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, this is it.
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).
A Very Forgiving Dough
The dough for these French bread rolls is straightforward and very forgiving. I usually use my Bosch stand mixer, but many of you make this dough in a KitchenAid mixer and others make it by hand.
Dough ingredients:
- warm water
- yeast (instant or active dry yeast)
- sugar
- oil
- salt
- flour (all-purpose or bread flour)
Mix all the ingredients together until the dough forms a soft, slightly sticky ball of dough that clears the sides of the bowl and doesn’t leave a lot of sticky residue on your fingers.
How to Make Yeast Dough at Home
Stop stressing about adding the exact amount of flour called for in a recipe! Many, many factors determine how much flour is needed (elevation, humidity, how we each measure flour, etc.)
Judge the dough based on how it feels and how it looks. If you need to add a bit more flour, that’s ok!
For this recipe, grab a piece of dough after the flour has been added. Initially, it might leave a little sticky residue on your fingers.
Try rolling it into a ball without any oil or cooking spray on your hands. If it can form a ball shape without sticking to your hands in a shaggy, horror-movie mess, you are good to go. If not, add a bit more flour (a couple tablespoons), mix and try again.
Adding too much flour can spell death to light and fluffy homemade bread or rolls.
Let it Rise
I’m lazy and let the dough rise right in the mixing bowl. It is a pretty quick-rising dough.
Once it has doubled in size, it’s ready to get shaped into rolls.
Shape the Rolls
Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. I usually weigh each piece to make sure they are uniform. Each dough piece usually weighs right around 2.6 to 2.7 ounces.
Cup your hand and roll the dough into a smooth ball (keep the pinky side of your hand against the counter while you roll). Pinch the bottom to seal, if needed.
Place the rolls in a greased 9X13-inch pan.
For a double batch (I almost always double the batch), I like to place and bake the rolls on a half sheet pan (24 rolls fit perfectly).
Bake the rolls until golden and then brush the tops with butter.
The Perfect Roll for Sandwiches or Subs
Over the years, these French bread rolls have become more than a dinner roll.
These French bread rolls have become my go-to for any recipe that needs a wonderful all-purpose roll or bun.
Here are a few examples:
Whole Wheat Version
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).
Freezer Friendly
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!
Step by Step French Bread Rolls
Tools for Making French Bread Rolls at Home:
*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; 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. Here is a side-by-side (unsponsored) review I did between a Bosch stand mixer and a KitchenAid stand mixer.
French Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast (see note)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, vegetable oil or other neutral-flavored oil (olive oil will work, too)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ to 4 cups (497 to 569 g) all-purpose or bread flour, more or less (see note)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook or in a large bowl by hand, combine the warm water, instant yeast, sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups of the flour.
- Begin mixing, and continue to add the rest of the flour gradually until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Begin kneading the dough for 4-5 minutes in a stand mixer (7-9 minutes by hand).
- The dough should be soft and smooth but still slightly tacky to the touch. After a few minutes of kneading, stop the mixer and grab a small piece of dough to test if it needs more flour or not. It might leave a little bit of sticky residue on your fingers, but if you can roll it into a small ball without it sticking all over to your hands, it is good to go. If not, gradually add a bit more flour as needed.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover. Let the dough rise until doubled, 1-2 hours.
- Lightly punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly greased countertop.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 2.75 ounces each, more or less), and form the dough into round balls (video tutorial here right at minute marker 2:20).
- Place the rolls in a lightly greased 9X13-inch pan or on a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or lightly greased. Space the rolls about 1/2- to 1-inch apart.
- Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap taking care not to pin the plastic wrap under the baking sheet or else the rolls will flatten while rising. Let the plastic wrap gently hang over the sides of the pan to fully cover the rolls but not press them down.
- Let the rolls rise until very puffy and doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 15-17 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through.
- Immediately out of the oven, brush with butter.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Recipe originally published 12/2007; updated with new pictures, step-by-step tutorial, and recipe notes.
Quarantined with only self-rising flour and no yeast. (Gasp)
Any hope for me? lol
Do you have a recipe for rolls that would come out nicely using self-rising flour?
I’ve never used self rising flour for bread – and I’m not sure how it will fare. I’ve read a lot online that suggests that cutting the yeast in half and using self rising flour might work?? But without yeast, self rising flour won’t work at all (for yeast bread recipes) I’m afraid.
Thank you Mel!
I just made the French rolls this Easter morning. He has risen…and so have my beautiful rolls!! Alleluia! Absolutely delicious!!
Happy Easter & God Bless your beautiful family.
Hi there. Just tried these rolls for the first time! I am waiting for the buns to rise, just formed them into balls. Do I have to bake these after 1 hour or could I wait to bake them 3-4 hours?? Then they’d be hot for dinner. Lol. Thanks so much for this great recipe!
