French Bread Rolls {Step-by-Step}
These popular, no-fail French bread rolls are light, fluffy and delicious! They are so easy to make; perfect for bread-making beginners and experts alike!
If you want one of the easiest, foolproof, most delicious roll recipes around, today’s your day.
This French bread roll recipe has been around a loooooong time, and after 10+ years, it is still the roll recipe I probably make the most (that’s saying a lot, because I have a lot of favorite roll recipes).
In fact, this recipe holds a place very near and dear to my heart because it’s THIS French bread roll recipe that finally helped me overcome my fear of making homemade bread and rolls.
I remember when I first made these. It was before I even had a food blog (the time in my life nostalgically referred to as b.f.b. – before food blog).
I had failed at homemade bread and rolls so many times, it wasn’t even funny.
No, like, really not funny.
I was shedding tears on a regular basis at the failed yeast products coming out of my kitchen, and Brian was encouraging me to find a new hobby.
But I can still picture my younger self standing by the old green 70’s era oven in our itty bitty rented apartment in downtown Salt Lake City waiting with anticipation to see what would emerge from the oven after making these rolls on a hope and a prayer (i.e. please don’t let them resemble hockey pucks, oh, please).
When these rolls came out of the oven all light and fluffy and perfect as any roll that ever lived, well, in that moment, I felt like a complete rock star.
To be honest, I think I still shed tears, but this time they were tears of happiness.
And if you’ve never cried over good (or bad) bread, you’re prolly thinking I’m a lunatic, but if you have…virtual hug and forever bond, my friend.
I’m serious when I say this roll recipe is the perfect yeast roll recipe for anyone who has never made rolls or bread before.
It is simple and forgiving and nearly fail-proof.
Plus, it is so delicious and versatile, it’s equally perfect for all you expert bread makers.
Can I get an amen from any or all of you that have made these French bread rolls and fallen in love?
Judging by the comments, it is an easy favorite for hundreds of others, not just me.
I’ve include a simple step-by-step photo tutorial below the recipe for those that just need a bit of visual oomph to give them the courage to dive into bread or roll making.
You don’t even need a stand mixer – this yeast dough is forgiving and easy enough to be made with a good old-fashioned bowl and wooden spoon.
Here’s a little tip that will up your homemade bread making game: I talk about this in all my yeast bread recipes, but let go of the idea that you have to add the EXACT amount of flour in a yeast recipe.
It’s all about the look and feel of the dough – and the best way to figure it out is to get your hands in there.
For this recipe, grab a piece of dough after the flour has been added (mixer off if you want to protect your little fingies!). Initially, it might leave a little sticky residue on your fingers.
Don’t be alarmed! It’s probably ok…follow the next step.
If you can roll it into a smooth ball without any oil/cooking spray and without it sticking to your hands in a shaggy, horror movie mess, you are good to go.
That right there is perfectly floured dough.
It makes me so happy just seeing that. You have no idea.
Yes, I fully recognize that I need to get a life.
Over the years, these French bread rolls have become more than a dinner roll.
Although it is fabulous as just that (and would be perfect for an Easter dinner menu or other holiday spread), these French bread rolls have become my go-to for any recipe that needs a wonderful all-purpose roll or bun (whole wheat notes below).
Here are just a few examples:
Meatball Subs
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Sloppy Joes
Italian Beef (or this Roasted Garlic Beef)
Slow Cooker Philly Cheesesteaks
The list goes on and on.
I’ve even used it for pizza dough in a pinch and for braided breads, like this super old BBQ Chicken Braid recipe.
I also posted a 100% whole wheat version of these French bread rolls with a few small but important notes/changes, so if whole wheat is more your jam, check that out (although you can definitely add whole wheat flour to the recipe below as I’ve done many a time throughout the years).
There is not an easier, more perfect roll recipe out there!
These French bread rolls come together fast, and honestly, I haven’t met a single person who wouldn’t fight to the death for one of these fluffy, heavenly rolls.
I always, always at least double (most often triple) the French bread rolls batch, because the baked and cooled rolls freeze amazingly well!
For those that have asked, here are some of the tools I use for these rolls:
*Affiliate links included below for products I’ve purchased from Amazon; feel free to shop around for the best price!*
-I like to weigh out the dough for this recipe and others (shocker, I know); this is the beloved kitchen scale that I have
-Here is the large 8-quart container I use for letting the dough rise (comes in many different sizes; also carried in stores like Standard Restaurant Supply, if you have one local); smaller 4-quart version here (keep in mind you have to purchase the lids separately)
–Silicone pastry brush for slathering on the butter
-My favorite OXO bench knife for portioning out the dough
A quick note about mixers: I have a Bosch Universal and use it for 99% of the bread recipes I make. If you have questions about stand mixers, never fear! Next week, I’ll be posting an objective, comprehensive look at KitchenAid vs. Bosch mixers that will answer many questions about making yeast breads (and many other recipes) in either mixer!
As with all yeast doughs, make sure not to over (or under) flour the dough! I've given tips in the recipe (and here's a simple tutorial on yeast). The step-by-step pictures below the recipe are also a great visual. To get those perfectly shaped round balls of dough, here's a little video tutorial (minute marker 2:20). If you are looking for a whole wheat version of these rolls, here's the perfect fluffy whole wheat french bread roll recipe. You can also sub part of the all-purpose flour in the recipe below with whole wheat flour, if desired. Freezable Option: I almost always make a double or triple batch of these rolls. Once they are baked and cooled, I place them in a zipper-lock freezer bag and put them in the freezer. I either take them out a few hours before I need them or I take them out frozen and microwave them for about 2-3 minutes on 70% power. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.French Bread Rolls
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe originally published 12/2007; updated with new pictures, step-by-step tutorial, and recipe notes.
I am going to make another batch of bread rolls today
This bread roll recipe was just so delicious and very easy to make…I also made it into a loaf of bread…thank you for sharing
I love this recipe!. Really cant go too wrong with it even if its your first time baking. I made two batches and realised how much 5 mins does to the top of the bread. FOr those who like a hard and crunchy bite the full 20mins is good. For those who prefer a softer finish 15mins is just right.
For me 3xactly 3.5cups of all purpose flour and 1.5 cups of water was perfect. Didnt need to add any more.
Best served hot! Had mine with olive oil and vinegar.
I wonder if its possible to just sprnkle flour on the pan rather than lightly coating the base with oil or butter because my bread rolls didn’t have the texture of regular bread rolls.
Hi I was wondering if the temperature is in Fahrenheit or degrees? And what the temperature would be in degrees?
I’m a little confused by your question – but to answer, the temperature is given in Fahrenheit (not Celsius).
This is now my 3rd time making them…love how they turn out…learnt atrick to cut the proofing time by plazing the bowl with the dough in another holding warm water….perfection
Hi, pls could you let me know if the oven should be fan or convention? Thanks
I just use standard baking function (not convection).
I have baked these rolls three times now and each time they have been a great success. Super easy recipe and instructions to follow.
HANDS DOWN THIS IS NOW MY OFFICIAL FAVORITE ROLL RECIPE !!
Fantastic, rolls were beautiful
These are absolutely AMAZING! It usually takes us a couple of times to get a bread recipe down and this step by step was so helpful!! They turned out perfect. We made a 2X so we could freeze some. Thanks again Mel for making my family smile!!!
I just made these rolls and they are great! I use an inexpensive Hamilton Beach bread machine for all bread, pizza and roll dough. I’ve been disappointed with the rolls from the recipes in the bread machine books – they always turn out tough no matter what tips and tricks I try. So, this morning I went online looking for a new recipe to make rolls for barbecue pulled chicken sandwiches. This was actually the first recipe I found. Here’s how I did it with the bread machine:
1. I used instant dry yeast so there was no need to proof it. Bread machines instruct to always add all liquid ingredients, then dry ingredients, then yeast without letting it touch the liquid. I’m not sure what would happen if you did the proofing method. 🙂
2. I used extra virgin olive oil.
3. I used 4 cups of flour, which is the max my machine will hold. The dough rose up to the lid window but did not push open the lid.
4. I added all ingredients in the proper order – liquids, drys, yeast.
5. I set it on the “Dough” setting, which is 90 minutes, and turned it on.
6. About 15 minutes before the dough was ready, I warmed and lightly buttered two glass baking dishes – a 10 x 13 inch and an 8 x 8 inch.
7. When the dough was ready, I turned it out onto the counter which I had lightly buttered. I let it spread into a large rectangle then cut it into thirds lengthwise, then into roll-size squares. I rolled them lightly between my palms to make them somewhat 🙂 round. It made 25 rolls, which filled the two dishes.
8. I put them in the baking dishes covered them with kitchen towels and set them in the warm oven for 45 minutes. Then I removed them from the oven, leaving them covered, heated the oven to 400 degrees, removed the towels, placed the rolls back into the oven and baked for 15 minutes.
9. I took a large pat of butter on the end of a fork and lightly rubbed it across the tops of the rolls while they were still hot.
These were some of the best rolls I’ve ever eaten, let alone made! They are light and fluffy inside and have a delicate crisp crust top and bottom. This is a perfect yeast roll recipe and couldn’t be easier with a bread machine. Thank you, Mel!
Hey there! A quick (possibly silly) question. I made a single batch and the rolls came out great. I would like to make a double batch, but I’m afraid of doubling ingredients as that usually results in my bake not coming out quite right. When you double a batch do you exactly double everything (yeast, water, etc.).
Yes, I double all the ingredients when I double this recipe (for a triple batch, I only double the yeast).
Hey Mel! If I wanted to make these into bread bowls, what weight of each roll would you roll them into?
I usually use about 7 or 8 ounces per bread bowl.
WOW!!!!! First time ever baking buns and I am impressed, keeping this recipe. My first attempt was a bit disappointing as the top deflated for some unknown reason (left it out for too long) wasn’t satisfied and wanted to see where I went wrong, added an extra 1/2 cup of flour and reduced resting time for the second part to 30 mins, voila!!!! It now looked liked the buns in the picture with that golden crusty top. A fool proof recipe indeed. Cheers
I want to serve these at a buffet as individual rolls so that people aren’t pulling apart. Can I place further apart on a sheet so that they don’t touch, wondering how this would change the result. Or is it better to bake as shown then have to pull apart and put in basket before I serve? Any thoughts on this?
Also, re: salt you mentioned in a response that you have used kosher salt on occasion and they were saltier, I thought the table salt would be saltier, as I was going to use table salt for the “saltier” version. Can you please clarify this.
Thank you for your insight.
Hi Denise, I would bake them close together and pull them apart and place in a basket or on a try to serve. It helps them rise nice and tall to be placed a little closer together. I think that salt comment was from a while ago – either way, you are right, table salt is usually saltier than using coarse, kosher salt (I think the kosher salt I was referring to was super fine).
These are the best and easiest buns I have ever made. My grandson can not have eggs or milk so these work great. Thanks for the recipe.
These are the best and easiest buns I have ever made.
These are easily the best rolls I’ve made, and I’ve made a lot of bread recipes in the quest for the perfect one! Light and fluffy is the best description. I’m going to see if I can find a way to incorporate a bit more salt in for flavour, without messing up the rising, but that’s a personal taste thing – overall you can’t find a better recipe. I ended up using just shy of 4 cups of plain old Costco all-purpose flour and the dough hook on the KitchenAid. 15 minutes was just about perfect for my oven. Thanks for this, it’s definitely a keeper!!!
I just finished making my first. Batch of these rolls. The ingredients are similar to breads I’ve had success with before (I just bombed on a different roll recipe tonight so we are having biscuits and gravy for brealfast. Lol.) I put these in and even before I saw how nicely they were baking, I knew these were going to be a new favorite. I don’t have a scale so I just eyeballed it and they turned out slightly different but not much like most of my previous endeavors. I also want to say a BIG thank you for the video on how to shape them!!!! Best thing in my baking life so far!!! Its nearly 2 am and I’m starting my second batch with the hopes that I don’t bomb anything else for dinner tomorrow. We have some people I’ve never met coming for dinner so I am nervous.
Hi! Do you have any suggestions for converting a bread/roll recipe to make a low carb or keto friendly product. So far I have tried several recipex and the ingredients lists are crazy..besides the almond flour they call for things like vital wheat gluten, oat fiber or coconut flour, xantham gum,. Any experience with alternate flours and ingredients?
I’m sorry, I don’t know!
I am wanting to make these the night before Thanksgiving. I saw the instructions to shape them into rolls and then cover and refrigerate, but how long does it take for them to thaw/rise when you take them out the next day? Do you have to do anything specific to get them to rise after being in the refrigerator? Thanks!
When you take them out of the refrigerator, they’ll just need to come to room temp (mostly) and continue rising if they didn’t rise enough in the refrigerator. So just judge the look of them when they come out of the refrigerator.
I make bread and rolls all the time and tried these today and they did not turn out like yours. I was so bummed! I didn’t over flour but they didn’t rise as nicely as yours and didn’t brown, just stayed white. Any suggestions? I usually don’t bomb rolls.
The color can be related the oven rack position – I find my rolls brown better right above the middle position (so higher up in the oven). If they didn’t rise, it sounds like they might need a touch more flour (if the dough was sticky).
Mel, thank you so much!! I don’t have a mixer so I made these rolls by hand. Followed your recipe with images/video and these rolls were EASY to make! That is saying a lot because I have attempted many, many, many times to make rolls with NO success! Easy to make and delicious to eat!! Thank you!!!
I’m so proud of you! Way to go!
They look so heavenly. Does anyone know if the recipe can be converted for a bread machine? Thanks.
I made these using the dough setting on my bread machine, then punched down the dough and shaped it into balls for the final rise. Worked great!
Absolutely loved this (and all of your) recipes! I baked the rolls in novelty Halloween pans (skull, tombstone shapes) and they came out perfectly. I can’t wait to try them the “correct” way also. Definitely a recipe to save!
Would it be okay if I lightly sprayed the rolls and covered with a towel for the second rise instead of plastic wrap? I always have unfavorable results with plastic wrap.
Yes! I mostly use large white tea towels these days for rising rolls and bread and it works great.
I made these yesterday. First bread make in years and this made a champ of me. I had a happy family for dinner.
Thank you so much.
This is my favorite recipe and I’m craving it. I got all excited and started getting all of my ingredients together and realized that I dont have anymore oil. I have crisco though. Can I use that?
Do you have butter? I’d probably recommend using melted butter over crisco.
I have regular Betty Crocker spreadable butter in a tub. Will that work?
It might…I haven’t tried melting that kind of butter. Might be a little oily, but worth a try.
I made these for the first time. I am NOT A BAKER but have been wanting to bake these for years. I almost shed a tear they came out so good. I would rate it a 10 if I could. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Way to go, Tracey!
Hi Mel.. Can I use a breadmaker for dough instead of a stand mixer?
TQ!
Alice
I don’t have a bread maker so I don’t know for sure but as long as the quantity of ingredients fits in the bread machine, it should work.
Ohhh just made these first attempt and they are perfect! Thank you so much! x
I have made this recipe weekly for the past four years. These buns are so good that my family is horrified if they find store bought buns in our house I have a question that has me stumped and was wondering if you could help. About every 10th time I make these, as they are rising they get a giant weird air bubble in them. If left alone they bake with that air bubble and not only do they look ridiculous but when I cut them they are full of air. If I pop the air bubble the bun deflates. I always follow your recipe to a T. I always used KA flour. My pans are the same ones shown in your picture and I use my scale to measure the dough. I also make pizza dough weekly and cinnamon rolls as often as I can so I think I know what the dough should feel like. I think I have it narrowed down to either the rising process or possibly under flouring. I’m frustrated because I can’t figure out where I’m going wrong. If I didn’t make these so often I’d chalk it up to inexperience but this has become my signature recipe and most often they turn out so perfect. Any suggestions?
Hi Nancy – I’ve had that happen a time or two as well and I’m nearly certain it’s when I’ve made a batch where I’ve added just a bit less flour than other times. That’s the only thing I can identify. If I notice the air bubbles when they rise, I reroll them and they rise again without the air bubble. If you stumble on another reason you think it might be happening, let me know!
Could you share the weighted measurements for this recipe?
I don’t include weighted measures most of the time for yeasted bread recipes like this because the exact amount of flour will differ from person to person (that’s the nature of making bread) – but generally speaking, I use about 17 ounces of flour when I make a batch. That may change based on a different elevation, humidity, exact water temp, etc.
Can I make this recipe in my bread machine?
I don’t have a bread machine so I don’t know if the quantity of ingredients will fit – if it does, it should work.
