Grandma Barb's Homemade Yeast Rolls Recipe (2024)

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posted by divas can cook on Dec 16, 2011 (updated Sep 20, 2021) 127 comments »

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4.87 from 50 ratings

I will be the first to tell you that when it comes to making anything with yeast from scratch it’s usually an epic fail! I guess I don’t have that delicate, patient bread-makers touch. (I’m learning though) That is why I LOVE this yeast roll recipe.

It is so easy, quick and pretty much error proof. It doesn’t need any tiresome kneading and none of that rolling pin madness. You don’t even need to break out the bread machine. My kinda recipe!!

Grandma Barb's Homemade Yeast Rolls Recipe (1)

This is the homemade yeast roll recipe that my grandmother uses to make rolls for Sunday dinners and special holidays. They are light, soft and has the perfect mild flavor to accept different types of buttery spreads like honey butter or garlic butter. As soon as these lovelies come out of her oven on Thanksgiving it is the first thing that gets attacked.

Grandma Barb's Homemade Yeast Rolls Recipe (2)

So if you are homemade yeast roll challenged like myself, but LOVE the taste of fresh dinner rolls then give this recipe a try!!

Grandma Barb’s Homemade Yeast Rolls Recipe

Watch me make Grandma Barb homemade yeast rolls from start to finish!

Serve piping hot! Enjoy!

Grandma Barb's Homemade Yeast Rolls Recipe (3)

Grandma Barb's Homemade Yeast Rolls Recipe (4)

Get the Recipe: Grandma's Homemade Yeast Rolls Recipe

4.87 from 50 ratings

Soft, buttery, and addictive are the best ways to describe this homemade yeast rolls recipe. No kneading or bread machine required!

Prep Time: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 14 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 44 minutes mins

Servings: 24

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Ingredients

  • 3 ¼ cups all purpose flour, divided
  • 1 packet of dry active yeast
  • 1 ¼ cups milk
  • 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup of butter flavored shortening
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • *Preheat oven to 400 degrees when you are ready to bake*

  • In a large bowl, add 1 1/4 cup flour & yeast. Mix with whisk until combined. Set Aside

  • In a saucepan, over medium heat, add milk, sugar and shortening.

  • Stir constantly until shortening has melted. Do not boil. (check on the back of your yeast package to see how hot this liquid needs to be. It's usually between 115-130 degrees F. USE A COOKING THERMOMETER IF NEEDED ) If the mixture is too hot then, let it cool for a bit.

  • Pour milk mixture into flour mixture.

  • Add in the egg

  • Beat on low speed for 1 minute and then on high speed for 3 minutes. (this will help get them light and fluffy)

  • Add in the salt and the rest of the flour (2 cups)

  • Use your hands or a rubber spatula to mix in the flour until a soft ball of dough forms.

  • Grease a bowl with vegetable oil and place the ball of dough into it. Cover and refrigerate for atleast 2 hours.

  • Remove from refrigerator & punch down the dough with your fist to release the air.

  • Spread a thin layer of melted butter in the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan.

  • Take a chunk of dough and form it into your desired shape. (Dip the dough in butter or brush on the butter, and place it into the pan.

  • Cover the pan with a thin kitchen towel and let sit in a warm place for at least 1-1 ½ hours. (wait to bake them until you are ready to serve your meal so they will be piping hot! They don't mind hanging out)

  • Bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden. Keep an eye on them after 10 minutes. When they come out of the oven brush them with butter. I like to use a light mixture of butter and honey! yummy!

Notes

TIP
1.) Make sure your yeast is fresh. Expired yeast or improperly stored yeast will suck majorly! Store yeast in the refrigerator.
2.) Make sure the liquid is warm enough. If it's too hot it will kill the yeast once it's added in. If it's too cold it won't react with the yeast which will result in crappy, crumbly, flat rolls. Check the back of your yeast package to see how hot this needs to be. Your yeast package may suggest 120-130 F. I just think of a nice cup of soothing hot chocolate (not too hot to sip, but not cold either)
3.) If you alter the ingredients then your rolls may have a different texture and taste. I wouldn't suggest trying to replace the shortening with oil and so forth.

Author: Divas Can Cook (Monique)

Tried this recipe?Mention @divascancook on Instagram or tag #divascancook.

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originally published on Dec 16, 2011 (last updated Sep 20, 2021)

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127 comments on “Grandma Barb’s Homemade Yeast Rolls Recipe”

Leave a comment »

  1. Rosalynn Reply

    I just made the updated version of this recipe following all directions and they are wonderful. Trust the process and keep going. I was worried because after being in the refrigerator they didn’t rise as much as I thought they would. They rise happened once I put them in the pan.

    They are perfect!!! Thank you!!