If you want to wait that long, I’d pop the rolls in the fridge so they don’t over rise (or they might deflate in the oven).
This seemed at first to go really, really well. They were a little bit flat before baking, but definitely grew when they were supposed to. But then I tasted the first one, and it was gross. I have no idea what I did wrong, but chewing on a t-shirt would be tastier than this. The flavor is disgusting.
I just made them. Came out nicely but I should have shaped them better and I left them in the oven maybe a minute too much, but still good.
How much water do you use to proof the yeast if you are using 1 tablespoon of active yeast? Thanks!
Nevermind! I reread the recipe and got it!!! cant wait to try these!
How many does one batch make?
1 dozen rolls.
Wow. Just made these. Absolutely divine. Recipe was super easy to follow. Thanks so much Mel
Hi Mel.
How many grams of flour is in 1 cup please?
Thanks
Maggie
Hi Maggie, for all-purpose flour, I use 5 ounces per cup which converts to about 141/142 grams.
If I am using a packet of active dry yeast, 1/4 ounce packet. Would I use one for this recipe?
Yes
These instantly became my go-to recipe! I have made them several times and they were always sooooo yummy – my family and guests always fight over the last one! The last two times I made them however, the outside of the rolls, especially the tops, got really tough while baking… any ideas what could have caused that?!
Are they tough right out of the oven? Or just over time as they cool? You can try lowering your baking rack in the oven to a different position or baking for less time.
Also using butter on them when they come out will help soften the tops.
Thank you so much for this recipe! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for, but could never find. I don’t like dense or cakey bread much but a lot of the recipes I tried came out that way. This was light, fluffy and delicious. Now to just find a bread loaf recipe that I like!
Did you try her sandwich bread recipe on this blog? I just made it and received top marks from a picky husband 🙂
OMG, these came out fantastic. Slightly uneven rolls since apparently I can’t eyeball sizes but came together fantastic. Since I’m stuck in the house with the rest of the world now, and I cook for my 86 yr old mother in law across the street as well as my husband and me, I try to have a little variety. I know she likes rolls and thought I may as well try making some for tonight’s dinner. They look awesome. On my next venture out in mask and gloves I’m going to try to grab some yeast and flour (hard to get now) and make these again and again.
Hello can I do this by hand without mixer? Thanks
I’ve done it twice without a mixer, just knead it for ~9-10 minutes
Easy and so tasty. Turned out well:)
SO simple and easy to follow this recipe. I am definitely a novice bread baker, but these turned out so well! Since we’re all saying home right now, I needed to try my luck at making rolls as we needed them for our pulled pork dinner. Everyone was impressed. And now I’m just a little less afraid of bread!
THANK YOU! I’ve struggled to make good dinner rolls for so long and these were perfect. My only issue was I over shot the flour just slightly so I drizzled about a tablespoon of water I’m the bottom of the mixer until the dry bits in the bottom attached to the dough ball. All over an easy to follow recipe that made AMAZING rolls. Huge hit, 10/10 will make again.
Best buns ever and so easy to make!!
Hello Mel
. When mixing the dough in your mixer what speed do you have it on?
I have a Kenwood that goes from 1 (slow) to 9 (fast).
Thank you. Regards Robin
My Bosch mixer has speed 1, 2, 3 and I usually stick with the medium speed (2)
What a hit with the family! Thanks Mel!
Thank you for sharing your recipe. Easy to follow, specially for beginners like me.
Tried it with 50% whole wheat and brushed it with olive oil, basil, parsley and garlic. Turned out amazing!!! Now it’s gonna be my regular
I’ve made this recipe and LOVE IT. Ive been reading about refrigerating dough overnight after the first proof. Would this work with this recipe?
Yes!
Made these today – simple, easy and tastes great! I’m a first time baker. I have only ever made a banana cake so this was a big jump for me haha I feel mine tasted a little bland lol it wasn’t really that soft fluffy taste? but everyone else seemed to have enjoyed them so they were a hit. I have printed and saved this recipe and made my little tweaks and will keep at it. Thank you Mel!
Is there a way for me to add pictures?
I made these into 6 larger (hamburger bun) sized rolls and they turned out amazingly. I used a slightly smaller dish and cooked for the same amount of time. Will use less sugar next time as they are slightly sweeter than I’m used to!
Thanks for the recipe!
Made these mine weren’t nearly as pretty but so delicious and easy thanks for sharing.
The best ever white rolls recipe! Amazingly light and fluffy. Would recommend in a heartbeat to anyone. I’m sure I will be making this recipe for many years to come.