Made these today and they turned out just like in the picture and lovely, very easy to make. Everyone at home loved them so will be making more of these now, thanks for the recipe
I made these rolls a few weeks ago and for the first time in my life, a batch of rolls turned out perfectly. I doubled the recipe and put half in a 9×13 glass pan and half on a cookie sheet and the ones in the 9×13 were PERFECT. I loved how they were smooshed together–it’s like it kept some of the moisture trapped in. I was SO happy. Thank you, Mel!!
But now I have a question for you: does the trick where you roll the dough into a ball in your ungreased hands work for other yeast breads, like breadsticks, pizza dough, other roll recipes, cinnamon rolls, etc? Is that a good rule of thumb for perfectly floured dough? Thanks!
Yes! I use that rolling method for any dough that is floured enough that it isn’t super sticky. 🙂
I still make these all the time! I try other recipes once in a while, but always go back to these because they are the easiest and taste the best. I always double the recipe because I think they turn out better on a cookie sheet. I weigh each roll before rolling out. I use parchment paper. I use avocado oil for the oil. I use 3 cups of bread flour, and 4 cups of all purpose flour. I cook them for 16 minutes, and brush with kerrygold butter at the end. They turn out amazing every single time. My rolls are famous in these parts! I always feel like a champ when these are pulled out of the oven even though I’ve made them a million times! You’re the best Mel!♥️
I’m not the best cook let alone baking. It took me 3 tries then I eventually got it right only because I didn’t read the recipe through properly, but I loved it every single time. The recipe is simple and now I can do it without looking at the print out
Great job, Florence!
It’s a bun, not a roll!
Hi there.
My dough didn’t rise 🙁 I used instant yeast and followed the recipe perfectly. I must have messed up somewhere, but they came out surprisingly good for my first time making these 😀
Thank you for the recipe!
This is only the second time in my life that I’ve had a successful bake. I used brown bread flour, it all came out perfectly. Light, fluffy rolls with an amazing chew,. Thank you so much for this recipe
I will try this recepie.
I’m curious why you don’t use bread flour? Are you making the recipe more accessible to those who wouldn’t have it on hand, or do you prefer All-purpose for these?
I rarely keep bread flour on hand, so I use all-purpose most of the time in bread recipes; however, you could definitely sub in bread flour for this recipe.
I love your bread recipes, I made them a tad bigger and made grilled chicken sandwiches!!! Amazing!
Your rolls look perfect , any chance of getting the ingredients in pounds &ounces please I am not familiar with American measures i.e. cups ,wouldn’t know what size cup to use . Thank you ,
Dorothy Liverpool England . Love your blog !
Dorothy I’m too in the UK . i just used a small cup for mine I suppose it won’t matter what size as long as it’s the same all through the recipe . I have found a conversion in a book and this morning im trying it weighing my flour etc out . 3 cups flour is 1 LB . 1.1/2 cups water is 350 ml or 12 fl oz hope this helps . Oven temperature 400 is 200 electric and 6 gas
A cup is a specific measure, you can buy a set of cup measures from the local supermarket, asda tesco etc, you need to make sure you have the right size as the teaspoon and tablespoons are in correlation to the cups if that makes sense
First time a success. Many thanks. I make a dozen buns and had them with our roast lamb. Much appreciated by all.
This is an amazing recipe! Complete success. I had a go making bread rolls a while ago using a different recipe, the rolls were more like large rocks. I made a half batch of this recipe to avoid disappointment (I was expecting another disaster)…..I’ll be baking these rolls again. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
So good! Thankyou for recipe!
I do have a question? Should you remove rolls from tray/dish immediately? Or leave to cool first. I took out pretty quick but the did stick a bit…. Other than that they are perfect!
I’ve done both – sometimes if they cool in the pan, they can get a little soggy on the bottom so if I am on top of it, I like to take them off the tray about 15-20 minutes after they come out of the oven.
I love these rolls. I usually use two cups of wheat and the rest white flour, and they are perfect. As a side note, if you kill your yeast somehow, meaning the dough won’t double in size, this works great rolled out and made into pizza instead. I did this the other day when my rolls wouldn’t rise (pretty sure it was my mistake somewhere, not the recipe, since I’ve successfully made them before), and I was surprised by how good it was.
They turned out so yummy!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. Taste like they were picked up fresh from a bakery. Hubby loves them.
really good recipe i use only 1 teaspoon of sugar Makes .lovely soft crunchy bread . i also add cheese and onion after first step .thank you for great
recipe
This recipe was so simple to follow and made the most perfect buns. I will be making these again. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
I just made these to go with some soup and they are so good! The “crust” is super flakey without the inside being dry!
Made these twice and they turned out great both times.
Can you use this dough to braid the bread, or make it into a french bread loaf instead of rolls?
Yep!
First time making buns and only my second time using my new mixer. Made bread the first time …. epic fail but these were delish and perfect. This recipe has renewed my interest.Naggie
These are the BEST white bread rolls I have ever made. Thank you so much Mel! Finally bread rolls that feel and look like they’ve straight from the bakery. These are now my go-to bread rolls. My family absolutely loves them. It’s hard to resist when they’ve come out of the oven! Delicious, soft and fluffy. I make the dough in the bread machine, then take out and form the bread rolls and leave them to rise for an hour. Perfect!
Mel, I love this recipe. When you use it to make sliders, what is the weight of each roll?
For sliders, I use about 2-2.25 ounces per roll.
Can I use butter instead of oil?
Could definitely try melted butter!
I avoid making bread as it’s always too dense, not risen, just yuck!
Gave this a try today, was in a rush so ended up just chucking everything in a bowl and hoping for the best? Flour wise my dough felt ok with 3.5 cups
Didn’t quite get 12, mine will be the little one, but VERY impressed if I say so myself….now doing a celery soup to dunk!
Thank you for sharing
I am in absolute bliss! I now know why you had tears! I did too! No more hockey pucks for this woman! Can not wait to show these off at the next family event!!! WOO HOO! Thank you!!!
I used 1cup of water and half a cup of milk… came out perfect better than the first time i tried them with just water
Hi Mel!
I have made these several times and they always turn out great! Do you think they could be formed and put in a pan, refridgerated overnight and baked the next day?
Yes, for sure! Just take them out of the fridge in time to take the chill off and finish rising if they need it.
Will bread flour work as well in this recipe versus all purpose flour?
Yes! The rolls will be chewier and even softer!
Hey Mel,
I love your recipes! These rolls didn’t turn out for me tonight and I know it was something I did and maybe you can help me figure it out. The rolls were lumpy and didn’t rise much. I did 3 1/2 cups flour. Did I not do enough flour? I don’t think I killed the yeast because they did rise. Did they rise too much? This has happened to my bread before and I don’t know what I am doing wrong. When they rise the second time they go more out than up. Thanks for your help!
Hey Bailee – if the rolls are rising out instead of up, I think you probably need about 1/2 cup more flour. How long are you kneading the dough for? You might try kneading for longer, too, so the dough isn’t lumpy.
Made as directed…super fluffy, yummy rolls, and the perfect amount!
I. FINALLY Did. It!!!!! I made the rolls tonight and they came out big, tender, fluffy and delicious !l I guess the third time was the charm ( For me) The problem was underflouring. I used a full 4 cups of flour this time and that was what I needed. They still had a little stickiness to them but were much much easier to handle. I also used the “light batter” proof setting on my oven which is 110 degrees, rather than 125 degrees for the “dense batter” setting and I think that worked in my favor too.
THANK YOU Mel, Lynn and Terry
Linda T.
Yay!! I’m so excited to read the update, Linda. Way to go!
Just made these and they were so easy and delicious! Will definitely be keeping this recipe for my go-to roll recipe.
I have a question. Every time I roll out dough for rolls or buns, I get a crater in the bottom. I leave my pinky on the mat, and simply roll as instructions always say, however I always end up with the crater on the bottom. I also always use whole wheat flour or white whole wheat, mixed with bread flour, sometimes AP. Is this the reason? Or am I doing something wrong? Please help. Thanks much ~
Hi Terry – is the crater or hole right where the dough swirls on the bottom of the roll? Do you feel like the dough is over floured at all?
I can’t believe I’m going to be the only person in the whole wide world to try these roles twice, and have a total fail both times ! Seriously,, I can’t do it and I’m the only one !
I think maybe I underflour them because I’m afraid to overflour them, but I don’t know what the problem is. I put them on a flat cookie sheet so they weren’t up against each other,, but they came out flat and not fluffy and soft. Nothing like your rolls. Anyway, I know it’s my fault and has nothing to do with your fantastic. recipe but for some reason, it doesn’t like me
And for the record, I made your best ever “Cheryl’s cinnamon rolls and they came out amazing.
You may be killing yeast. Make sure you use the appropriate one. Let it really foam out to the pkg directions. Killed yeast makes horrible rolls. Done it and know exactly the results you got matched discription. Never rush yeast. Do not make mistake of putting salt in to fast or it will kill yeast as well.
Oh and water, make sure it is not to hot. We are talking warm to touch , not hot. That too will kill it. Good luck
Thank you Lynn for the suggestions ! I don’t think I kill the yeast because I get a good rise out of them . I might try these ONE more time and use a full 4 cups of flour. I think I might be underflouring them because the dough is really sticky, What happened this time was the dough rose but when I took them out of the oven ( I proof dough in my oven on the “proof setting”), they completely fell.
I baked them anyway hoping they would rise again but they didn’t
It sounds like the dough was over proofed. If your ovens bread proofing drawer is too warm, it can rise too fast. Once it fell, you can successfully deflate it properly, and let it rise again, this time watching it, so it doesn’t over proof. You may want to invest in an oven thermometer to see what the temp is in there. I have a recipe that is supposed to rise the second time for an additional hour after I’ve shaped the loaf. It’s deflated after an hour. After 20 minutes though, it’s exactly where it needs to be go in the oven to bake. Try this, hopefully it helps. Don’t be afraid to deflate properly and rise again 😉
Hey Linda! I have no doubt we can get these rolls to turn out spectacular for you! First of all, I think if you are worried about over flouring them and have a tendency to under flour, place the rolls closer together. As they rise, they’ll use each other’s sides to rise up instead of flatten. If they are rising and then falling, it might be that they are rising for too long (and under flouring can make the structure of the rolls more fragile causing them to fall). So I think with a bit more flour, placing them a little closer together and not letting them over rise – all of that might help.
Hi Mel,
Thank you for the tips, Mel! Lynn and Terry were also so sweet to lend me some tips too. You have a great following !
A good friend of mine makes these ALL THE TIME and they come out perfectly every time !,!! They look exactly like the picture on your blog!
I will try them again using 4 cups of flour and using a 9x 13 pan to allow them to rise and support each other.
I will report back
Thanks again! And I hope all is well with you and your family.
Hi there.
My dough didn’t rise 🙁 I used instant yeast and followed the recipe perfectly. I must have messed up somewhere, but they came out surprisingly good for my first time making these 😀
Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Mel,
Any chance you have the nutrition facts for the rolls?
Thanks!
I don’t, sorry!
Well…. Your french bread rolls are now famous in Zakynthos , have tried many recipes,but these are simply the best!!!!! & Easy to make!!! Lucky I found you on Google Thanks for the recipe. Lynne xx
First time ever that my bread buns have turned out edible. They were so easy to make, and look and taste amazing. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
This recipe is fantastic! I have never been able to bake bread. I have tried maybe a dozen times but have never managed to end up with the fluffy golden goodness……. UNTIL NOW! This recipe is a fail safe. The picture tutorials are an amazing tool and the recipe is so easy to follow. If I can do it, believe me, anyone can. Thank you, thank you Mel!
WOW. They turned out BEAUTIFUL and incredibly soft! The softer parts tasted more like bread from a bread machine and the parts closer to the crust had a more traditionally bready flavor. Success on the first try!
Wow! 4” high fluff rolls!
Just took a batch of these to a dinner party, and my friends were blown away!
“Best bread I ever had”, said one. “How do you do that?”, said another. Wifey declared them winners, and she can be depended upon for clear judgement.
A powerful and simple recipe. Easy to adjust batch size. Soaks up a ton of butter and remains incredibly light.
I never remember to come back and comment on a recipe but I just had to for this one. I feel so accomplished now that I can make buns with this recipe. My family LOVES them! Thank you so much. Your rolling technique is the best, sooo easy! I found that 3.5 cups flour turns out the best for me. All of your recipes that I’ve tried are amazing!
I made this dough for calzones yesterday and am thrilled how fast and easy it was! Oh and delicious. I used honey for the sweetener.
I got the idea from your Philly Cheese steak calzone recipe but modified the filling so much I didn’t want to post a comment there. I used ground beef, onion, garlic and roasted Poblano pepper if anyone’s interested. We had salsa for a dipping sauce and it was great!
I’m already making plans to make these (probably with pizza fillings) next time the grandkids visit. They’ll be very happy! Thanks Mel, your recipes rock
What a great recipe Mel! Since I tried this recipe a couple of months ago, I no longer buy rolls. My ‘buns’ are now a must have at every family gathering. My nephew says the buns even “smell soft”! For his 20th birthday this year, he has asked me for a dozen!
Making this recipe was my first attempt at baking bread rolls and they turned out perfectly (thanks to Mel’s tutorials!). I was so impressed at having make something that looked store bought!! Since then, Mel’s website has become my “go to” online recipie cookbook when I want to impress. Having said this, I was really hoping to find a gluten-free version of these beautiful fluffy French rolls as my mum is on a gluten-free diet for acid reflux. I have attempted a recipie (which I would prefer not to mention – since I think I discovered how to make concrete in my KitchenAid) and am hopeful that Mel might have some experience in this area?? Many thanks for the gorgeous recipes, keep them coming as you are touching the lives of people who live all the way in Australia.
Hi Emma! Thanks for your sweet comment. Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of experience baking gluten free yeast breads. I know the formula has to be significantly different because gluten free flour doesn’t behave the same way as gluten flour in bread recipes. Have you googled fluffy gluten-free dinner rolls to see if any promising recipes come up?
Hi Mel, thanks for your reply. I’ve had a bit more of a look at online recipes and I think I have found a recipe that may work. Also, as u mentioned and from what I have read, G-F flour does behave quite differently to wheat flour and that the bread roll dough itself will be a lot more wet than regular wheat dough so to not expect it to pull away from the mixing bowl when enough flour has been added. Well, with arms, legs, toes, eyes and fingers crossed I shall experiment and try. Wish me luck!! Take care, Emma.
Have you seen he I can’t Believe it’s Gluten free cookbook from america’s Test kitchen? It has a good recipie.
This has become my go-to recipe for just about everything bread-wise. It’s easily formed into any shape, and bakes up perfectly every time. I use it about once a week now — for dinner rolls, burger and hot dog buns, sub rolls, large ‘Italian’ loaves that become garlic bread, pizza dough, and much more. Easy and foolproof. Thanks.
Hi! I’m making these rolls now, and I was wondering if you had advice on adding sesame seeds and when I would add those to the rolls? Cheers in advance! No worries if you’re unsure 🙂
Hi Morgan, if you want to add sesame seeds inside the dough, I’d add them during the kneading process. If you want them on top, I’d brush the rolls with an egg wash prior to rising (after they’ve been shaped) and sprinkle on the seeds then.
These are definitely my new favourite, go to roll recipe. I have made them several times, and they always turn out great. Thanks Mel.
I love this recipe!!! I’m currently soy & dairy free due to breastfeeding my daughter who has allergies and can’t eat much bread that’s in store. This recipe is super easy & cheap to make & most importantly extremely delicious!
After seeing all the positive comments, I was so excited to try these, unfortunately they didn’t rise much at the second go and then look a bit disappointing (compared to yours). Any suggestions for next time please? Thanks
Not rising enough could be 3 things. Temperature (was it too cold?) time (might have needed to wait longer for a fuller proof?) or yeast (is your yeast fresh? Stored in cool dry place? Activated or instant?)
If your yeast is fresh, then time and and temperature are the factors to change for better results.
For time, you can try the same method but wait longer on the rise and proof.
For temp you can make sure your ingredients all start at room temp, use slightly warmer water, and make sure your dough is in a warmer draft free spot during rising and proofing.
* I like to place my proofing rolls on top of my refrigerator because it puts off just a little heat.
Hope that helps!
Best recipe ever! Made several times and always turn out great
Thank so much for the recipe
This Christmas everyone had to help with dinner. In the middle of the day my grandson jumped up and scurried to the kitchen where he made a double batch of these rolls. They were a big success. It’s his job from now on. He is 18 but has done very little cooking. (Mac and Cheese and Nugget)
Wow, way to go! That’s amazing!
Hi, could you please tell me if these rolls would be good for mini sausage with peppers and onions. I would like to make them for Christmas! Thank you!!
I haven’t tried that but sounds delicious.