  2. Laval Reply

    I used your recipe and followed it word by word. They were the best and first yeast rolls I’ve made. They look good and taste even better. My family really enjoyed them!!!

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Grandma Barb's Homemade Yeast Rolls Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my homemade yeast rolls tough? ›

Too much flour, or not the right kind, could be to blame. Dough made only from flour with a high or even average amount of protein (like bread flour or all-purpose flour) can become tough from overmixing. Protein gives bread structure in the form of gluten—the more you mix and move the dough, the more gluten you get.

Why are my homemade yeast rolls dry? ›

Too much flour makes dough too stiff to rise properly, creating a dry texture. A range of flour is always given in yeast bread recipes because flours vary in moisture content, reacting in different ways depending on the time of year, weather conditions, etc. Be careful measuring flour.

How long can yeast rolls sit before baking? ›

These unbaked dinner rolls can be refrigerated for up to 18 hours before baking. Remove from the refrigerator an hour and a half before serving. Let them stand for about 1 hour 15 minutes before baking.

How do I make my rolls more airy? ›

Tips for Making Fluffy Dinner Rolls
  1. Don't get the milk too hot. The optimal temperature for milk is around 100 degrees F. ...
  2. Make sure your yeast isn't old. ...
  3. Use a combination of all-purpose and bread flour. ...
  4. Mix your dough long enough. ...
  5. Don't rush the rising time. ...
  6. Don't over-bake.

What makes yeast bread light and fluffy? ›

Add Sugar

As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

Can you let yeast rolls rise too long? ›

“If the dough has risen too long, it's going to feel fragile and might even collapse as you poke it,” says Maggie. If this is the case, there's a chance you can save your dough by giving it a quick re-shape.

Is butter or shortening better for yeast rolls? ›

Baked goods made with shortening are typically softer and more tender than those made with butter. They also tend to be slightly taller, as it has a higher melting point and doesn't spread as much.

What is the most common cause of yeast bread failure? ›

Many of these common yeast dough problems are usually due to the yeast being dead to begin with, the yeast being killed or impeded somehow during the bread-making process, or being in a non-ideal environment that is too hot or too cold.

Is milk better than water for yeast rolls? ›

48 Milk in Bread Baking

Consequently, dough made with milk should come softer from the mixer than dough made with water. Other aspects of milk in yeast doughs include: Dough may be mixed more intensively. Milk yields dough with a higher pH compared to water dough, and the fermentation will be slower.

What happens if you put too much yeast in rolls? ›

Putting too much yeast in bread dough will make it double in size very quickly during the bulk ferment and even more quickly during the proofing of your loaves. As long as you don't let the dough more than double in size at either stage, you should get a reasonable loaf of bread.

Can you use too much yeast in rolls? ›

This can affect the bread by adding a "yeasty" taste if you put too much into the dough. General amounts of yeast are around 1 - 2 % of the flour, by weight. Too much yeast could cause the dough to go flat by releasing gas before the flour is ready to expand.

How do you know when yeast rolls are done? ›

The internal temperature of a loaf of crusty yeast bread when it is cooked to perfection should be 200 to 210 F. Soft breads and dinner rolls should be 190 to 200 F. The bread will pull away from the sides of the pan and will feel firm to the touch. The bread will sound hollow when you tap it lightly.

Should I brush yeast rolls before baking? ›

Butter basting: Rolls can be brushed with butter before, during, or after baking. While it doesn't brown the surface as much as egg wash will, it does promote browning and adds a lot of flavor.

How can you tell when yeast breads are done? ›

You may notice that many of our King Arthur Flour yeast bread recipes call for the perfectly baked loaf to reach an internal temperature of 190°F. And honestly, this is a good benchmark. Most loaves and rolls will indeed be done when they register 190°F at their center.

Why is my bread doughy and not fluffy? ›

There may be several reasons for a dense, cake like texture in bread. It may indicate the kneading wasn't enough for the gluten to develop properly, or the dough was proved for too short a time or the dough may have been too dry. It is also worth checking the flour you used.

Why isn't my yeast puffing up? ›

Yeast is too hot Yeast may have been dissolved in water that was too hot, or the liquid ingredients in the recipe may be too hot, causing the yeast to die. Yeast needs to be warm - not too hot, not too cold. Yeast is too cold If the other ingredients are too cold, it could cause some of the yeast to die.

Why is my bread heavy not fluffy? ›

The usual reason why bread becomes too dense is due to using flour with low protein content. When your loaf is spongy and heavy, you might have also put too much flour into it or made the dough in a cooler or too warm setting.

Can you over rise yeast rolls? ›

When the dough rises too much before it gets baked, it will collapse, rather than rise, in the oven's heat, and the crumb will be uneven and ragged. The time it takes for your dough to rise will vary based on the temperature of your kitchen and the temperature of your dough—and the alignment of the stars in the sky.

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