Easy Bread Machine Sandwich Rolls

A recipe for super simple bread machine sandwich rolls. Versatile, easy, and popular with everyone.

Love this recipe? Leave a comment and star rating below! Need more help? Scroll down below the recipe for step by step photos and expanded instructions.

Why you’ll love this recipe

This is a family favorite roll recipe, right up there with sourdough rolls. There aren’t too many ingredients and the dough rises beautifully, especially with the help of the bread machine. And of course a bread machine just makes life easy.

And they are so versatile! Make them as instructed as sandwich rolls, or divide into 12 and brush with an egg wash and poppy seeds to serve with dinner.

They freeze beautifully so you can make a batch on the weekends and have fresh bread for sandwiches all week, no grocery store runs needed.

???? Ingredients:

• 4 cups all purpose flour (bread flour will work well too!)
• 1 ½ cups water (you may need to add more, especially if using bread flour)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast (SAF brand is the best)
• pinch cornmeal for dusting the baking sheet

Step by step bread machine rolls

This recipe is easy as can be. Begin by simply putting all the ingredients into your bread machine. Some manufacturers recommend you add liquids first, some say to add them last. I don’t think it really matters. Just put them in and select the dough cycle.

You can’t walk away just yet. You’ll need to keep an eye on the dough for the first few minutes to make sure the consistency is correct. If the dough seems dry, crumbly, and is not coming together in a ball, add more water a little at a time. If it is wet and sticky, add a bit more flour.

What you are looking for is a smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bread machine, but it should not seem too dense and your machine should not be straining to knead it.

Once the dough looks right, close the lid and let the bread machine run its cycle. When it beeps, your dough should be beautifully puffy. This this recipe has no fat so it rises very well.

Prepare a cookie sheet by placing a sheet of parchment paper on top and dusting it with cornmeal.

Turn the dough out from the bread machine pan onto a lightly floured surface and divide into eight pieces (or twelve if you want smaller bread rolls). To shape the dough into rolls, pinch the bottoms and allow the tops to smooth out on their own. Don’t mash the rolls down trying to make them smooth. As you shape the rolls, place them onto the prepared cookie sheet.

Cover the rolls with heavily greased plastic wrap and place them somewhere warm to rise, ideally around 90 degrees. A slightly warmed and turned off oven works great.

Keep an eye on them during this second rise, as they can sometimes rise very quickly. Check the rolls at 30 minutes and then again at 45.

Towards the end of the rising time, get the oven ready. Make sure you have two racks in, one a third of the way up and the second a third of the way down. On the lower rack, place a rimmed baking sheet. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

When the oven is hot, pour a cup of water on the sheet to create steam. This helps give the rolls a great crust. Immediately place the rolls inside and bake them for 15-19 minutes. The baking time varies a lot because a lot depends on how quickly your oven gets back up to temperature after the steam brings it down.

Once the crust is golden brown, remove the rolls and place them on a wire rack to cool.

????????? Tips for success

No bread machine? No problem. See these instructions on using a stand mixer to get great results kneading dough.

Need more bread recipes?

• You can do so much in it, even sourdough can be made in the bread machine!
• This recipe makes soft bread machine dinner rolls but the method is exactly the same.
• This roll recipe is soft, sweet, and topped with orange sugar.
• And you can even make coffee cake in your bread machine!

Enjoy these rolls!