Ty for the info. I looked online and I should have doubled the diamond kosher salt for table salt. Also a lot of bakers prefer table salt because of the fine grain. I think I’ll get some table salt for baking.Great roll recipe
Wow such a great recipe and I feel like a pro roll maker. I’m curious what kind of salt you use? I use Diamond kosher and I think it’s less salty than other kinds per measure. I think I’ll add a bit more salt next time.
I usually use table salt, so yes, if you are using Diamond coarse kosher salt, you’ll want to add a bit more.
Mel,
I printed well copied and pasted your recipe then converted the measurements of the ingredients to grams and weighed them. The rolls turned out fantastic. This is definitely a keeper. I hope you dont mind the cups and tablespoons conversion to grams. and the 2.75 ounce is 77-78 grams.
Thanks, Frank!
I love your trick of using a measured container for rising the dough. I’m never quite sure when the dough has doubled. I have 2 4qt containers. Maybe I’ll split the dough and put half in each container.
Could you please provide additional instructions for how to make/proof the dough the night before baking?
I make the dough, let it rise (in bulk), punch it down and shape into rolls and put them on the sheet pan. Then I cover the pan and pop in the refrigerator. The next day I take them out and let them come to room temp and rise before baking. Does that help?
Another winner! These are AMAZING! Thanks!
I’m wanting to make these for thanksgiving tomorrow. I’m wondering if I can make the dough today and then put them in the fridge after the first rise, before forming into rolls? If so, how long would they need to rise tomorrow?
Thanks!
Sorry for the late response! I hope they worked out for you! If making ahead, I would suggest shaping into rolls and then refrigerating.
These are brilliant! They’ve now become a staple in our house as our 3 boys just devour them. Haha! I’ve also referred a couple friends to this page and they love the recipe too. Quick, easy and delicious. Thank you very much, Mel!
Thank you so much!
Did a test run for Thanksgiving. Thanks for the recipe, tips and tutorial on rolling the rolls!
Can I put them in the freezer without baking them?
Yes, these freeze pretty well unbaked (don’t let them rise before freezing).
Since they have to rise twice, do I let them rise the first time?
Yes, let them rise as one big lump of dough, then shape them, put them on the pan and freeze them. They’ll rise the 2nd time when you take them out of the freezer to thaw. Does that help?
It sure does! Thanks so much!
My husband does not like his bread sweet. If I leave out the sugar (or reduce it) will they still turn out ok?
I’d recommend keeping it in – the rolls are not sweet but the sugar helps balance the flavors. You could cut the amount in half.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. Trust me you are completely sane. I just picked the wrong time to lose 10-15 lbs. Happy baking! Sincerely will
Haha…thanks Will!
I made these, but it only took the 2 cups of flour. It’s my first attempt at making rolls, so I’m not sure if that is normal.
As for the prep process, I loved watching these proof. I don’t think I’ve ever been so fascinated by waiting for something to be ready as much as I was while making these rolls.
I tried making these tonight. They came out AMAZING!! My son, who doesn’t eat white bread, ate 5! It was a major hit in my house!
I have a couple of complaints though..
1. I’m gonna gain SO much weight bc of this recipe.
2. I’ll have to start doubling the recipe, otherwise I won’t get any.
3. I’ll be buying a ton of flour and yeast bc this will be made SEVERAL times a week.
😉
This will be my go to recipe from now on!
Haha. Thanks, Missy! Glad you loved them (and your son, too!)
Hi Mel! Just wanted to try and make these.. but i have a perhaps silly question.. how can i double the recipe? Just double everything? or do i have to use less yeast? Please let me know!! im so excited to try this recipe!!! and i will also try your lemon brownies those look devine.. but again i want to double that recipe.. how do i do it? Thanks ever so much!
Hi Jordana – for both of those recipes you can double everything. Hope that helps!
OMG – great rolls
It is raining here in Sydney today and I had decided I wasn’t venturing out. I needed bread rolls for dinner and came across this recipe on google, had the ingredients so gave it a try.
Fantastic recipe, easy to follow and great result.
Going to tonight
These were absolutely delicious! I’ve always been afraid of making any kind of bread/rolls due to a few flops. But your level of detail in your posts, photos and videos really gave me the confidence to try again. Knowing exactly what it was supposed to look and feel like at each step made all the difference. Thank you so much. I’m looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. ☺️
Dear Mel, I would like to ask how many grams of flour you use. I am from Greece, where we use grams, and I found many cup-to-grams converters but amounts vary from 120 to 150 grams for 1 cup. I know now I did not use the right converter because I kept adding and adding flour. I assume it must be around 500-520 grams of flour
Thank you
Hi Denise, I’m not sure how many grams it would be because I usually add flour until the “feel” of the dough is soft and smooth without being overly sticky. If you had to add more flour, that’s ok as long as the dough didn’t end up stiff.
Hi Mel,
Like Denise (although I am in Canada not Greece) I would like to know how many grams one cup of flour (as you measure it weighs). As she pointed out the conversion charts say anywhere from 120 – 150 grams for a cup of flour. This range is far to large, as it would be anywhere from 420 grams up to 600 grams of flour. If we knew your typical cup of flour weighs in at say 135 grams we could easily do the math & know that we would need from 472 grams up to 540 grams. We all measure our flour differently, and over time I have found that my cup of all purpose flour typically weighs in at around 150 grams. Thanks for posting all your great recipes.
Hi Jackie – the reason I don’t give a specific weight amount for bread/roll recipes is because there are so many factors that dictate exactly how much flour will be used (humidity, elevation, temperature of water, etc) as compared to a cake or cookie recipe that uses an exact amount of flour. I recommend adding flour until the texture and feel of the dough is perfect. The exact flour amount will vary person to person. Having said that, I usually count on 5 ounces for each cup of flour (I don’t use grams as a measure but google tells me that 5 ounces is about 141.74 grams).
Thanks so much Mel. Knowing that you average 5 oz to a cup makes it so much easier to convert your recipes. I always used to just use cup measurements & rarely weighed any ingredients in baking recipes. With time I have found that the results are much better when I weigh my ingredients. The exact amount of flour I use even in my own bread recipe does vary with the seasons & humidity, but I start with the lower amount & add as needed to get the right texture & feel.
Thanks again.
OK, first time bread roll maker here too. I love these – and they really work! Well, half of them did, perfectly. One piece of advice for the novice though – DON’T touch or move them once you’ve rolled them and placed on the tray to rise (especially towards the end). They deflate 🙁 Although I left them longer to see if they would rise some more, the puffiest ones were the ones I left alone. I sprinkled mine with sesame seeds for a tasty touch. Very nice, thank you Mel.
Such an easy, no fail recipe! I make these often. In fact they are in the oven now for Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe’s! Thank you!
These were the easiest rolls I have ever made. Absolutely no fail if you follow the directions. So we’re so good! This will be my new go to recipe. Thank you 🙂
I have been baking bread with the oldest mixers known to man kind My Hands, I love to bake bread any kind of bread, I tried these a couple of times now and they are really good. I only use flour to knead bread if it is NOT an enriched dough otherwise I use olive oil so as not to alter the texture, even those with a wet sloppy ones you have to work forever. I have a Kitchen Aid but I never use it to make bread for some reason. I guess I like to be able to feel the bread and if I did it in a machine I would be afraid of over working it. The Joys of being old…LOL Just so those of you who don’t have a Mixer Bosh or otherwise You Can Still Make Fantastic Bread including this recipe
These are off the charts good!! First time making bread. I have made them into rolls and hamburger buns. Thank you!!!
These are good. Used 3.5 cups all purpose flour.
Live in a dry area. Came out extra fluffy.
Mel, thank you thank you!! Your recipes have given me the confidence I’ve been desiring in the kitchen. They are simple and hearty and have saved me money while filling my brood’s bellies! Your video tutorial on shaping the rolls was a HUGE help to me. I’ve failed so many times at making rolls (croquettes more like) but these were so easy and I feel like a rock star baker!
Thank you so much, Christine!
I have never had much success with making bread until today , so thrilled with the outcome I nearly cried lol , thankyou for this recipe I have it stored in my best recipe book now
Using your recipe plus adding cheddar cheese ( per my kid’s request). They turned out great!! Thank you for the easy to follow recipe !!
Hello Mel, I look forward to trying this recipe! I live in Australia and we use the metric system; are you able to give the quantities in ml and grams? I don’t know how much 3/4 of a tablespoon of yeast is, for example. I would very much appreciate it if you were able to do this.
Warm regards Gen.
Gen I am in Australia too and I just use one sachet of dry yeast and it works 🙂
I do a lot of cooking but admit to being intimidated by bread! You have inspired me to try this recipe this weekend since you wrote that it was your 1st roll success!
Thank you!
Good luck, Ana! You’ll do great!
These rolls turned out perfectly! I have made them twice so far, and made a batch for my neighbour! Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Thank you!!! This was the first bread recipe I’ve ever made successfully. Delicious as prepared according to your directions.
This has to be the best bread roll recipe ever. I’m a complete bread making noob, and, using just ordinary plain flour, and a hand mixer with dough hooks managed to pull off perfect bread rolls.
I just had a second go, even better! I left them in the oven for the full 17 minutes and used bread flour. Just perfection, and I’m worried I’ll end up eating the lot in one sitting now
Mel, I’ve made these a bunch of times but this time decided to triple it and just make a couple loaves of bread and rolls. Let me tell you…. turned out to be best sandwich bread I’ve ever had!! I did about 1/2 white flour and 1/2 white whole wheat. It was sooo good. Can’t tell you enough how much I love your recipes!
That’s awesome!!
How long did you bake the loaves?
Best and easiest rolls!!
These were a huge hit at Easter dinner. Great instructions.
The perfect bread roll recipe…weeped with joy! Thank you so much!
I have been away from bread making for many years, but decided to give it a go again. I wanted to start out slowly, since it has been quite a while. The first time out, these came out beautifully! They are now the base for some delish roasted garlic rolls to go with spagetti, everything rolls for general consumption and slammed and awesome sesame rolls for burgers! Thanks Tons!
Way to go, Jen!
super yummy
Mel,
I found your blog searching for sandwich bread recipes. I made these rolls to have with dinner tonight, and one of my most happiest moments ever was when I heard, “Mom, these rolls are awesome!” Mel, thank you! I have never been successful at anything bread-related, but not only have I made these French bread rolls, but I have made your white wheat bread twice (by hand) and it is loved by all! I love everything I am learning from you. I am so thankful for you and what you have enabled me to do for my family!
I’m so proud of you, Jean!
Mel-I just made your French bread rolls into heart shaped rolls for dinner tonight and they turned out great! I am going to try to make heart shaped calzones for Valentine’s Day dinner. Do you think your French bread roll dough or your quick pizza dough would be better for calzones? Thanks! I tagged you on instagram, so you may see the heart rolls! Thanks for all the great inspiration!
I always use the quick pizza dough for calzones! Love the idea of heart-shaped calzones for Vday!
Thank you for the quick response! I was hoping you would say that – that makes it easier to do when I get home from work. I also love the idea of heart-shaped calzones – fingers crossed that I can get that idea to fruition! They look lovely inside my head! 🙂 Thanks again!
Any suggestions for shaping then into a longer roll, maybe 5″? I’ve only ever made rolls or hamburger buns.
Thanks for your help and recipe!
Sure, I do that all the time. I take probably a 4- or 5-ounce portion of dough, flatten it slightly, and then roll it up and shape it into a thin “loaf” for lack of a better description.
I made these Saturday, along with a soup recipe. My husband really liked the rolls, as did the rest of us, however, just 12 rolls was quite a bit of work for one meal. Since I only had 2, someone (husband, or 2 grown sons, ate more than their share!)
Hi Mel
I look forward to making these as the pizza sliders. Is there any way you could convert it to grams, or even ounces? Thanks in advance.
Would this recipe work if I subbed the all purpose flour for gluten-free version? My boys now need to remove gluten from their diets & so need an essy go-to recipe to provide additive free bread.
Unfortunately I don’t think it’s that simple. I don’t know for sure, but several people have commented on other yeast bread recipes that subbing in gluten-free flour was kind of a disaster. You’d probably be better off looking for a recipe specifically developed for gluten-free rolls. Good luck!
Clever as i am i attempted with gluten free all purpose flour. While kneeding i was wondering if anyone had left a comment abt a gluten free version. The dough is weird. Just letting it rest to rise. Ill update later on how it all went. Fingers crossed it will at least be edible haha 😀
So i was surprised the first rise actually worked…second not so much. They have rosen further in the oven. They look like a breadsize meringue. Super white and weird. However even if i wont make them again i will eat them. Not as bad as they look. But yeah… nowhere near the original recipe. These ones you cannot show to annyone lol. Just hide and eat…and dont reattempt
it was amazing the bread was fluffy and i do recommend to add a bit more sugar. i put egg wash on it before baking and it came ot crispy on top and so fluffy in the inside
Hi THANKS for the delicious French Bread Roll recipe, I made a double batch and they came out perfect like you said, and soft, I will certainly be making these on a regular basis, like this or as a long roll or hamburger roll, so simple. I also make the crepe recipe to roll up with cold meats and asparagus etc and they were a big hit!!
Wow. New recipe for Thanksgiving and it didn’t disappoint. The rolls were soft and had good flavor. My sisters think I should open a restaurant since I’ve become a exceptional cook (thanks to you). PS I’m a visual person, I sure do appreciate all your videos and pictures. Please keep them coming.
I made an extra batch of these to freeze. After first rise and shaping into rolls, I placed on parchment lined sheet pan, covered with clingfilm and froze until solid. Then wrapped them by 6.
To bake place on clean, lined sheet pan in aCOLD oven. Underneath put a large pan of boiling water and leave oven closed for 20 minutes.( do not open during this time) Remove the pot of water and turn on oven to suggested temp. You will have to watch them to get a time for next batch. As you cook from cold oven the normal cooking length is different.
They rose and baked up beautifully. In no way could I tell they had been frozen.
I made a single batch and had a friend over. We demolished them before they cooled and I had to start over. Double batch the second time. They. Are. Amazing!
Unfortunately the first time I made these I preset my oven on broil instead of bake, oops . That being said I’m going to give it another go for my Thanksgiving rolls.
What do you think about ading steam while cooking? Like traditional French bread is baked. I kind of want to try it and want to know if you have tried this method with these particular rolls.
Thanks!
I think it’s a great idea! Usually I toss a few ice cubes onto the bottom of the hot oven right as I put the rolls in to bake.
Made these tonight! Only had to use 3 cups and almost another 2/3rd cup of flour. They turned out PERFECTLY PERFECT!! I am going to add mire salt n sugar on Thanksgiving as needs a bit more ‘taste’ but my husband loved them. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I just made these today! Super easy and didn’t take long at all. Family loves them.
I made this dough and shaped into knots, fantastic!!! Super easy recipe, thanks!!
Love these rolls! I’ve made them several times over the past month. Quick question: How early could I make these ahead and have them still be fresh? I’m thinking of making them the night before my daughter’s baptism-dinner but want them to be soft and fresh and not stale. I’m not sure I’ll have time to make them the day of.
I think the night before would be totally fine as long as they are completely cooled and kept well-covered overnight (don’t put the baked rolls in the fridge!). You could also make the dough, shape it, put it on the baking sheet, cover and then bake the day of the baptism!
Hi Mel, this is a lame question but I’m out of plastic wrap and making these right now. Cover with a kitchen towel or just leave uncovered to rise do you think? I looove these rolls.
Yes, you can definitely cover with a kitchen towel (better than leaving them uncovered).
They just cooled enough to eat and they’re awesome! So easy and great step by step instructions. Thank you!
These rolls are amazing! I like to make a double batch and freeze them. My husband and kids use them to make chicken sandwiches for lunch. Thanks for sharing!
These were great! Thank you!
I made the rolls for a church dinner. I made 2 triple batches. They turned out amazing! ( used a huge commercial Hobart mixer) They rose beautifully and baked up so pretty. Everyone loved them. Thank you!
That’s a ton of rolls – awesome!
These are now so popular at church that I’m making them every Wednesday night for our fellowship dinner. I’m making the recipe x7 for 84. I make them all in one batch and bake 3 pans of 28. The whole church smells like a bakery. Thanks again!!
Amazing!
What rack do we use for these buns?
I just keep the rack in the middle position.
I’m wanting to make these buns in 8 – 12’s using a baking sheet. There should be room between them. Would the time being the same?
Yes, most likely.
Making these today for sloppy joes. This is my go to roll recipe for everything from turkey burgers to Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve been making rolls for 5 years now thanks to Mel and her tutorials. There is nothing like homemade rolls!
Hi Mel, I’ve baked these really yummy french bread rolls many times. However, they doesn’t rise as beautifully as yours. Can you please advise me what could have went wrong? I have also tried adding nuts and raisins to these bread rolls but find that they didn’t quite compliment each other. Do you have any bread rolls recipe you can share whereby I can add in nuts and dried fruits? Thanks.
