dough. If the indentation stays, the dough is ready. If it springs back right away, let it rise a little longer.

If your kitchen is cold, place the covered bowl in the turned-off oven with the oven light on. Just remember to remove it before preheating.

How to Make Homemade Yeast Rolls

Flour, eggs, and other ingredients in a stand mixing bowl.

Add 3 cups of flour, the warm milk, yeast, sugar, salt, melted butter, and egg to the bowl of a stand mixer.

The milk should be between 110°F and 115°F. It needs to be warm, but not hot. Let the melted butter cool for a few minutes before adding it as well.

Mix everything with the dough hook on low speed for about 2 minutes. The dough will look rough and sticky at first.

The wet dough has mixed and is ready to rise.

Continue adding flour, about ¼ to ½ cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

The amount of flour you need may change from one batch to the next. On a humid Florida day, it may take a little more. Stop adding flour when the dough is smooth, stretchy, and slightly tacky.

Continue kneading the dough with the mixer for another 5 to 6 minutes. If it still coats the sides of the bowl or sticks heavily to your fingers, add more flour a tablespoon or two at a time.

When the dough is ready, it should feel soft and elastic rather than stiff or dry. If you’re using a KitchenAid mixer, keep the dough hook at speed 2.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel or greased plastic wrap.

The dough has doubled in size after an hour of rising.

Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it has doubled in size. This usually takes 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

Don’t worry too much about the exact time. Look at the dough instead. It should be noticeably larger and feel light and airy.

Punching down the dough to deflate it before making rolls.

Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and divide it into 24 pieces. A kitchen scale makes it easy to get them close to the same size, but they don’t have to be perfect.

Shape each piece into a smooth ball by pulling the edges underneath and pinching them together at the bottom.

Twenty-four raw yeast rolls on a large sheet pan.

Place the rolls in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish for soft, pull-apart sides. You can also arrange them on a large baking sheet with a little space between each one if you prefer more golden brown edges.

The dough balls have doubled in size and are ready to bake.

Cover the rolls and let them rise again until they look soft, puffy, and nearly doubled. This usually takes another 30 minutes to an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375°F while they rise.

The yeast rolls have baked and are ready to serve.

Bake the yeast rolls for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Brush them with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.

Let them cool for a few minutes, then serve them while they’re still warm.

Storing and Freezing Yeast Rolls

Let the rolls cool completely, then store them in a large zip-top bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

The refrigerator tends to dry bread out, so the counter is the better choice for short-term storage.

Warm one roll in the microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds. To reheat several, wrap them in foil and place them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.

The baked rolls can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Place the cooled rolls in a freezer-safe bag, remove as much air as possible, and thaw them at room temperature before reheating.

A basting brush topping the bread rolls with melted butter.

What to Serve with Yeast Rolls

These rolls go with just about anything you’d normally serve with bread. Put them on the table with roast turkey, pot roast, or beef tips so there’s something to sop up the gravy.

Since they’re on the smaller side, they also work well for leftover Thanksgiving sliders. For a simple soup dinner, serve them warm with garlic herb butter alongside loaded baked potato soup.

For a richer roll with more butter and egg, try our brioche rolls.