Soft, fluffy yeast rolls started in your bread machine and finished in the oven! A family favorite saved nearly 10,000 times, this beginner-friendly recipe includes make-ahead tips for perfect, hot rolls every time. No bread machine? I’ve got you covered!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Michelle Raved: “I tried this recipe one time and was sold! Now I’ve used the dough for whole loaf bread, monkey bread and cinnamon rolls, the dough is so versatile and easy and never fails!”
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Easy Yeast Rolls for Beginners
Soft, golden yeast rolls that melt in your mouth? Yes, please! This easy yeast roll recipe is a family tradition that’s been on our holiday tables for years—and it’s been saved nearly 10,000 times by readers who love it just as much. Whether you’re a first-time baker or a seasoned bread enthusiast, I’ll walk you through it step by step, starting with the bread machine and finishing with a perfect bake in the oven. Don’t have a bread machine? No problem—I’ll show you how to make these by hand or with a stand mixer.
I know yeast baking can be scary, but I promise you, you got this! With years of recipe testing and countless batches of rolls under my belt, I’ve perfected this one to be as foolproof as it is delicious. I’ll even give you tips on how to make these rolls ahead of time so they’re soft, fluffy and fresh when you’re ready to serve them. Whether it’s a holiday feast or a weeknight dinner, these rolls will be the star of the show.
Here’s why these rolls are my favorite: they’re not just easy to make—they’re infinitely versatile. Add in some herbs for a savory twist, brush with honey butter for a little sweetness or shape into sliders
Soft, fluffy yeast rolls started in your bread machine and finished in the oven! A family favorite saved nearly 10,000 times, this beginner-friendly recipe includes make-ahead tips for perfect, hot rolls every time. No bread machine? I’ve got you covered!
Yeast Rolls Recipe Ingredients
- Bread Flour | While you can substitute with AP flour, the results will not be the same light and fluffy rolls you will get with bread flour. Bread flour has a higher
- Egg | Bring your egg to room temperature for the best incorporation. If you forget, submerge egg in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 5-7 minutes.
- Yeast | I use yeast made for bread machines, but any good instant yeast will work. Make sure it’s fresh or your buns won’t rise and that would be sad!
- Butter | Use real butter at room temperature.
- Salt & Sugar | Just a touch of sugar and kosher salt to add depth and flavor to your buns!
- Warm Water | Make sure it’s not too hot, just warm to the touch will work great!
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
High Altitude Adjustments for Easy Homemade Yeast Rolls
The only adjustment needed for high altitude is to reduce your yeast to 2 ½ teaspoons, make and bake as directed!
Recommended Tools
- Bread Machine | I have had my bread machine for over 20 years and it’s still kicking, but if I were to buy one today, this Breville Bread Maker is the one I would purchase.
- Half Sheet Pan | This recipe makes quite a few rolls, you want a large pan, my favorite USA made pans!
- Pastry Brush | Certainly easier to brush melted butter on with a brush!
- Flaky Sea Salt | This stuff is the best, I sprinkle it on most of my cookies!
How to make Bread Machine Dinner Rolls
Place all ingredients in the bread machine pan in the following order:
- Water | Room temperature or slightly warm, not hot water
- Room temperature butter
- Egg at room temperature
4. Bread flour (all-purpose flour may be substituted in a pinch)
5. Sugar | I use all natural cane sugar, regular may be used
6. Kosher sea salt
7. Active dry yeast | Use any instant dry yeast for this recipe, make sure it’s fresh!
Yeast Roll Recipe Tip
- Yeast is temperamental; when placing it in the pan, put it next to the sugar, not the salt. Yeast feeds on sugar, and salt tends to kill it.
Place ingredients in your bread maker and choose the –>white, –>large, –>dough cycle; not the full bread cycle, just the dough cycle, they will do their second rise after you shape them into dough balls.
After the dough cycle is finished…
Punch down and plop onto a floured surface and divide into 16-24 equally shaped pieces. I love using my bench scraper to divide them, it’s quick and easy.
Next pinch into round little dumplings
Like this…
Place pinched side down on a parchment lined or greased sheet pan.
Brush tops with melted butter…
Sprinkle tops with a pinch kosher salt or fleur de sel and cover with a clean damp, tea towel and allow to rise in warm place* until double.
I like to set my oven to 100º, turn it off, and then place the rolls in to rise. Or if your oven has a “proof” setting use that. You want to rise at about 70°-75° F.
Once doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes, remove from oven and preheat oven to 375º F (190° C).
Bake until golden brown, if desired brush again with melted butter just before serving and sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt. AMAZING!
How to make yeast rolls without a bread machine
- Add all ingredients to a stand mixer, preferably with a dough hook. Mix on low until dough is combined. The dough should be tacky but not overly sticky; add a teaspoon or two of flour at a time if necessary. If too dry, add a little water.
- Then scraping sides of bowl and bottom, continuing mixing on medium for 2-3 minutes, until dough is slightly sticky, but is stretchy and holds together.
- Place dough in medium bowl coated with a little oil, turning to cover both sides of dough, cover with damp tea towel or plastic wrap.
- Place in warm spot (oven with lights on works too) for about 30 minutes until doubled.
- Once doubled in size, remove the dough and pinch it into balls, then continue with above recipe.