Sometimes if a bread or roll dough is over floured, it won’t rise as well, so you might try adding just a bit less flour. That sometimes does the trick to allow dough to rise really well (as well as making sure the yeast isn’t expired). You know, I haven’t added fruits or nuts to any of the bread recipes on my site – sorry I’m not more help! My aunt, however, adds dried fruit to this no-knead bread and it is delicious: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/crusty-artisan-bread/
Do you back a pan of 12 for the same amount of time you bake the sheet with 24 on it? Mine were perfectly golden but still doughy on the inside.
If they are baked in a 9X13-inch pan (without very much room in between rolls) then yes, you might need to add time. A lot depends on the oven. If I use convection bake, they usually bake in the same amount of time, but if not, I have to add time.
I was looking for a simple dough. I made a double batch of the dough & used part of it to make the rolls & part of it to make into a cinnamon twist bread. Everything is delicious, nice crust, and well textured. I used organic unbleached flour & about one-third white whole wheat with Saf Instant Yeast.
This can be used for so many things & it is so easy to make in my old KitchenAid mixer. I’ll be making hamburger & hotdog rolls soon. These will be such an improvement!
Love this recipe! Don’t buy hamburger buns any more.
So excited to try this, I am an avid bread maker and bread lover (hence the size of my hips!) Anyway I am cooking for a Laurel Leadership Girls Camp next week, so I will be making these on repeat so we can use them for the barbecued pulled pork recipe of yours we so dearly love!!!
Wish me luck!
That’s the perfect combo! Good luck cooking for a crowd!
When I made these rolls, I got through all the steps and the dough rose. But I never seem to make it through the baking stage. They look good and puffy in the oven but when I take them out they are rock hard they turn into biscuits… Please help
Is there any chance they are over rising before going in the oven and then deflating while baking?
These are my go-to rolls! They are easy to make and freeze & reheat really well!
I am so grateful for the step-by-step pictures. I used to be scared of making my own bread and rolls but Mel has revolutionized my baking. <- not an understatement
I do have a few tips that might help others:
1) Add the salt after you've added the first cup of flour. Salt can retard the growth of yeast so I found mixtures rise better when I don't add the salt with the yeast & liquid but later with the flour.
2) If using a Kitchenaid/stand mixer, use the paddle attachment for all the mixing together and for the first few minutes of kneading. Switch to the dough hook once the dough clears the sides & feels tacky & forms a ball like Mel describes.
3) Make sure not to go over a "2" speed when kneading so your motor doesn't strain.
4) Using a Kitchenaid will help you not over-flour your dough. I've found when working with my hands, I have to keep adding flour so the dough doesn't keep sticking all over my hands and my counter. With a mixer, I can get the dough just like Mel describes and not end up using two more cups of flour than the recipe states (which usually happened pre-KA).
5) If using yeast that has been kept in the freezer, let it come to room temperature first before adding it. I discovered this making Mel's Baked Doughnuts when my dough took a long time to do its first rise!
Hi Mel! I love these rolls and have made them three weeks in a row. My girls love to help me weight the pieces. I can’t wait to try a whole wheat version. Have you made the dough ahead of time or do you always use it same day? Thanks for a great site!
I’ve made the rolls, shaped them and then covered and refrigerated overnight – it works great! I just take them out in time to come to room temp and rise before baking.
This is a really nice recipe! I usually make my grandmother’s recipe, but hers calls for milk and I was almost out, so I looked for one with water and landed on yours. The rolls were tasty, light and fluffy. Perfect with Chicken Pot Pie and salad for a nice “comfort food” meal. Thanks!
Mel – hope I am not being a pest but maybe you can help. You wrote that you would be doing a comparison between Bosch Universal and Kitchenaid in this weeks blog post. I just received this weeks blog and not sure where I should look for this write up
With thanks – Midge
Hey Midge – you aren’t a pest at all! That post about KitchenAid vs Bosch is going live Monday on the blog!
Thanks Mel – so looking forward to it. Have a great weekend.
Midge
Just made these for Easter and they were sooooo good! I only got one so I’m making another double batch now 😀 I served ours with strawberry honey butter and they were the bomb! Thanks for a great recipe!!! <3
Hi Mel.
I have been not only following you for almost 1.5 years, but also cooking your recipes every night. Yup, we are a “Mel Household”.
I’ve done this roll many many times, but i continue to struggle with it, because even though they taste great (as rolls and with the other recipes like the braid, etc), they just don’t look like yours at all. it looks more like air bubbles that popped…soo annoying.
Anyway, I have tried more flour, less flour, the only thing i haven’t tried is different flour.
When using the mixer I’ve tried putting all water first, then adding flour as needed (which ends up using way more flour than you call for).
When using the food processor with a bread blade, i tried, putting all dry ingredients, then the liquids, slowly, until i get the desired consistency.
– Since you are a costco fan, do you buy their huge sacks of all-purpose flour?
– Any other thing you can think of, that is making my bread not be pretty?
Thanks in advance.
So are the rolls flattening? And if so, are they flattening while rising or baking? What is the texture of the dough like when you take it out of the mixer to rise? Does it leave a lot of residue on your fingers or is it more stiff? I don’t buy the Costco bread flour. I usually use Wheat Montana unbleached all-purpose flour.
Sorry, I didn’t notice you responded. yay. So, here it goes:
– They are not flattening. At the beggining they were till i realized they needed more flour…over 1-2 cups…which is why i stopped using the kitchen aid, and started using the Ninja processor with the bread blade (a semi-poor version of the bosch? lol)
– I’ve been playing with both leaving it stickier, or stiff. Though now that I am writting back, i am wondering if i am not kneading for long enough. the ninja stops every 3 mins with the bread blade, so i do two rounds…may be i need to do 3.
– No costco flour, ok. I will try another. Question though, what if I use bread flour instead? I am not sure about the difference (vital gluten perhaps?)
anyway, thanks for responding. you’ve made my day. 🙂
CrazyColumbian, You are making me crazy also and I can’t stand it so am jumping in with my 2 cents 🙂 !
If you have no physical issues with hands/arms/wrists, skip the machine and make this by hand until you get what the dough should look and feel like and rolls with the texture you are looking for. This is a nice easy dough to work with by hand. Don’t fret on the type flour or how much. Review Mel’s picture tutorial below the recipe. Start with the liquid and add the flour 1/2 cup at a time stirring until you can’t stir and then turn it out on a floured surface and start hand kneading. Take your time and enjoy the process :). Maybe make 1/2 the recipe until you are comfortable with results.
As you are kneading flour in and you want to knead each addition until your hands are sticky, add the next half cup and knead that in. When the dough “cleans your hands” and is soft and just slightly sticky, knead for another minute and then stop. You do not need to track how much flour. You are going for the correct consistency for the amount of liquid and YOUR flour.
I happen to use WheatMontana flour also as I live in Montana. It is a hard wheat flour, high protein and it takes more liquid to flour than something like a store brand (this translates to less flour overall if you start with the liquid in the recipe). BUT, this recipe works with store white, bread flour when you go for texture and feel of the dough.
Hope you have fun and make wonderful rolls!
Liz’s comment is definitely helpful! Making the rolls by hand might be the secret to learning the perfect texture for the rolls. In answer to your question, yes, bread flour has more gluten, and yes, you can definitely use it for this recipe. I wish we had a way for you to post a picture and then I could see what the rolls are looking like as you make/bake them. Feel free to ask any other questions!
Happy Easter Mel to you and your family! I made the french bread rolls yesterday and actually forgot about them on the second rise and they became huge, they baked up fine so I will use them for hamburger buns. I made another batch this morning for dinner and they are wonderful! Easter dinner is going to be your maple glazed pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes/gravy, corn, green bean casserole, cranberries, amazing romaine salad, french bread rolls and lemon curd cheesecake; I rarely buy desserts because homemade is usually so much better but this is from Costco, they were giving out samples the other day and it is sooo good. Thanks for all that you do and all your wonderful recipes!
Hi Mel! Maybe I missed this in comments, but what’s the difference between just active dry yeast and a rapid rise? Can I use rapid rise if that’s all I have? 🙂
Hey Lindsay – rapid rise is usually the same as instant yeast. So you can definitely use rapid rise in this recipe!
Hi Mel – is it possible to do all the prep the day before and bake the next day or will the dough continue to rise too much (or be otherwise affected by leaving it in the fridge overnight)?
Yes, you can totally do that! Just make sure when you take them out of the refrigerator that they have time to rise and double before baking.
I have always been a little intimidated to make rolls! I’m hosting Easter this Sunday and wanted to try to make some! I made these tonight as a test run and they were awesome!!! Super easy and yummy! Thanks for the recipe!!
That makes me so happy – way to go, Traci!
Thanks mel! Husband thought they were store bought 🙂 Also made the dough in the bread machine, took it out and did final rise, then popped in oven. So yummy!!
I’ve been making and loving these for the past (almost) 5 years, when I first came across your blog. They are a family favorite for hamburgers, dinner rolls, cold meat sandwiches, hot meat sandwiches, pretty much everything. And this recipe was actually my first roll recipe that I made, where the finished product actually looked like a legit roll, just like your pictures. So count me in with the hundreds of other people that love this recipe, and love you!
How do you store them when you’re planning to use them in the next couple of days? The only time I made them I let them cool completely and then stored them in a ziploc bag and they sweat and got soggy. I’m thinking I’ll store them in a paper bag next time.
Hi Sarah – I store them in a ziploc bag but haven’t had the same experience with them getting soggy. Darn! You could try storing them in a tupperware-container.
Could these possibly be frozen after rolling?
Probably! I haven’t tried it (I usually bake and then freeze), but I think it stands a good chance of working.
Probably a silly question, but how do you measure 3/4 T of yeast? Eyeball it?
I’ve always wondered the same thing. I tried to google it for an equivalent in teaspoons but have not found it.
It’s 2 1/4 tsp., the same amount that is in the individual envelopes.
I just do a scant tablespoon – basically I just barely underfill the tablespoon and call it good. It doesn’t have to be exact. 🙂
I have made these more times than I can count and I feel like it’s a no fail recipe, even the whole wheat version for this recipe. I love this recipe because it is super basic and I always have the ingredients. Some rolls require eggs, potato flakes, scalded milk, milk powder, sour cream, etc. Because they lack the extras, I guess, they don’t stay super soft or fresh for more than a day, so I usually freeze what we don’t eat right away.
Loved this post because I love these rolls! They are definitely the easiest I’ve made and are super tasty. One question–sometimes the bottoms of the rolls turn soggy, and it doesn’t seem to matter if I spray the pan or use a silicone mat. Do they need more time, or perhaps to come out of the pan sooner?
Are they lightly brown on the bottom? If not, I’d move your oven rack down one position (but not if that means it’s sitting in the lowest position, if that makes sense), and yes, definitely pop them out of the pan onto a cooling rack if you want to minimize the soggy factor. That happens to me all the time.
I love these! I made a batch Sunday and froze them. I pull a couple out every night to defrost for lunch the next day.
I have made these rolls more times than I can count! People ALWAYS love them and they make me look and feel like a total rock star! They will definitely be gracing our Easter table this Sunday!
We just made this dough as a part of your philly cheese steak recipe and my husband couldn’t stop raving about how easy the dough was to work with and how well it cooked up.
I’ll have to try these!
It just amazes me how some recipes are named after a country… where no one actually eats the said dish! I live in France, and no one eats dinner rolls 😉 Bread over here is plain flour/yeast/salt/water, and there has to be a crispy crust!
(it’s just like French fries, while we do eat them, it’s actually a Belgian specialty!)
These are THE BEST!!! My family Loves them. I make them for thanksgiving dinner and lots of things imbetween! Love them!! Just had to say
These look amazing!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
These are my go-tos as well! I usually do 2 oz for dinner rolls and 3 oz (flattened after I roll them into a ball) for buns. Thank you for the recipe!
These are the best rolls ever! We make them all the time and it is the only roll my family asks for! I make triple batches and freeze them.
Thanks Mel for sharing the best recipes!
This is my favorite recipe for hamburger buns (there’s an incredibly useful video by Mel on shaping these rolls which includes hamburger/hotdog bun weight measurements). If anyone else has a 6-cup hamburger bun pan like me, you’ll find that 2/3 of the recipe makes exactly 6 hamburger buns (the measurements for this recipe divides into thirds easily!) BTW, a bun pan is NOT necessary for the hamburger buns, but once I used it I couldn’t go back to my oddly shaped buns.:)
This recipe has become a standby at my house over the last several years! It is still a favorite! So yummy, easy, and successful every time!!
I made these rolls tonight for dinner along with the chicken!!! Delicious! I make tons of recipes from here, in fact we just finished the carrot cake! I love your sight so much, it is very helpful, organized, and doable!! Thanks so much!
Thank you!
Mel, excuse my ignorance, is it possible to share your recipes on Face Book ? I have looked high & low but can’t find any shares. Thank you
Hi Nora – at the top of the post underneath the title, there are some sharing icons. The one on the far left is for Facebook. Let me know if you have other questions!
Hi Mel,
I made the rolls into buns to have with your Italian meatball sub recipe. I followed the recipe and used my bread machine on the dough setting for the first rise. The dough was easy to work with and the subs were delicious.
Thanks
I made these rolls and they were delicious! I had one small problem in that they did not brown on top but stayed quite pale. I tried cooking them longer but was afraid the bottoms would burn (as the bottoms were perfectly golden). They tasted wonderful and my family ate them up but would love to have them golden on the top like the photo. Any tips on what I could do next time?
That’s a great question and I know others have had the same issue. I’ve found a couple factors – baking them at 25 degrees higher oven temperature can help as well as moving the oven rack to a different position. For some reason in my oven, they brown better in the upper third of the oven but others have commented saying their rolls didn’t brown until they moved them to the bottom third. Do you have a gas or electric oven?
I have made several of your bread/roll recipes and these are my new favorites! I used bread flour and always use SAF brand yeast that I store in the freezer, so I have found that I don’t need to proof it first. They came out so light and fluffy…they almost melted in our mouths. I love that they came together so quickly too. Thank you!
help!!! I made these rolls for thanksgiving (tomorrow!). i believe they will turn out well, but i could not get the flour to turn out right. the first batch i just shaped into bread because it was way too sticky to do rolls. i made another batch and tried to get it more tacky and less sticky. it seemed to be ok, but after rising it was really sticky again. i did the test like you said in your tutorial (pick a bit up and it may be sticky but once you roll it out it should dry up. it seemed to dry up enough). when it came time to roll my hands were COVERED and it was so tedious with the extra stickiness on my hands. i was so worried about not over flouring. i should note…i used 100% all purpose and i usually work with whole wheat. my mom thought everyone would like this better. but, i’m not used to working with white flour. so maybe i just don’t know what to look for. any tips?? thanks! 🙂
Hi Amanda – it definitely sounds like you need more flour (probably upwards of a cup extra flour if it was that sticky rolling them out). It shouldn’t be significantly different texture-wise using whole wheat vs white flour…but from how you describe it, that stickiness is a bit overly sticky. Try adding more flour. I bet that will do the trick!
My buns did not brown?
It’s a good thing I don’t have to tell you in person how incredibly amazing these rolls are–as my mouth is really busy right now (with roll No. 2). I have been making bread machine rolls and French loaves for years, but today I ventured into the world of manual dough making via your recipe. And I’m over the moon with the results! Thanks for another rock star concoction.
Have you used this recipe for sandwich bread in a loaf pan?
No, but I bet it would work great.
I’ve made it into sandwich bread and it works great!! It only keeps for a day or two, but I have to hide it to make it last that long
Is it necessary to cover with plastic wrap or can we bake it uncovered?
Definitely bake the rolls uncovered, take off the plastic wrap before baking.
I’ve tried out a lot of your recipes (mostly the dessert ones) but this has to be one of my favourites! This was my first time actually making bread and they turned out lovely. I’ll definitely try to venture out of the dessert world a bit more now 🙂
I love your blog! I’ve made this recipe a few times and every time they turn out flat. They expand out rather than up. I’ve tried adding more flour and being very careful to not squish the rolls when they are rising the second time. Any tips?
Hi Jenny – hmm, you’re pretty certain the dough has enough flour? That’s the main reason I’ve seen these rolls want to spread out instead of up. Also, how close are you spacing them on the baking sheet? Another thing to keep an eye on is making sure the ball you roll them into is very, very tight – it shouldn’t be squishy at all, it should be very firm and taut when they are rolled and then of course the get nice and light and squishy as they rise.
These were so lovely and simple! My three year old even helped roll the dough into balls. The dough was so easy to work with. We had French dip sandwiches on them and they were perfect.
perfect and delicious! My 5 yr old daughter watched the shaping tutorial with me, and she helped me make the buns.