Hey! This is the first time I’ve made bread that is the perfect texture. I’ve been trying for a long time! I just noticed that they are a little too sweet for my liking. Is it going to be a problem if I put maybe just 1 tbsp sugar with the yeast? I’m so happy with how they turned out otherwise. Even though I only got two rolls since I dropped most of the dough on the floor. Whoops.
That should be fine.
This was my first time ever making bread without a breadmaker and I couldn’t be much happier! I have a wee bit of work to do to create the perfect, smooth uniformly-sized ones like yours, but overall they look absolutely delicious and have come out brilliantly.
Wow – have tried other bread in past week with mixed success, but this was so easy and worked so perfectly. AND you don’t need bread flour (which is impossible to get here at the moment). They are really fab – and it was so easy to follow your instructions. Thank you!
1st time making bread rolls today & the recipe + step by step guide + photos, videos are just amazing, thank-you for this fantastic recipe, this has given me the boost to try more of your stunning recipes
Thank you very much!!! It was my first time to make bread and it came out perfect!! It was my favorite bread rolls since I was a kid.This recipe is extremely amazing!!!!thank you for sharing with us.Yummylicious!!Buenisimo
1st time making bread rolls today & the recipe + step by step guide + photos, videos are just amazing, thank-you for this fantastic recipe, this has given me the boost to try more of your stunning recipes
Tried this just today and it was a success! I could easily eat everything. Thank you so much!
My first comment in your blog, but definitely not my first successful attempt at your recipes. This roll recipe makes me feel like a rock star and has given me the confidence to try my hand at so many other bread recipes! (Love your small batch cinnamon rolls too!) When I first read this post and the “fool-proof” promise to go with it, I thought, “yeah right! I’ll show her that I can mess this up!” But I didn’t!! I make these all the time. My kids especially love them in their lunches as “little sandwiches”. Thanks for all your delicious recipes! I search your site first before going anywhere else for my culinary needs!
This recipe sounds delish and the comments make me want to try it ASAP. A dozen rolls at once is too many for us. For half as many rolls should I halve the recipe exactly? Can I freeze these rolls? If so, should I bake then freeze, or shape dough then freeze?
Thanks Mel.
Yes, you can halve the recipe. The rolls freeze great. I usually freeze them after baking.
Hi Mel, a link from another blogger led me to your blog. It was your bread roll recipe that got my attention. I will definitely give them a try. I made several unsuccessful attempts with bread rolls. I just followed your blog. There are a few other recipes on your blog that I like. I am a food blogger from Canada, and I invite you to visit and follow my blog at: https://zest4foodblog.wordpress.com
Cheers, Angelika
Thank you for a brilliant recipe. Made a half recipe today to try it out and my husband is still raving about how wonderful they were. Turned out exactly like the picture. I did chuck a handful of ice cubes into a tray below the rolls for some steam. Will definitely maka again!
Can these be made bigger for burger buns?
Yes! I do that all the time.
I just finished making my first batch of these rolls. Absolutely the best that I have ever made. After years… yes years of frustration and dumping several batches, I have finally found the recipe that works for me. They were easy to make, and taste wonderful.
Thank you Mel….
I have been using this recipe to make buns lately and I really love it. Thank you!
This recipe is life-changing! I’ve tried so many rolls and always found them to be too tough or more like a biscuit than a roll. I don’t know if it was a combination of a new brand of yeast with this recipe or what, but these were absolutely perfect. I only made a single batch, but I already have to make more because they won’t last the rest of the week. Thank you!
As a terminally(it seems) single man found myself craving for fresh baked goods. Today I decided to try rolls. I didn’t own a 9X13 pan and a stand mixer so I used what I had at hand which in my case was a non stick pie plate and a single bread pan and I used my hands for the kneading. In the pie plate I placed the balls all around the perimeter with two in the middle and 6 in the bread pan. Amazing is how they turned out. I will definitely be making these again. Even as I type this (my second only ever review) I am eating a nice warm roll. Thank you Very Much for the Recipe
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’m Dara from Brazil and I will make this delicious bread with my mother!!! Thank you so much. Best wishes from Brazil.
My boyfriend and I just made and tried this recipe today! They came out great! These rolls don’t have a lot of flavor but their texture makes them special and quite versatile. They’re a lot like traditional rolls, but also like french bread, and oddly enough a little like croissants, and a little like English muffins. It’s crazy. Now that we’ve tried them fresh and warm, we will wait and try them again once they’ve cooled and sat. (Maybe later or tomorrow morning. I think I’ll try mine with butter and All Fruit spread or peanut butter.). They taste like they’d be great with cheese and or chocolate as well.
Very simple recipe. We’ll definitely be making these again.
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).
My dough is really sticky after rising…. any suggestions?
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!
Many thanks Gail for posting your step-by-step instructions on how you converted this to using a bread machine. I no longer ever make dough by hand if I can do in the bread machine. Thanks again, will be making these later today.