Old-Fashioned Soft Yeast Rolls
You won’t be disappointed with these old-fashioned soft yeast rolls. They’re fluffy and buttery, rise beautifully, and melt in your mouth. We make these for Thanksgiving and Christmas every single year but also on random weeknights just because we love ’em.
Old Fashioned Soft Yeast Rolls
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Stand mixer (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup water (room temperature)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
For Topping The Rolls
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
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Instructions
- Knead the dough. Combine eggs, milk, water, vegetable oil (or melted butter), sugar, salt, flour, and instant yeast in a big bowl. Then knead the dough by hand, with a stand mixer using the dough hook attachment, or with a bread machine set to the "dough" cycle. If the dough seems dry or dense, add a bit more milk. The dough is kneaded enough that you can stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through it without tearing (windowpane test).
- The first rise. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Next, cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Divide and shape. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface. Then, divide it into 24 equal pieces using a sharp knife. Next is to shape each piece into a ball by pinching the bottoms until the tops are smooth. Spray a glass 13 x 9 baking dish with nonstick spray and place the dough balls inside.
- The second rise. Cover the dish with greased plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise until they are very puffy for about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) towards the end of the rising time.
- Bake. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the rolls with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. Brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter while still warm.
- Serve. Let the rolls cool for about 20 minutes. Serve directly from the pan or transfer to a serving dish.
Notes
Nutrition
The secret to these rolls is simple. Give them enough time to rise and give them enough time to bake. There’s one rise for the whole batch of dough and another after shaping the rolls. Do not rush them! If they aren’t rising, move them to a slightly warmer spot and be patient. If your dough is dense your rolls will be dense.
When you’re baking them, use your common sense, not the timer. If they aren’t golden brown, put them in for a few more minutes. You can do this!
More Tips:
Yeast thrives in warmth. If your kitchen is cool, you can let the dough rise in a slightly warm oven (turn it on for a few minutes, then turn it off) or near a warm stove.
The temperate of your room will affect how your dough rises. Keep the bowl covered and in a warm, draft-free spot.
If you don’t have a stand mixer or bread machine, knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface. It should take about 10 minutes to become smooth and elastic.
Make sure your oven is fully preheated to 350°F before you put the rolls in for an even baking and the perfect golden-brown color. Sometimes your oven needs a little extra time, even if it beeps to say say it’s ready.
Ingredients and Equipment
- Instant Yeast: This type of yeast is quicker and less picky about temperatures than active dry yeast. If you aren’t happy with your bread results, buy a package of this and enjoy your life.
- All-Purpose Flour: You don’t want bread flour here, all-purpose is just perfect.
- Stand Mixer: Using a stand mixer with a dough hook makes the kneading process much easier.
- Plastic Wrap or Damp Tea Towel: These are used to keep the dough moist during rising. Dry dough won’t rise properly and will affect the texture of your rolls.
Make It Your Own
- Add herbs like rosemary or thyme to the dough
- Make them (partially) whole wheat by replacing 1 cup of white flour with wheat flour
- Top with seeds or herbs before baking
Whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been baking bread your whole life, this easy yeast roll recipe is perfect. If you take your time and follow the instructions, you’ll be just fine.
By Katie Shaw
Katie shares simple, reliable recipes from her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens.
This is my go-to recipe and they always turn out perfectly. They taste SO GOOD and buttery, just like my grandma used to make. The windowpane test has been a game changer in this and other recipes, too! 🙏🙏 Thank you!
hi amber! I’m so glad to hear this! yes the windowpane test is key! most people under-knead their dough and just think they are bad at baking
I’m fixing to make these rolls. wish me luck.
Hey Deborah, good luck! I hope they turn out soft and delicious. Let me know how they go!
These rolls were okay, nothing special but not bad either.
I might make them again but I’ll use a little more yeast. I like my bread to have a little more of a yeasty tang to them.
Thanks your recipes 😊 love ❤️ looks 👌 😍 deliciousos!
Hey Fannie, thank you so much! I’m happy you’re loving the recipes—it makes me so happy to hear that! These rolls really are a little slice of heaven. Happy baking, and I hope you enjoy every bite!
Just made this tonight…followed the recipe with butter and Platinum Red Star yeast…
and perfect, beautiful rolls! Oh, so good… husband and son loved them!!
Thank you so much! I’m so happy they turned out perfectly and that your family loved them!