I just made these rolls, and the top got golden brown but the center and the bottom was doughy, do you know what I did wrong? My dough was a little sticky, so maybe I need to add more flour or do you think I should lower the rack in the oven. This happened to me when I made your homemade pizza dough also. Maybe I’m not meant to make breads. Ha ha!!
You might try decreasing the oven temp just a bit so they cook more evenly before the tops get too brown.
So I tried to make these rolls and the tops got done, but the center and bottom was doughy. Do you know what I’m doing wrong?
I’ve lost count of how many times I made these beauties. They are so easy to work with and produce such a great flavor. I love the tip on getting them perfectly round. This recipe is also the reason I bought a scale and can’t remember how I ever lived without it! I store them in the freezer and pop them in the microwave when we’re ready to eat them. Delicious!
I just made this. A Sub roll version, I got four 10 inch rolls. I needed to use 5 cups of flour before it would stop being overly sticky…was still rather sticky. but I was able to continue with a greased bowl and well greased countertop. Thanks for the recipe!
I think that there should be a note somewhere that these come out hard shelled, but soften as they cool. Or is this common knowledge among breadmakers?
Thanks again! I can’t wait to try your monkey bread.
I don’t normally comment on blogs but I needed to after making these rolls. OMG, these were so good, my guests thought these were store bought! I have tried numerous roll recipes and they’ve all tasted overly yeasty – not these ones. These were amazing! Soft, fluffy and delicious! I may have to make more today and freeze them. Thank you for my new go-to roll recipe!
Yum! I am deciding between making these and your regular French bread recipe. Which would you suggest? What is the taste and texture difference between the two recipes? Obviously besides that these are rolls and the other recipe is a loaf…
I think either are great – they are fairly similar in taste and texture. Maybe start with the bread and see what you think. 🙂
Hi Mel!
Since I discovered your blog, I’ve gotten excited about cooking again and itching to try new things. I just made these rolls. They flopped a bit because I didn’t factor in humidity (and then my 2 year old daughter flattened more than half of them right before I put them in the oven). They still tasted great (and looked almost great 😉 ).
Question though: on your tutorial, you said 2.5 oz of dough for a dinner roll, 3 for hamburger buns, and 2 for hotdog buns. What would you suggest for sliders or child size dinner rolls?
(PS my 4 year old son gobbled up 2 sloppy joes made with these buns after throwing a tantrum that he didn’t like any of the ingredients I put into the sloppy joes! I was flabbergasted. If my pickiest eater loved these, they’re a winner in my book 🙂 )
Hi Chava – I’d probably suggest about 1.5 oz for slider rolls. Glad these were a hit!
I just made these and they are so good. Super soft and fluffy. I was a bit of an idiot and I forgot to knead the dough, but they still worked well. Thank you for another great recipe! 🙂
I just made these again and realized this recipe is the one that brought me to your blog long, long ago. Aah….that was a great day! Should one be sentimental about food?
Thanks for all the recipes you’ve shared ever since!
New to your site! Your bread recipes are awesome! I use whole wheat, olive oil or coconut oil over canola and everything turns out great. I’vehad better success with your recipes and techniques. All way better then I imagined! So excited 🙂
Looking forward to trying many more. Making the roasted potatoes today.
Hi Mel,
If you are doubling or tripling a bread recipe like this, do you need to also double or triple the kneading time?
Thank you for your recipes….I just love every single one, and am slowly getting more comfortable with baking my own bread! You are awesome!!
Hey Ashley – that’s a good question but no, you don’t knead to double or tripe the kneading time. If I’ve doubled a recipe I might add just a minute onto the kneading time but only if my mixer is really full of dough.
I made these for dinner tonight and they were perfectly delicious. My son immediately called dibs on a roll for his school lunch tomorrow:) Thank-you for sharing your recipe, I look forward to trying other recipes from your site!
Mel I just had to tell you, I made these for pulled pork sandwiches for Easter yesterday, and the rolls were great but what killed me was I watched your video tutorial on how to make them and I realized it was the first time I had ever heard your voice. Here I was, a faithful follower for six years now and I had never watched a video, ha ha! Thanks for another great recipe, it had never occurred to me to weigh my dough before either. Now I am hooked 😉
Haha! You are too cute, Kristi! I always enjoy seeing your comments pop up (you’ve been a loyal follower for a long time!) and I’m happy that you loved these rolls.
I made these for supper tonight to go with the one pot creamy tuna and shells. They turned out really good and they were super easy to make! They are so soft ! I think I found my go to dinner roll recipe. Thank You so much Mel for all your work you put into your recipes. This is the first place I go to find a meal when i don’t know were to start. Thanks !
After much experimenting and failure with various no knead recipes, I made this one this afternoon … YOWZA – just what I wanted for sandwich rolls, hamburger/hot dog buns. Wonderful taste and texture. I used about 1/2 cup whole wheat and the rest white AP (Wheat Montana hard flours) …don’t know exactly how much. I’m comfortable with kneading, etc. so stopped when I thought all was good.
And really, there is not very much hands on time and I used my hands, no mixer. I am SO happy. Thanks so much Mel for all of the details and recipes and tutorials.
Sometimes I call my neighbor to see if they need anything when I run to the store as we are rural. He often asks me to pick up a package of the Kings Hawaiian rolls. Well, I am going to make them a batch of these this weekend and see what they think!
Yuuuuuuum! I made these last night, and they were incredible. I ended up using slightly less than 3.5 cups flour only; I’m guessing because my flour is from a bag and not “homemade”, so it’s more compacted. Anyways, I made them into hamburger buns and buttered and grilled them as you suggested. That was insanely good. My “I could eat cow for every meal of the day” husband almost preferred the bun to the burger! (I used your grilled burger recipe too, it was good). In conclusion, I have loved making your yeast recipes so much that I went out and scored a used Bosch on ebay yesterday for $200. The Kitchenaid just wasn’t cutting it. Thanks Mel!
Melanie! I’m doing {really bad} cartwheels about your new Bosch. Yay!
Thank you for the recipe! These rolls were so easy to make which is very important to a baking novice like me! They looked amazing coming out of the oven and their appearance and texture were right-on. However, the taste was completely bland, which the family also pointed out :(. I don’t understand what went wrong and why they had no flavor whatsoever. I used the exact quantities and steps listed in the recipe.
These rolls are such a hit with my family! Thanks for the recipe Mel! I’ve even got my dad making them since they’re so simple and yet so delicious! He likes to mix it up sometimes and uses 2 cups of white flour and 2 cups of wholewheat flour for a chewier roll.
Hi how big is a us cup in ml? I am in uk. Also are they the same for liquids and dry goods? Thanks
You’ll have to google a conversion, Gill, sorry. I don’t measure in mL and am not familiar with the conversions.
Just made these and they turned out amazing! It was my first time making bread and it looked so daunting, but it was super easy peasy. Ours cooked for 14 minutes and I think they were still a tad undercooked (probably needed a minute or two more), but they still taste amazing, and are light and fluffy. This recipe is a keeper!
I just made these rolls and they turned out flat. I bake a lot of bread but for some reason they did not work. They looked more like biscuits. We have had quite a bit of rain lately could the humidity affect the outcome of these rolls. I had just purchased my yeast and the expiration date isn’t until March 2015. My flour was a bread flour. I am at a loss for what happened. Any ideas?
I think the humidity can definitely play a factor; was the dough overly sticky? If so, it may not have enough structure to rise up (I’ve had them flatten while baking a time or two when I have under floured them).
Have you ever made these with herbs? Trying to find a simple herb roll recipe without milk!
I haven’t tried them with herbs but I think they’d be delicious with fresh rosemary.
Mel! I made these and they are oh so good! After I form the dough into balls, can I freeze them, then thaw and cook them later? I’m thinking for thanksgiving prep. I’m in charge of rolls!
Hi Mel! I just took these rolls out of the oven, and they look fantastic to go along with our old-fashioned goulash tonight. I watched your tutorial for making round rolls and I am just curious. Why do the rolls in your photo look like they were pulled apart from each other? You may have answered this somewhere, but I don’t have time to go through the 250 plus comments. 🙂 Thanks for your blog! It’s my favorite!
Hi Annie – usually when I make these and place them on the pan, they rise and bake with the sides connected so after they have baked, they have to be pulled apart to get a single roll off the pan. It’s probably a matter of how far apart or close you put them on the pan. Hope that helps!
I just took a batch of rolls out of the oven. They look fantastic. Cannot wait to have one. Using it with your “The Best Sloppy Joes” recipe. Dinner will be fantastic.
Would love to see a tutorial on making hoagie/sub rolls with this dough. I’ve done it twice now but I’m never sure the best way to shape the dough and how big each one should be for a nicely sized finished product.
I think THIS tutorial will really help. Good luck!
I tried these using 3/4 white whole wheat and the rest all purpose. They are good but for some reason they taste a bit bitter. Also, they looked pretty just out of the oven but the ones in the middle of the cookie sheet got sort of wrinkled once cooled. What did I do wrong? Help!! I really want to get these right and I know I must have done something.
Patty Moreno – If they are wrinkling quite a bit, you can try baking them a minute or so longer. Mine actually get slightly wrinkly on top and softer than when they first pop out of the oven so that is slightly normal (but super duper wrinkly probably isn’t). Also, if you want crispier crust, you can try baking them in the oven alongside a baking pan filled with water. The steam can help get that crunchy exterior. Have you tried the whole wheat version of these rolls? http://www.melskitchencafe.com/fluffy-whole-wheat-dinner-rolls/
Thank you! Once again you don’t disappoint. I decided to try and make these for hamburger buns.. (I’m a hamburger bun snob and hate store bought nasty ones). I usually just use costco size rhodes rolls to make buns and while they are good they just aren’t quite dense enough.. I have attempted buns from scratch before and they were way too dense.. I was scared but gave these a try anyway.. AMAZING! I couldn’t wait until dinner and tried one dipped in BYU creamery ranch. Soooooo good!
I am excited to try these rolls. Do you think I could use coconut oil in place of the canola oil?? Or olive oil? I prefer not to use canola oil. Thanks!
Holly- Certainly worth a try!
Just made these, they are terrific! I think i may put an egg wash on top before i bake them the next time just so they look shiny on top.
Thanks for such an tasty yet simple recipe!
I’ve made this recipe many times and it always turns out great. For hoagie buns, this recipe will yield eight 4-ounce buns, which I usually use for Italian Beef or Meatball Sub sandwiches. The last time I made these I added 1T dry milk and 2T instant potato flakes, which produced even softer buns. Thanks Mel.
I love your website!! At least one of your recipes is always on my dinner list! I tried making these rolls and while they were delicious, they were really, really soft. Are they supposed to be? I’m not great with breads but I thought I was doing well until the second rise and baking part. They didn’t rise very well the second time and that could have been because they were too spaced out. If the dough was kind of sticking to my fingers when rolling it into balls, does that mean I didn’t have enough flour? And while baking, the tops never toasted, but the bottoms got almost too done! What could have happened?
Hi Kerah – from what you are describing, it does sound as though you need more flour – start by adding 1/4 cup until the dough is slightly less sticky (you might need upwards of a cup or so). The dough should be soft and slightly tacky but not so sticky that it leaves a lot of residue on your fingers. Also, check the position of the oven rack – I’ve found each oven I’ve used (we’ve moved a lot!) differs and my rolls and even cookies brown differently if the oven rack is at the bottom of the oven or in the top third. Right now, my oven cooks most evenly in the top third. Good luck! Let me know if you have any other questions!
I made these rolls last night for dinner …. I must say they were some of the best rolls and easiest I have ever made. The true test for me came tonight ,when I pulled the leftovers out of the freezer and zapped them in the microwave ……….. Oh my gosh !! They were just as yummy tonight as last night !!!!! This is my new go to roll recipe:)
WOW! I have been under the impression for years that I had the BEST roll recipe. My sons-in-law and grand children love it, BUT I think this recipe will win out. I used half the recipe for ham roll ups, and froze the other half as plain rolls and am anxious to see how those plain rolls will bake. The ham roll ups will be made again- for my next stitching group luncheon. My husband gave his stamp of approval, too. And I am looking forward to our next family dinner to try this roll recipe out for the gang.
I chanced upon your website about a month ago and am so glad I did. I have been dealing with a health issue for over a year and have to avoid all preservatives, artificial colors, artificial flavors, etc. (or else I end up in lots of pain!). I love this roll recipe and it is wonderful to be able to eat a hamburger again! I have completely changed the way my family eats (I bake all the time now) and your recipes are amazing. Thank you!!
I made these today for our Easter dinner, and my 3 year old nephew exclaimed “yummy buns” at the dinner table as he was having a bite, which was the best testimonial I could’ve gotten! The recipe is amazing – thanks so much! And your tutorial on rolling the dough was perfect. We’ll for sure be having these again – everyone loved them!
I made these rolls with your Best Sloppy Joes recipe, and they were amazing! I divided the batch into 8 rolls, and they came out a perfect size. I probably should have lowered the temperature and cooked them a little longer, though, because they did come out a tad doughy. Nevertheless, they were a hit!!
*rolls!
How do you shape these roles for hoagies?
Jenna – I use about 4 ounces of dough and roll them into a thin-ish log (maybe about 1 1/2-inches thick and 4-inches long). Let rise until super puffy then bake.
I recently made these rolls and they turned out perfectly! So delicious! I also used your tutorial on shaping rolls. Such a great technique! My rolls were so pretty 🙂 Thank you!
I made these last night…..seriously easy…light and fluffy golden goodness! Thanks for recipes that work, taste great and I can make when my baby goes to bed! Love these♥♥
I was wondering, how do your bread rolls get that light brown color? My rolls don’t change color at all, and when I turn my oven on broiler they get too brown an crisp. Do you have a specific oven?
Viktoriya – Try moving the oven rack up or down in your oven – each oven is really different and I’ve noticed in different houses I’ve lived in I have to experiment with moving the oven racks up and down because rolls brown differently based on where they bake.
Wow, just made these nifty little rolls for the first time and they are so fresh and delicious! The smell of fresh bakery style bread is amazing, my husband loved them. Thanks for this great recipe!
I’ve been married for 11 years now. I’ve tried honestly only a handful of times to make rolls because dough intimidates me to no end. And they never turn out. I made this recipe tonight and it is one of the happiest ‘kitchen’ moments of my life! The rolls turned out PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for once again providing a spectacular recipe and easy instructions!
Why did my rolls turn out looking like perfect round egg shapes? How did you make yours look like that, did you cut them on the sides before you baked them?
Hi Viktoriya – I don’t cut the sides of the rolls. Here is a video on how I shape them:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2014/01/video-tip-how-to-shape-dinner-rolls.html
Have you ever tried this recipe as hoagie rolls? Just shaping them differently? I would think the flavor would be great.
Amanda – yes! I make these as hoagie buns all the time. I use a bit more dough per roll (about 3 ounces) and shape them longer and slightly wider. They are fantastic!
I make these rolls all the time because they are so simple and good. I’ve been requested to make them for volunteers for our church construction build, they are THAT good!! I just started baking a few months ago (completely taught by you, by the way) so I’m in over my head. I’m wondering, can I just multiply this recipe as many times as I need to for the amount of people? I’m not sure if you can just multiply the ingredients by ten and the dough will turn out the same. Any thoughts or tips? Thank you again for the awesome recipe and for making me a from scratch baker! 🙂
Hi Macy – yes! You can definitely increase all the amounts as many times as you increase the recipe (so for a tripled batch, I just triple everything). The only thing you may edit a bit is the yeast…sometimes I find too much yeast, even in a huge batch of dough, is a bit yeasty for my tastes. But I’ve successfully 5X this recipe before with exact recipe amounts and it’s been fantastic. Good luck!
Hi Mel,
I love fresh homemade rolls for sunday dinner but we get home from church at 5:30 PM and there’s no time to let the dough sit for a few hours to rise. Any suggestions on how I can have dough ready to go into the over when we get home? We are away from home for about 4 hours before we get home so I don’t think I can leave the dough out on the counter while we are away. Thanks for your amazing expertise!
Hi Kristyn, occasionally, I have put the rolls directly from the refrigerator into the oven while it is preheating (so the rolls go in the cold oven while it heats up) and then I bake them for the recommended time, sometimes a minute or so less. It’s not a perfect solution but it definitely helps the rolls puff up in a very short amount of time to get ready for baking. Hope it helps if you try it!
I made these today, and they were great!!! I love butter flavor so about 5 minutes before they were ready to come out I spread a little butter them. Definitely a keeper, next time I’ll put honey butter on them. Thank for the recipe:)
Hey Mel–I got stuck working tomorrow, so I’m going to let the slow cooker and your pulled chicken recipe work while I’m AT work. So today I made your rolls to go with them, and for my first bread making foray, not bad. I would definitely double the batch next time, and after I made the dough into rolls, they didn’t rise well for some reason. Still, they taste good and I’m eager to try again. Thanks!