What to serve with easy yeast rolls recipe
- Super tasty dunked in my most popular soup recipe.
- And you sure can’t beat sopping up a delicious Italian Spaghetti Sauce.
- A huge win when served with Copycat Honey Baked Ham or this Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe!
Our favorite bread recipes
Because to our family, bread is life! You have to try a few of our favorites below!
Cranberry Walnut Bread (No Knead)
A rustic no knead cranberry nut bread that is so delicious and easy, it will make a bread baker out of anyone! An easy yeast bread recipe that requires minutes to mix, requiring very little hands on time.
Traditional Irish Brown Bread Recipe
This authentic Irish Brown Bread recipe is a hearty whole wheat loaf made with buttermilk and sweetened with rich molasses. It's a traditional Irish recipe, perfect for serving with stews and soups, and of course on St. Patrick's Day!
Easy Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe (4 Ingredients)
Traditional 4 ingredient Irish Soda Bread is the best easy recipe to make from scratch. A dense, crusty, hearty bread recipe from Ireland. Gluten free option too!
Don’t miss brushing the tops with melted butter and sprinkling with flaky or regular sea salt, it adds a fabulous softness and dimension to these easy yeast rolls.
I hope you loved these bread machine rolls — if you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!
Ty so so so so much!! They turned out BEAUTIFULLY!! I’m beyond ecstatic!! Thank you so much for such an easy recipe and sooooo good!! I’m making these for Thanksgiving AND Christmas this year! ???? probably never use another recipe for them! Again, THANK YOU so much, I appreciate it more than you will ever know!!
Tracy
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup water room temperature or slightly warm (not hot)
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 large egg Room temperature (if you forget, submerge the egg in warm (not hot) water for 5-7 minutes)
- 3 ¼ cups bread flour may substitute all-purpose flour end result will be less fluffy, but they will still be good!
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons active dry yeast make sure your yeast is fresh; use instant or bread machine yeast. (For high altitude use 2 ½ teaspoons yeast)
- 2-3 Tablespoons melted butter for brushing
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Place first 7 ingredients in bread machine in order listed (see notes for how to make without bread machine).
- When adding ingredients, place the yeast near the sugar, not the salt.
- Start bread machine on >>white, >>dough, >>large cycle (not the full bread cycle). You will do the second rise after you form them into dough balls.
- Once cycle is finished, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or spray with non-stick spray.
- Remove yeast dough from the bread pan and punch down; separate pieces into 16-24 equal dough balls.
- Pinch together bottoms of dough to form little dumpling sized dough balls and place upside down on cookie sheet.
- Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with kosher or flaky sea salt.
- Cover with clean, damp tea towel and let rise in warm location* for 30-40 minutes until doubled.
- Once doubled, preheat oven to 375° F (190° C) and bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and brush tops again with melted butter, if desired and sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt.
Notes
- Simply add all ingredients to the mixer, preferably with a dough hook. Mix on low until dough combined.
- Then scraping sides of bowl and bottom, continuing mixing on medium for 2-3 minutes, until dough is slightly sticky, but is stretchy and holds together.
- Place dough in medium bowl coated with a little oil, turning to cover both sides of dough, cover with damp tea towel or plastic wrap.
- Place in warm spot (oven with lights on works) for about 30 minutes until doubled.
- Once doubled in size, remove and pinch into balls, then continue with balance of recipe.
High Altitude Instructions
Reduce the yeast to 2 ½ teaspoons, and proceed with the recipe. Everything else stays the same!Nutrition
Glendean
Good dinner roll recipe, we really enjoyed
So happy to hear that Glendean! Thank you!
Cat
Kathleen,
If I wanted to just make this as a loaf of bread in the bread machine, what pound setting should I put it on? Never thought to weigh it after it went through the dough cycle for the rolls. Thanks!
Good question, between a 1 ½ – 2 pound loaf. 🍞 let me know how you like it!
Cat
Thanks…I’ll wing it. By the way, these rolls were amazing! I didn’t make them all the same size, some were large for sandwiches later and some were small for dinner. Absolutely the very best rolls I’ve ever made and so simple! I can’t get over how soft they were without being weak, if that makes any sense. Anyway, thank you for saving the day in the rolls department this holiday!
I’m excited to hear how it turns out! I totally understand what you mean, they are so surprisingly easy, light and soft and yet mmmm!!!! 🙂
Cat
In the oven as we speak on this Easter Sunday! Amazingly simple recipe. Bread machine dough setting does all the work, divide into rolls, rise, bake. Easy peasy. The rising of the rolls was very quick and I love that there’s more yeast in there than usual recipes. Can’t wait to sink my teeth into one of them! Thanks, Kathleen!
Yay, Cat!! They are a favorite of ours too! Bet the house smells heavenly! Happy Easter!
Cat
It does! We are not eating till later, but you know I’m going to have to dig into one of these warm rolls when they come out! Happy Easter!
Of course you will, one has to taste test to make sure they are “safe” for everyone!! 🤣
Barbara
Delicious and easy to make!
Thank you so much, Barbara!!
Barbara
I have made these dinner rolls at least 8 times with my bread machine and they turn out fluffy and delicious every time. They are very easy to make using the recipe and my bread machine.
Thank you, Barbara!! Such a sweet comment!