Hi Matt – try adding a bit less flour and see if the rolls rise better next time. Hope you liked the slow cooker chicken!
Made the rolls and had the pulled pork , they were so good @ I can’t wait to try many of your recipe . I shared you site with a friend and right now she is making your pretzel bites . Thank you Mel for the great recipes
Betty
I made these tonight and they turned out great! This recipe is definitely a keeper! The one thing that I have a question on though – for me they turned out huge! I had twelve hamburger-bun-sized rolls (not that I minded, I’m going to use them for sandwiches anyways). Do you think that I should let them rise for less time? Or just divide them into more rolls?
Hi Laura – I think you could try both variations (smaller rolls or less rising time). If you liked the texture of the rolls the way you made them, I’d continue to let them rise the same but just make a few more rolls. Placing them closer together on the baking sheet will also help so they don’t spread out into larger rolls (makes a taller, slightly more dense roll).
Oh my…these were so good! Thank you so much for sharing your favorites. At first I would hoard all my good recipes so no one else would make them…thanks for sharing yours! I love them all and tell my friends about your site! And a mama of 5…you are my kitchen hero! Keep up the hard work 🙂
Mel, these are amazing! I want to try this recipe as hamburger buns, when you do that do you shape them differently, or divide it into less rolls?
Hi Amanda, when I do hamburger buns, I use about 3 ounces of dough per roll instead of 2.25 ounces. It’s about 8 buns/rolls per batch.
These are great, I’ve made them several times. Have you ever frozen the dough after rolling into the balls (before the second rise)? I’m Thinking you could put them out on your counter for several hours after frozen til they double and then bake. Curious if you’ve ever tried and how it worked. Thanks
Katie – I have tried this once or twice but it’s been a long time so I don’t remember the exact details; but yes, this recipe is so forgiving and is perfect for refrigerating or freezing the dough.
Hey Mel,
I’ve made these rolls before and love them, and I have seen that you have made them for buns multiple times. How do you make them into “buns.” Do you do them the same size as a roll and just bake them on a cookie sheet, or bigger? Do you need to press them down at all? Thanks so much! LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog! I have made the majority of my dinners from here for years!
Hi Amanda – yep, I make them for hamburger buns and sandwich buns all the time. I have a kitchen scale and usually measure out about 3 ounces of dough for buns (vs. about 2 to 2 1/2 ounces for dinner rolls). I bake them the same way, maybe adding another minute onto baking time and I don’t put quite as many on a baking sheet. I’ve started pressing them down slightly for hamburger buns but not much. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi Mel, I love this recipe and make it a lot. I am going to try to make it this week with 1/2 white whole wheat flour and 1/2 white flour. But I have a lot of bread flour to put to use. Do you think I could use bread flour instead of all-purpose for the white portion or would it change the deliciousness or texture of the rolls? Thanks as always.
Hi Teresa – this recipe is so forgiving. I’ve used bread flour, wheat flour, all-purpose – you name it. I think you could definitely sub bread flour for the all-purpose. The texture of the rolls may be a bit on the chewy side but as long as they aren’t overfloured, they’ll be delicious.
I love this recipe and have been using it for a couple of years-do you think I could use this dough to make scones for Navajo tacos (Aka “fry bread?”)?
I’ve never tried that, Jennifer, but I think it would work since this is a pretty basic dough.
I love this recipe and have been using it for a couple of years-do you think I could use this dough to make scones for Navajo tacos (Aka “fry bread?”)?
Hi! ……. just wondering if these can be made in a bread machine on dough cycle – I don’t see why not but thought I’d check to see if anyone has used their BMs for making them.
Thanks!
Barb – I don’t have a bread machine but as long as the capacity of the dough will fit in the bread machine, it should work ok.
Hi Mel,
I have just found your blog and to say I love it is a gigantic understatement! So first of all, Thanks.
I just made these rolls. I am Australian and I live in Turkey. The bread in Turkey is awesome and super cheap and basically delivered to my door as often as I want. What I am trying to say is, I have absolutely no reason to make these rolls other than the fact I wanted to experiment with bread baking.
They are fantastic and were such fun to make. I was literally sitting on the floor in front of the oven watching them bake!!! I also watched the dough rise the first time…fun!??!
When they came out of the oven, I wanted to wait until they cooled down to have a sandwich…I couldn’t wait and ate one that was still so hot it was difficult to hold. I put butter on it….Oh my goodness…a completely satisfying lunch in itself.
Thanks for all of your recipes, beautiful photography and your helpful and amusing narrative.
I will be looking at your blog during boring meetings at work from now on!!!
You may get a million comments that say this same thing but I will write it anyway: I love your website, your recipes, and especially this roll recipe! I’m glad that it turns out fabulous but also that it makes a small batch! Thank you!
I love these as hamburger buns, but I prefer my bread with some whole wheat flour. Have you ever tried subbing some whole wheat flour for the regular flour? I made these and loved them then made two different whole wheat recipes that were throw in the trash bad! So I am back to your recipe wondering if I dare tweak it a little. 🙂
Hi Kim – Yes! I hardly ever make these with all white flour. I always use at least half white wheat flour and sometimes 100%. They work out great (just knead 5-6 minutes longer to develop that gluten and don’t overflour)!
Not that these need another positive review (because there are SO many), but these are AMAZING! Super easy and so delicious! I think it’s tacky when I like the food I make too much, but I couldn’t help but repeat how good they were 🙂 I’ll make these again and again and again…
I’m going to use this recipe for your cheesy ham and broccoli crescent braid. Will that work? How long should I cook it? In the ham recipe it says 350 for 20mins but in the bbq recipe that uses this bread recipe it says 400 for 15-20mins. Thanks! I love your blog.
Hi Jane – I use the french bread roll dough for braided recipes like the one you are referring to all the time so it should probably work (I haven’t made that cheesy ham and broccoli braid recipe in years). I would use the time/temp in the BBQ braid recipe.
I cannot tell you how many times I make these rolls. Anytime any recipe calls for “bread dough,” or if I ever need buns/rolls for burgers/sandwiches. I use these rolls. Not to mention if I just want some good rolls 🙂 This recipe is truly fabulous and must-have-always-on-hand.
i’ve had success with every recipe i’ve printed off that you posted Mel- but these rolls are amazing! thank you for my new favorite go to roll recipe for everything!
Mel,
Just made these for dinner tonight for our corned beef sandwiches. These rolls were awesome. They were light and fluffy. Thanks for another awesome recipe.
Thank you for a great recipe. These were really good even though I wasn’t paying attention and didn’t let them rise for an hour before shaping. So I just let them rise for 2 hours on the baking sheet. A definite repeat for me.
I do have a scale, and I will try that. I have also looked at your tutorials, which are very helpful. I like your description of the feel – that makes sense to me. I’ll keep at it – you make a good point. If it turns out ok, I must be doing something right. 🙂
Mel- I’ve made this recipe several times, and they are always great. I have a couple of questions, as I’ve learned so much about bread baking from you. I would love to say all our bread is homemade like you do! I’m trying to master one thing at a time. Anyway, I’ve tried to figure out just the right amount of dough to use for hamburger buns, and they are always too small or too big. If you have it down pat, could you share? And this is more of a general dough question: I regularly need (or think I need) more flour than called for in most recipes. I live in the humid South, so this is probably not surprising. But I always feel like I’m doing something wrong. Would you say it is pretty much a rule of thumb that when I’m mixing the dough in my KitchenAid, I am looking for the dough to pull away from the sides? And if so, how quickly should I expect this to happen? Perhaps I’m not being patient enough. Thanks
Hi Lillie – do you have a kitchen scale? When I make homemade hamburger buns, I use about 3 to 3 1/2 ounces of dough per hamburger bun. Have you seen these two posts I’ve done on the how-to’s of yeast and bread? Tutorial on Yeast and Whole Wheat Bread Step-by-Step. The pictures may help a bit. I’ve never used a Kitchenaid so it’s hard to say when the dough will pull away from the sides. I assume it’s pretty similar to my dough in a Bosch mixer. I usually judge by feel, though, more than looks. I like to pull a piece off (stop the mixer first!) and roll it in my hands to see how well it is holding it’s shape. Being in a humid climate, it’s not surprising that you have to add more flour but take care not to overflour. As long as your bread/rolls are rising fine and tender and light, it sounds like you are on the right track.
Tried this today for our Christmas dinner and they were wonderful! They looked great. I worry about trying a recipe for the first time at Thanksgiving or Christmas but this one was a big success and I’ll be baking a lot of these.
Tried these rolls tonight, and they were great. I actually liked that the bottoms of my rolls were a little crisp, but if you don’t like that I guess lower the temp. I was expecting soft, light airy rolls (not sure WHY I thought French bread rolls would be light) but they definitely have a French bread texture. Delicious and easy!
Yum…yum…yummmmm!!!
I don’t have a breadmaker and kneaded this by hand and tried (unsuccessfully) to roll them into “sub” shapes (I need to work on my shapes…my kids were pretending they were animals at the dinner table)….but they were AWESOME!
I am attempting to make these today, wish me luck, I have never baked anything before lol 😉
This had become my go to for a quick pizza crust, stromboli, etc. It’s easy to whip up. I always have the ingred. and it always turns out great! I just made pizza pockets for my kids lunches. Hoping it will be a nice change from sandwiches.
Diane K, I usually space them out about an inch but by the time they’ve risen, they are touching. I usually take care not to let the plastic wrap get trapped underneath the baking sheet because if the rolls don’t have room to rise up they can flatten, so I just lay the plastic wrap lightly over the top of the rolls. Placing them closer together could definitely help them keep their shape.
Hey, I just looked at your beautiful picture and wondered how close you usually put your rolls together? I made them for the first time as rolls (well, they were sub rolls) and they were delicious but more wide than tall. I feel like the plastic wrap was holding them down. Do you think putting them closer together helps them from spreading too much out and helping them go up?
Because oh man were they delicious. I seriously couldn’t stop eating them.
Holy Moly. I just made these rolls to go with our sloppy joes…. and The kids are hoovering over them eating them all… they are yummy.
Thanks for the fab recipe and I am so happy I happened upon your blog.
I was lazy one day and decided to use this as a pizza dough rather than my usual one that takes longer. It was delicious!!!
these look so light and fluffy mouthwatering rolls in which I would only need probably nothing on to eat and enjoy.
I have been searching and searching for a roll/bun recipe that is both soft and strong enough to stand up to a beef patty….thank you for this one!
Making this again…the 400th time. I love this recipe!!!!
Hi Maria – so glad you are enjoying the recipes! As for the whole wheat flour, I always sub in white whole wheat flour and usually just add 2-3 cups to start and then finish with all-purpose flour. The only other change I make is to knead for about 3-4 minutes longer if I’ve used whole wheat flour.
My family loved this! I read in one of your comments that you usually sub some whole wheat flour. Could you tell us how much, and if any of the other steps change, or if you add anything like vital wheat gluten? PS, my kids now ask when I make a new recipe if if comes from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe! PSS, my 13 year old daughter made your “best” cinnamon rolls and they were amazing! Thanks for your help.
I just made these for hotdog buns, I used this pan.. USA Pans New England Hot Dog Pan
Worked great, after the first raise I spread the dough into the pan and let it raise until it was a half inch below the lip. I baked at 400 for probably 17 min with a cookie sheet over the top of the pan weighed down with a glass bread pan (empty). Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you for this recipe! They were so easy to make and paired great with your Italian Meatball Sub. 🙂 Your recipes are ALWAYS a hit in my home. 🙂
I just wanted to say these rolls are great! My husband came home for lunch today and they came out of the oven so he took one and called to say that the rolls were so good! I have tried the recipe many times, and actually, messed up a lot. Once I forgot the salt, once my daughter stopped the timer, so they were a little too done, but not bad, and another time, I took another reader’s advice and added a little more salt, but I didn’t like that. Anyway, finally, I got it right and they worked and I am so glad! So, if they don’t work out the first time, or the second, try, try again!
I made these rolls yesterday with pulled chicken bbq sandwiches and the rolls were amazing and good enough to eat plain but when I put it with the bbq the flavors did not go well together 🙁 so I made KAF recipe for egg buns and those went perfectly and I used these buns to make amazing breakfast sandwiches. All and all I would use these for a meatball sub, deli sub or egg sandwiches but not for grilling… Probably just my opinion… And I still love the rolls! Thanks for a great recipe again!
I know I’m incredibly late, but I had to tell you that I made these last night and I’m pretty sure I’m the best wife on the block according to my husband!!
They were so easy, thanks so much!!!
LAN – whenever I’ve refrigerated the dough overnight, I’ve done it after shaping it into the balls. I shape the rolls, put them on the sheet pan and refrigerate covered overnight. I take them out to rise doubled and then bake them.
Love that I found you on pinterest! I’ve made beef stroganoff, homemade pizza and cornbread and turned out wonderful. I made these rolls… mine had a harder outer shell and were soft on the inside. They were good but I don’t think quite right. So I was trying to make the night before so I made the dough and then put it in the refridgerator to slow rise overnight like the pizza dough recipe. I took out this morning and made into balls and let them rise before baking. Just wondering what I did wrong or if I can use the slow rise technique
Rachel – I don’t have any major secrets for the shape of the rolls. I roll them into balls and place them about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet so that when they rise, they use each other to keep their shape (meaning they don’t have a lot of space to flatten out so they rise tall instead of wide, if that makes sense). If your rolls are flattening instead of getting height while rising, you may need to add just a touch more flour to the dough. Good luck!
I also have a question on the shape of the rolls…yours look so beautiful in the picture! How do you get them to be so deep/tall? Mine look round like yours and are very soft and yummy, but I can’t seem to get them to be as tall. Any tips???
I just made these tonight with the BBQ Chicken Braid. I made one braid, then from the other half of the dough I made rolls for later this week. Can I just say they are INCREDIBLE!!! Thanks Mel!!!
Every member of my family loved these rolls when I made them last night,my 6 year old requested them for her birthday dinner…. it’s not her birthday for another 5 months!!
Carlie – I make and freeze these rolls all the time and they are just as delicious and tender out of the freezer (as long as they are thawed all the way). Sometimes I’ll slightly warm them in the microwave before serving, too.
Hey Mel. We love these rolls. I will be making them with your pulled pork( my husbands favorite) on Saturday for his graduation party. I was wondering if I made them tomorrow and froze them will it remove the “wow” factor they currently hold or will they still be as tasty as normal? Trying to save me some time on Sat.
These rolls really are amazing! I just made them, but being skeptical that they were really that good, I only made one batch. I think I need to make another batch today because I have a feeling that I will need more for my family of 5 (which includes 2 teenagers). I’m sure they will not be satisfied with just one roll (I made sub-sized for meatball subs tonight so there were only 6).
First, let me say that you have made me into a bread maker. My results are never as pretty as yours but oh my are they always delicious. I get so excited to try your recipes that we are now having homemade bread at least once a week. My hubby couldn’t be happier. In fact, when I was looking at your Blitz Bread recipe, he announced, “I bet I could make that!” and he did! Thanks for that, Mel! As you can perhaps tell, I am buttering you up to ask a little free advice about experimenting with these rolls. They are so yummy and easy that I’d love to make them for my daughter’s upcoming 1st birthday party. Since the theme of the party is rainbows and butterflies, I have been researching ways to make Rainbow Bread for finger sandwiches. What I’m finding out is that at some point you divide the dough for as many color layers as you want, then knead food coloring into each section. After, you roll the sections, stack them (obviously in rainbow order) and roll into a loaf shape. This leads me to my question (finally): if I were to attempt Rainbow Rolls using your recipe, when do you think I should divide and knead in colors? Also, do you suppose I could just slice the rolls, instead of shaping into balls after the first rise? I would think this would preserve the rainbow effect but I’m not sure how they would look shape-wise after the second rise. Any ideas you, or any of your readers, might have would be very appreciated! Not that I mind a little trial and error, of course. Just means more delicious rolls 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Mandy – so glad you are enjoying the bread recipes (and tell your husband I’m impressed with his bread making skills also!). I’m new to the rainbow roll concept, I have to admit. If it were me, I’d knead the food coloring into the portioned dough after it has gone through the first rise (right before shaping and letting the rolls rise on the pan). I’m not sure what you mean by slicing the rolls instead of shaping them into balls – are you wanting to make slices of bread or actual rolls for the finger sandwiches? I think the idea of stacking the colored layers and rolling into a loaf shape should work great as long as the colors are vibrant for each layer. Sounds like a fun project!
I make these for everything! Hamburgers, sloppy joes, pulled pork, shredded chicken… the list goes on. They are wonderful, taste better than store bought and cost so so much less. I use my bread maker and then shape and do the final rise as stated in the instructions. Thank you!
Hmm.. That’s how much I used. I didn’t even use 2 cups of flour either, but maybe I over floured. I do everything by hand, no mixer, so maybe I over kneaded too. Thanks for the tip! I’ll give the sloppy joes on homemade rolls another shot tomorrow.
Hi Karen – sorry the recipes aren’t turning out when you halve them. It sounds like if you have had success with the original recipes but not a halved version that it may be the yeast. There really isn’t harm in adding more yeast except for maybe a stronger yeast taste so I’d recommend with a halved recipe of the French Bread rolls to add 1/2 tablespoon instant yeast (or slightly more than that if using active dry) and see how it goes. The other factor to consider is overflouring but if you don’t think that is an issue (overflouring can seriously hinder rising) then try the extra yeast and see how it works. Good luck!
Hey Mel, this is the third time I’ve tried to half one of your bread recipes and it did not rise 🙁 I was sure to proof the yeast first. I don’t want a full dozen, there are only 2 of us.
Any suggestions? Last time it was your bread bowls, I made a double batch for a party and the were beautiful! But they didn’t rise when I halved it. What do ya think? Is it just the amount of yeast?
Beth – I’m glad you like this recipe! When I double a batch, I portion the dough into 24 equal portions and fit them all on one sheet. I think when I weigh the dough portions, they are about 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 ounces each in weight. I don’t use a convection setting because I don’t have a convection oven so I just bake in batches. It doesn’t seem to hurt the pan of rolls baked second to sit out an extra 15-20 minutes. Hope that helps!
I have been so happy with your “perfect dinner roll” recipe that I had not yet tried this one. I think I slightly prefer your recipe that calls for instant potato flakes for a stand-on-its-own dinner roll, but these French bread rolls were also fantastic. And I love the idea of making my own hamburger buns with it. There have been so many times that a trip to the grocery store just to get buns for burgers ends up costing me a lot more . . .
Anyway, my question is about doubling/tripling this recipe. I can fit 2 dozen of the perfect dinner rolls on my large rimmed baking sheet, but these rolls seemed bigger (or expanded more), and I don’t think I could fit 24 on one sheet. How do you handle doing double and triple batches? How many can you fit on your pans, and then do you bake in batches or use a convection setting? I’m afraid to ruin recipes and so I never use my convection setting, but maybe I need to get a little more comfortable with it as it seems that my wish for double ovens is probably not going to come true. Thanks for your advice, Mel.
Alley – if I am making this dough into hoagies or sub rolls, I divide into about 8 pieces (I’ve tried 6 and the rolls are still enormous). If you have a kitchen scale, you can use that method. When I make the dinner rolls, I weigh the pieces out to be about 2 1/2 ounces each. When I make larger hoagie/sub rolls, I weight them out to be about 3 3/4 ounces each.
Hey Mel! If you are using this recipe to make hoagies or sub loaves for meatball subs or cheesesteaks do you only divide the dough into 6 pieces and shape it in oblongs? Or how would you recommend?
Luda – if you want to bake them tomorrow, I’d suggest letting them go through the first rise and then shaping them on the baking sheet. Cover them with greased plastic wrap and then refrigerate until tomorrow (don’t let them rise at room temperature). Pull them out maybe 1 1/2 to 2 hours before you want to serve them to give them time to rise and bake.
i am making your delicious French Rolls, homemade barbeque sauce and barbeque pork for Father’s Day. I had a question about the yummy rolls…(I’ve already eaten 2)!
I sprayed my plastic wrap with Canola Oil cooking spray and then put it on top of the rolls while they raised. When they came out of the oven, many had what looked like a “stain” of oil on top of the roll. I was able to make it go away by rubbing butter on top of the hot rolls. I was just wondering what you grease your plastic wrap with and if you’ve had this problem? The butter on top makes a softer roll instead of a nice crust.
I watched the video and that helped but I don’t remember it showing how you greased the plastic…
Thanks so much!
Margaret
Margaret – Good question, I’ve noticed this happens when the cooking spray leaves bubbles of spray on the plastic wrap or I’ve greased it too heavily. Usually I spray the wrap and then lightly wipe with a paper towel so there’s no visible residue of cooking spray. Hope that helps.
you could just use a linen dish towel as well and skip the plastic wrap.
Mel- Making these right now, but I want to use them tomorrow, so can I leave them in the fridge for the first rise and then follow the recipe? Or should I shape them into rolls and then put them in the fridge?
These rolls turned out great! I shaped them into 6 sub buns. They were soft and fluffy. I only needed 3 cups of flour for them to turn out perfectly. This will be my new go-to recipe for sub buns!
I made these a couple of months ago, and they came out superb! I have the shredded chicken in my crock pot in prep for lunch tomorrow, and I wanted to make them again today. I decided to double the recipe…and as I began adding ingredients, I totally flubbed up. I couldn’t find my tablespoon measurement or my teaspoon (pesky kids!), so was using a half teaspoon. It was a bit hectic here this morning, and I also misread the yeast measurement as teaspoon instead of tablespoon. Then I realized that I ran out of regular flour and only had self-rising….so it ended up being a quarter regular, a quarter self-rising, and half whole wheat. Needless to say, I did not put in enough yeast, and only put in half the oil and sugar than was called for. I figured out that I did it wrong when I had already added all of the extra flour. I decided to add what I didn’t put in properly in the beginning. I mixed the oil and sugar and added. Then I added the rest of the yeast on top of that.
I wasn’t sure what I was going to end up with….but they came out just as lovely as before. Not that I would ever make the same mistakes again (pregnant brain is a real thing, I am proof of that!)….but it’s nice to know that even when things get messed up….it still worked out!
Jen – if the yeast flavor was too much for you I’d simply try cutting down the yeast to 1/2 tablespoon of active dry yeast. That will still be plenty to help the rolls rise (it might take them a bit longer) but it may counter the yeast taste a bit. Incidentally I haven’t noticed an overly yeasty taste to these rolls so maybe it is just a matter of preference, although, I have noticed if I let my rolls rise too quickly (if my kitchen is too warm), they’ll develop a strong yeast taste. Good luck!
I made these tonight and, while they were delicious, they came out a little too “yeasty” to really match the flavor I expected in a French bread. I added the one tbsp of active dry yeast only, so what am I doing wrong? I let it rise in a room temperature area until doubled— I’m so confused!
love these rolls, they are easy, delicious and have come out perfect every time! I keep making them! This past time I’d recently made an angel food cake, and saw the extra dozen egg yolks sitting in my fridge… and used them to replace some of the liquid in the recipe. I had 1 1/2ved the recipe to make 24 med. sized rolls (a full jelly roll pan still) and they were so beautiful golden yellow!
I’ve commented on this post before to let you know I had made these rolls. I’ve made them a few times now, but I want to tell you about today. We had Christmas with my husband’s family today & our lunch was BBQ sandwiches with typical side dishes. I was the last one to be assigned a dish so buns & baked beans were my lot. My proud husband told his mom that I would make the buns. He’s so proud of my newfound skills, but I was nervous about doing this for the family & almost bought hamburger buns to have as back-up in case I failed. These were the best rolls I’ve made so far!!! Everyone was so impressed & I ended up being way too proud of myself! Seriously, these were a HUGE hit – thank you!
Great recipe! I will definitely be making these again….perfect with the pulled pork!
Mel. WOW. I am in awe of these rolls. I stumbled upon your blog on FoodBuzz today and found these rolls, and since I was making black bean burgers for dinner decided to round them out with these rolls. They are far and away the best rolls I have ever made in my whole entire life. Can I stress that again? THE BEST!!! Wow. I am still in awe. The outside was just barely hard and the inside was like biting into the softest most elegant bread I have ever tasted. The only thing I changed was using olive oil rather than canola because I’m an olive oil fanatic. Anyway, thanks for an absolutely positively amazing recipe!!! Can’t wait to try more!
I did it!! I braved the bread! It turned out that my mom came over today & both my parents were here for supper. My mama couldn’t wait to tell my daddy that I made homemade bread. She said she wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t seen it for herself! Ha!!! Everyone loved the rolls AND your pulled pork bbq that we put in them!! You made me a star! LOL! Thanks!
FINALLY made these today (I have so many of your recipes bookmarked, it’s hard to get to them all!) and… umm… they’ll do 😉 Couldn’t be more perfect – thanks!
I made these last night and they were a huge hit! The only thing I changed was that I used bread flour instead of AP. They were great!
Many thanks for your response. I’m going to make again soon with a tad more flour–very nice taste. And easy!
sweetpea – yes, I make about 12 rolls out of this recipe. If you want smaller rolls, you might get upwards of 14-16. I place mine slightly touching or about 1/4 to 1/2-inch apart on the baking sheets.
just made these for the first time. I didn’t add enough flour, I know, as they were too sticky to ever shape properly.
However, is the qty of 12 correct? I got 12 hamburger sized rolls. and your photo looks as if yours were placed touching
in pan. Thanks for your help.
I am new to your site and have never used yeast before. I was nervous, but these rolls turned out perfect!!!! Thanks for the great step by step directions. I made them with your sloppy joe recipe, and my husband LOVED it!!!!
These were so good I made them twice in the last week! I was so surprised how easy they were. We used them as buns for pulled pork sandwiches and the sweetness in them was the perfect balance to the smoky spicy pork. The only thing I changed was to swap out half of the AP flour for white whole wheat flour. Thank you for the thorough detailed instructions and the delicious recipe, it will be a regular around our house!
Ok I don’t know why I have been having so much trouble with these rolls! I have tried other roll recipes and they come out perfect. I am just determine to get these to work too.
I always half this recipe. If I halved everything would that work? Does 1/2 TBS active dry yeast with 3/4 cup water work?
n82 – I’m sorry you are having difficulties with this recipe. You might try making the full batch to see if that would make a difference. The halved recipe should work just fine with that yeast amount but if it really is giving you a lot of trouble, try making the full batch just to see.
I’ve made these twice in the past week. They make for the perfect burger! Thanks for another wonderful recipe!!!
Once again I’ve found a winner..or you’ve shared a winner 🙂 I made these rolls tonight and I even forgot to include salt and they are phenomenal!!! So soft and tender…I could go on and on. They’re super easy and they will definitely be a main staple in my house from now on. No more store bought rolls and buns for me 🙂
n82 – if they are that sticky, it sounds like they need a bit more flour. If properly floured the dough should be slightly tacky but should roll into a ball without leaving a lot of doughy residue on your hands. Try adding a bit more flour and see how that works for you.
Thank you for your advice. I really appreciate your time in writing back. I am sure you are right with why they flattened. I will definitely have to try them again.
Also, when I was rolling them into balls (following your video), the dough seemed to be too sticky and I kept having to spray my counter with Pam for each roll to prevent sticking. Otherwise it was just too sticky to form the balls. Why do you think that was?
Love these rolls! Made them a few weeks ago and they made my house smell sooo good! I even froze the rest of the batch, but now those are gone too. We used the rolls for burgers and sandwiches and they were great. The video you posted on how to roll & shape these rolls was a great help to me. I’d love to use this recipe to make a sub sandwich roll, but was wondering how you make them into sub sandwich rolls. Do you use more than 2 oz per roll? How do you shape them for a sub sandwich?
Thank you!
Hi Leslie – so glad you like this roll recipe! When I make them into hamburger buns or sandwich rolls, I use about 3 to 3 1/2 ounces per roll. For the sub sandwiches, I roll each piece of dough into a little log-shape, about 3 inches long by 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. They rise quite well and expand to the perfect sub roll shape. I hope that helps!
hi Mel, ok so I have a question for you…
I made these tonight and they were good but something went wrong. Just so you know both times my dough rose beautifully and it had definitely doubled in size. However, after the second rise (once the rolls were shaped into circles) I put them in the fridge because there was still a couple of more hours to dinner.
I took them out of the fridge a couple of hours later and saw that all the previously risen balls had deflated. I put them straight in the oven and baked them. They came out flat just like when they went it…
Can you put the dough balls in the fridge once they have risen or no? What did I do wrong?
Please help!
Thanks!
n82 – I’m sorry the rolls flattened! That can be frustrating. When I want to refrigerate the rolls before baking, I don’t let them rise on the sheet pan before refrigerating. I shape them, place them on the pan, then cover with greased plastic wrap and immediately put them in the refrigerator. Then, depending on how long they were refrigerated, I take them out and let them come to room temperature and rise until doubled before baking (sometimes if I refrigerate them overnight, they double in size in the fridge and I just take them out for 30 minutes or so to let them come to room temp). My guess is that because you let them rise and THEN refrigerated, they continued to rise in the refrigerator and collapsed. I hope that helps a little!
I have used this recipe 4 times now when making buns for burgers and hot dogs. Not only are they AMAZING, but each time they are shared, my friends have asked for the recipe! Thanks Mel. I am LOVING your website!
Hi Melanie, I was looking for instant yeast and I noticed that the package said 50% faster rise time. Do I change the time for the dough to rise or anything? Silly question I know. And by the way I adore your blog! Your recipes are amazing!
Hi Sommer – instant yeast is sometimes called rapid rise yeast so while I’ve never noticed that it actually rises 50% faster, that could definitely be the case. I never change any of the rising times when using instant yeast. Except for the proofing part (active dry needs to be proofed in water whereas instant does not), I don’t change anything when using it. Hope that helps!
I made these for hamburger buns and oh man were they good! I replaced some of the flour with whole wheat like you said and they were fantastic. Perfect texture. I have made hamburger buns before but these were sturdy enough for the sandwich but still moist. I also watched your tutorial on getting them round which was extremely helpful. I froze some and pulled them out last night and they were just as good the second time. I made some into hot dog buns and I couldn’t quite get the shape right. Do you have any tricks to make them into cylinder shape? Thanks so much for posting!
Hi Renee – no tricks for the hot dog bun shape, except that I have learned to make them much smaller than I think. The first few times I made hot dog buns/sub buns they ended up HUGE. So usually I roll them into about 1 1/2-inches wide by 3 inches long and that does the trick.
Thanks for the additional information, Mel. My leftover rolls are thawing as we speak, and I can’t until dinner tonight! 🙂
Mel- I wanted to let you know that I (finally!) got up the courage to make your French Bread Roll recipe last night. I don’t know why I waited so long, because they were the best bread/rolls that I have ever made! And so simple! WOW…my family is blown away! I used to make home-made bread all the time when my children were young, and then I stopped for some reason (maybe the low carb thing). Of course, my children don’t remember the home-made bread. When they saw the dough rising they thought I was making pizza dough! Well, needless to say, I’m afraid that store bought rolls are a thing of the past in our house, and it is all your fault! 🙂
I love, love, love the tutorials! They really helped with the amount of flour (I didn’t use the full 4 cups) and shaping the rolls. I made 8 rolls (3 oz. each), planning to freeze them for burgers tonight. Well, let’s just say that there are only 5 left, and I had to threaten bodily harm to anyone that ate another roll! 😉 LOL!
I will definitely double the recipe next time. I will have to see how a double recipe fits in my Kitchen Aid 6 quart mixer. I am hoping I can even triple the recipe in the future. If not, maybe I will have to trade in my trusty KA a Bosch mixer! 😉
I am going to toast/grill the rolls tonight night for burgers…I am already thinking about how delicious dinner is going to be!
Oh- and even though my rolls turned out perfect (in my opinion!), I did have few questions- do you use table salt, kosher salt or sea salt? Since you didn’t specify what kind, I assumed that you use table salt. As a result, I used 1 1/2 tsp. of fine sea salt. The rolls were not overly salty at all, and I think I may increase the amount to 2 tsp. next time. Every type of salt is different (even kosher salts vary from brand to brand), so finding the right balance is key.
Also, I used canola oil as your recipe calls for, but I was wondering if you think a good quality extra virgin olive oil would be a nice substitute or would it be too overpowering?
Last, but not least-after reading the comments here about egg wash, I was curious if you ever brush these rolls with egg wash before baking? I didn’t, and I am curious to know if you do brush them and then sprinkle them with sesame seeds or poppy seeds? Don’t get me wrong- I personally don’t think they need anything else…they are absolutely heavenly! I was just wondering why egg wash was discussed in regards to this recipe. Thanks!
Hi Kim – I’m so happy these rolls worked out for you! We must have been on the same wavelength because I made them the same day you did. There’s nothing like homemade rolls! As for your questions, I mostly use table salt but occasionally will randomly reach for my bamboo holder of kosher salt and they still turn out great, albeit slightly more salty than when I use table salt. I always use canola oil but have used EVOO when I have been out of canola and if you like the taste and flavor of EVOO, it actually works great as a substitute. The flavor isn’t overpowering but I can definitely taste the olive oil vs. the mild canola, does that make sense? As for the egg wash, the original recipe called for an egg wash but I never use it, mostly because I like the softness of the rolls without it. However, they are a sturdy enough roll to stand up to a light egg wash before baking and for a hamburger bun, I think they would be delicious with an egg wash and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. I’m a plain Jane kind of roll girl, so I never adorn them but they would definitely be great that way.
I went ahead to try and make them, and I have to say that my first experience making rolls turned out amazing. I thought they would be crusty like french bread usually has been for me, but they are moist and fluffy. They turned out great because of your wonderful directions and helpful hints.
I’m just getting into the whole bread making thing and I have started out with a breadmaker, but I want to make rolls so my question is: Do you use a portion of the water from the recipe to proof active yeast in or would the water you use be cancelled out by the proofing process?
Hi Ariane – if I use instant yeast, I don’t proof the yeast in water, I just add it with the other ingredients. If you are using active dry yeast in a breadmaker then yes, you would want to proof the yeast in a bit of water and a pinch of sugar first before adding it to the breadmaker with the other ingredients.
Made these today! I felt super fancy making my own rolls/ buns. Thanks for the great recipe and for walking me through the yeast process 🙂
Hey 🙂 I already wrote how good these are, but now I’d like to know whether I can add raisins to the dough? Any suggestions how much I could add, when etc ? My friend wants to eat sweet rolls with raisins, but either I can’t search properly or there aren’t many recipes for such :/ Thanks for help!
kk – I’ve never tried adding raisins to these. My only suggestion would be to knead them in at the end but that’s just a guess. Good luck if you try it!
I have to say that I love this recipe. After using it to make several BBQ Chicken Braids and loving the flavor and texture I utilized it as a dough for hamburger buns and I am so glad that I did. FANTASTIC to be able to make my own burger buns! My ultra picky husband was impressed and even asked that I never buy regular buns again. I think these buns have the taste and texture of a bread much richer than one containing a mere 2 tablespoons of oil like this one. Thanks again!
So, so good. Made these with sloppy joes. This was the first time I made rolls completely successfully–not only did they look good, but they tasted fabulous. I’ll definitely be making these over and over again! Thanks for sharing!
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for the yummy bun recipe. I made them today with your sloppy joes! So yummy! My husband kept saying how amazing it was that I actually MADE the rolls… they were like gourmet to him! 🙂 Thanks a bunch!
I just made these today and they turned out great…and the house smelled soooooooo good while these were baking! I always used to avoid bread recipes that called for yeast, but I’ve been gaining more and more confidence every time I use one of your recipes. Thank you!
I just discovered your blog and am so excited! I am in a cooking slump, bored with my recipes. Now I am inspired bc your cooking tastes are so much like mine. I made your hamburgers and hamburger buns this weekend and oh. so. good. Like Kat, my husband kept raving over the buns. Seriously, will I ever be able to eat a store-bought bun again? Keep up the good work!
I used this recipe to make homemade hamburger buns as suggested in your classic grilled burgers recipe. They turned out FANTASTIC! My husband asked that we not buy store bought buns ever again 🙂 Thanks for another great recipe!
Kat – that may or may not have been my husband’s exact request. So glad you loved these!
I made these this afternoon. They were so easy and yummy! We have egg and milk allergies in our house so it was so great to find something I didn’t even have to tweak! I used the bread flour and it was great. Your blog is awesome!
Melanie – thank you for your comment! I’m glad these rolls turned out so well for you since you are working around allergies!
Have you ever tried whole wheat for part or all of the flour? Thanks!
Kaitlyn – yes, I use at least 50% whole wheat everytime I make these now. Sometimes I’ve used all whole wheat but I have the best results when I use at least one cup of white flour.
Ive never made any type of bread or rolls before so i really really new to this. Can you kneed this bread by hand? i cant find my kitchen aid bread hook attachment.
paramedichick06 – yes, you can definitely knead the bread by hand. You’ll probably need to add a few minutes on to the kneading time to sufficiently develop the gluten.
I am going to try these rolls – they look delicious! I was just wondering if you have ever made a huge batch in the Bosch and if so, does it fit in the Bosch x 4 or x 5? Thanks so much!
Kaitlyn – the most I’ve ever made in my Bosch with these rolls is a triple batch.
Do you have to knead by hand or can you use the dough hook of a mixer? I’m wondering if you need the extra flour you get from kneading?
Allyson – I always use my Bosch mixer and knead with the dough hook. I add flour until a soft, tacky dough is formed.
These rolls are fantastic! I always come to your site first when I need a new bread recipe, and you never disappoint! I made these into buns for burgers and they were a huge hit, and I kept eating the leftover buns plain. I’m already looking forward to making them again. Thanks so much!
Emily Marie – I’m glad you like these rolls as much as I do. I swear I make them at least weekly for some application or other!
I LOVE crusty rolls. What ratio do I use for egg white/water mixture? Do I brush the rolls all over, even the bottom? Or just brush it on the top? Do I actually spray the rolls with water or just into the air above the rolls?
Jess – I usually use one egg white to 1 tablespoon water. I brush the rolls gently on top and around the sides – basically covering the entire top but not worrying about the underside or bottom. I spray the water into the oven above the rolls. I hope that helps!
Mel I use this recipe to make hamburger rolls also, and pizza crust, and sub sandwich rolls. I love this recipe. Thanks
Thanks, Tiffany – I love the versatility of this recipe!
I’ve made these a few times now (always for sandwiches, rather than as a dinner roll) and I use the extras out of the freezer to make garlic bread. Yum!
Janssen – thanks! I freeze my extras, too, and they are great to pull out last-minute.
Easy, wonderful recipe…found ourselves without rolls for Mother’s Day and it was a cinch to whip these up. They were the perfect addition to our Mother’s Day meal. Many thanks!
Thanks, Christa – I’m so glad these rolls worked in a pinch for you!
Debbie,
I had that problem the first time I tried them and I think that the problem for me was that the water that I proofed the yeast in was too hot.
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but mine were much flatter. I let it rise longer than it said, but it didn’t rise nearly as high as yours. Any clue what I did wrong?
Debbie – sometimes if the dough is too sticky (not enough flour) the rolls flatten instead of rise tall and puffy. It’s a tricky balance between adding enough flour but not too much so the rolls are dry. Also, klutzymama’s advice can also be true – yeast won’t proof well, or at all, in water too hot. Hope that helps a little bit.
So I tried these again today and they turned out fabulously. I’m thinking that my warm water was too hot the first time. Thanks so much for this recipe, these are perfect for my family!
klutzymama – so glad these worked out better the second time. Thanks for checking back in to let me know!
These look really good. Wonder if I can use instant yeast and cut down on rise times?
momstarr – I actually only ever use instant yeast, in these rolls particularly. I’ve heard that with instant yeast you can cut out the first rise. I don’t do that just because I like the flavor that comes from both rises but I’m sure it would work fine.
Hi! These rolls look so delicious. I made them today, only I used wheat flour because I didn’t have enough white. My rolls didn’t rise at all, would that possibly mean that my yeast is no good?
Thanks!!
klutzymama – I’m so sorry these didn’t work out very well for you! A couple of reasons why dough sometimes doesn’t rise well is a) the dough has too much flour in it (it should be a pretty soft, tacky consistency), b) it needs to be kneaded longer (especially with whole wheat flour since it takes longer to develop the gluten during kneading) or c) the yeast didn’t proof properly in the water (i.e. water was too hot??). Yeast doesn’t “go bad” very often, in my experience, but that could also be a factor. I hope you try them again! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Jenn – I checked out your blog and I love how you break down the costs. I also am thrilled that you liked the rolls…some of our favorites, too!
Absolutely, hands down, the best roll recipe ever! I doubled the batch yesterday and my family of five has eaten almost all of them. The fact that this recipe calls for no eggs or milk just adds to the appeal for me. Thanks so much for ALL the fabulous bread recipes you post. I know that they will be great. I hope you don’t mind but I posted this recipe and your Divine Breadsticks on my blog.
Anonymous – yes you can half the dough for this but if you are going to all the work of making them, I would suggest making the full batch and freezing some of the rolls once they are baked.
Hi, I love your blog!! I wanted to make these for a dinner, but I am wondering if you can half the recipe? I’m not super good with yeast, so I never know what matters! Thanks!
These turned out absolutely delicious! This has now become my favorite recipe for rolls!
Carlin – I make these rolls constantly so I am very, very glad you liked them. Thanks for letting me know!
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I make it every single time there is a get together, and everyone raves about them. I sub 1 cup of whole wheat flour for white and they turn out so amazing. Thanks! I’m making them right now for Christmas dinner. mmmmm I can’t wait!
The Three Amigos – I also sub whole wheat flour for these (at least half whole wheat, half white) and it works great, so I’m very glad you like them, too!
I love these rolls! I find they work better (rise up rather than out) when I crowd them into cake pans. A half recipe fits perfectly into one 9 inch round pan. Thanks so much for your GREAT directions!
Layton – great tip on using a cake pan and for listing how much of the dough fits in. Thanks! I’m really glad you like this recipe.
the Robinsons – I double this recipe all the time and if you are using active dry yeast, then yes, definitely double the yeast along with the other ingredients. If you are using instant yeast, you can get away with using 1 1/2 tablespoons for a doubled recipe. Hope that helps!
These rolls are so good my family loves them! I make them a lot and now everyone is requesting them for Thanksgiving. If I double the recipe, do I also double the yeast?
Molly – what a great meal for when you are working late and want dinner for your family. You are a good mom. I’m glad the rolls and Italian beef were a hit. Thanks for letting me know!
I made these with your Italian Beef Sandwiches recipe and it’s a keeper! I used my bread machine and made the rolls the day before. I put the beef in the crockpot on the morning of my longest work day. I don’t get home until 8:00 p.m. so my family was able to have a hot, simple filling dinner without much fuss. Wonderful!
Ursala – glad these were such a hit with the fam!
I made these tonight…YUMMY! Patrick ate 4 of them! 🙂
shweetpotato – so glad you liked these little beauties! Thanks for letting me know.
omgosh DELICIOUS< I just took these out of the oven and my daughter has already eaten 2 of them lol, I need to double it next time, YUMM
I made these last night! YUMMO! They were sooooo easy and quick for yeast rolls and they were really good. Ian thought they were the best rolls I ever made 🙂 Plus, there is no butter or eggs which means less points for my weight watchers! Yay!
Amber – your comment made me smile. I’m sure your rolls were not ugly but next time I make these, I’ll take some pictures of how I form them and put them on the cookie sheets. Until then, the amount of dough I roll into balls is usually about golf ball size and I put three across on a standard size cookie sheet (11X17 is the size, I think). Hope that helps!
Amy and Pamela – I’m wondering if you both made these the same day since your comments came on the same day!
I’m glad you both liked the recipe.
As for the shaping issue, Amy, I pinch off a golf-ball size portion of dough and roll it on the counter while cupping the dough in the palm of my hand as I roll it – the same way you would make a ball out of play-dough. I roll it around on the counter and it forms a ball due to the palm of my hand cupping it into a round shape. I keep rolling until it is smooth. Hope that helps!
Thanks, Melanie! I actually made the dough before I was able to read your reply. When it was ready to deflate, I gently pushed on it and it, well, it deflated! I felt a little silly! Now they are all rolled and raising again! I’ve also got your Mom’s Lasagna going! I’m hungry just thinking about it!! Thanks again…you really have a great blog here!
Another roll snob here. These remind of the rolls they serve at Little America. I will be trying these soon too!
Hi! I can’t wait to make these rolls…but what does it mean to ‘deflate the dough’? I’m new to the whole bread making thing! Thanks!!
Thanks, Evelyn! I hope the rolls and lasagna turned out great for you. Don’t hesitate to let me know either way!
Anonymous – awesome job on your first attempt at bread. I’m glad you liked these! I’m not sure why they were so sweet – mine aren’t any sweeter than a normal roll when I make them. Thanks for letting me know how it went!
Bharti – thanks for letting me know you tried these! I’m on my way to check out your post…
Norah – glad you tried the rolls and liked them. I make them all the time because they are easy and delicious. I’m glad you commented so now I can check out your recipe blog, too!
I really really liked these rolls. I ran out of white flour and ended up using about 3/4 cup of amaranth flour but they were very tasty. I will be making this recipe again.
I made these and have blogged about them. Thanks for posting this super easy and doable recipe!
I made a double batch of these for our Easter dinner and they were a big hit…I will def. make these again!
Arundathi – thanks for commenting, especially because now I can peruse your blog of Indian cuisine – yum! I’m glad you liked these rolls, they are definitely a family favorite at my house.
Yeah I have to say that I am definitely a roll snob myself. So far I ONLY make Lion House Rolls because like you said…they are the only kind to make. But Im excited to try this recipe because frankly I like baking any kind of bread….hey if you have a good recipe for yummy fluffy bisquits I would REALLY appreciate it!
Brittany – I don’t know if I’ll get a chance to post the Lion House rolls this week but if you email me at mykitchencafe {at} gmail {dot} com then I’ll email you the recipe I have.
mmmmmm… these look delicious. Once again, your pictures make them mouthwatering and I want to go whip them up even though it is 1 am in the morning! 🙂
Thanks for this recipe! I’m having it for dinner tonight! You have such amazing recipes that I’ve come to love! Thanks for sharing!
I made these tonight and they were divine! Easy, quick and delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Matt in Overlook – thanks for letting me know you tried these rolls and liked them! I’m glad to hear it.
just made these tonight and am eating it now and they are divine! 🙂 thanks so much for an awesome recipe.
I would love to try these for Thanksgiving- but also, since I don’t have the Lion House rolls recipe- could you post it? Those are so good!
Hi Evelyn – thanks for your comment. Deflating the dough means to press it down gently after it has risen to press the air out of it and get it ready to shape into rolls. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Sook – I hope these turned out ok for you! It’s fun to check your blog, too. Your recipes all look so wonderful!
I love that every time I want to bug you for a recipe- I can usually find it on here. Those rolls were delicious, especially for ham sandwiches the next day. Thanks! Do you still have ham left over? We are going to put ours on homemade pizza this weekend.
Okay, I made these for Easter Dinner and although I doubled the recipe people were still looking for more. They were amazingly good! But they were ugly. I’m not capable of making rolls look like in your picture. Can you do a post showing the size of balled dough and how close together you put them and what they look like in the pan before you put them in the oven? Help a girl out please?
I’ve made these rolls a couple times too, and they taste great, but I also am having a hard time getting the shape/look right. I am good to the point of the dough having risen the first time and them punching it down. But what is the best way to shape the rolls? Do you just roll them in your hands, or kind of pull and tuck under. I know this sounds kind of dumb, but I really want mine to be pretty like yours! 🙂
I made these rolls today. My house smelled wonderful through the whole process– there’s something so special about baking bread.
When they came out of the oven, they were oddly sweet. I’m not sure why this was.
Next time I’d follow the instructions to make them a little more crisp.
Over all, for my first attempt at making bread, I think they turned out pretty good.
I made these a few days ago, and although yours look even lighter and fluffier; they’re already gone! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Kids first day back at school and I am going to surprise everyone with these yummy sounding fresh rolls…I love this blog and have always had great success with your recipes- Thank You!
Sunshine – what a good mom you are!! I hope they love the french bread rolls. Thanks for your comment – I’m glad you’ve enjoyed some of the recipes. (Let me know if you find those club crackers for the Caramel Crunch Bars!)
hey! i ike your recipes- and i love bread, however, i do not have an oven and therefore can’t bake any 🙁 i have a toaster oven though! any recipes for those?! 😀
I made these yesterday and they were delicious! Thank you! They did turn out a bit flatter than I thought they’d be. The bottoms also started burning with about 5 minutes to go on the baking time. Maybe my oven is hotter than it should be?
Hi Jess – if the bottoms of the rolls were browning too much, you may try baking them less time (or reducing the oven temperature by 25 degrees). I’m glad you still liked them though. Thanks for letting me know!
I make these for any funeral or occasion when I don’t know for sure if there are allergies. They go like hotcakes! yum-O. It’s the first roll reciepe I have ever gotten to come out light and fluffy. Thanks!
Hi Mel,
I hope you are doing well! I just wanted to let you know that I still love this recipe so much and use it all the time. I didn’t realize until the other day when I had to write down the measurements again just how much I’ve changed the way I make them from the original – I just wanted to let you know and share the link to my post about them.
Holly
http://phemomenon.blogspot.com/2009/09/1-bowl-1-hour-perfect-dinner-rolls.html
Jillian – these are great rolls for allergy concerns since there are no milk and eggs. Glad they turned out so well!