Easy Soft Bread Rolls Recipe

I worked at this little bakery in college, and that's where I learned that making bread rolls at home really isn't that hard. What started as me trying to copy the rolls from this restaurant we loved turned into something Emma and I do together every weekend now. The smell of fresh bread always gets everyone hanging around the kitchen, and these things disappear so fast I can barely keep up.

Basket of golden, shiny Bread Rolls Recipe sprinkled with coarse salt and herbs, resting on a white cloth.

Why You'll Love These Soft Bread Rolls

Making these dinner rolls has become our Sunday thing, and I've watched tons of people try them and get that surprised look on their face. They're way easier than you think, and you probably already have most of the stuff in your kitchen. Emma loves helping me roll them into little balls - she's gotten pretty good at making them all about the same size.

You can make the dough earlier and just bake them when you want them. They freeze really well too, so I usually make way too many and stick half in the freezer. Nothing beats pulling hot homemade rolls out of the oven when you have people over. Even Emma's pickiest friends always grab seconds, and those kids don't eat anything.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love These Soft Bread Rolls
What You Need for Perfect Bread Rolls
How to Make Bread Rolls Step by Step
Substitutions For Bread Rolls Recipe
Bread Rolls Recipe Variations
Equipment For Bread Rolls Recipe
Storage Tips
Why This Bread Rolls Recipe Works
Top Tip
My Cousin's Hidden Gem: A Recipe for Success
FAQ
Your Homemade Bakery is Ready!
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Bread Rolls

What You Need for Perfect Bread Rolls

The Basic Stuff:

Bread flour
Active dry yeast
Warm milk
Butter
Eggs
Sugar
Salt

For the Top:

Extra butter for brushing
A little egg for that shiny look

See recipe card for quantities.

Overhead shot of bread roll ingredients: flour, yeast, warm milk, butter cubes, eggs, sugar, salt, egg wash and pastry brush.

How to Make Bread Rolls Step by Step

Get Started:

Mix warm milk with sugar and yeast
Let it sit for maybe 5 minutes until it gets bubbly
Beat eggs in another bowl
Melt butter and let it cool off

Flour, sugar, salt, and active dry yeast mounded separately in one glass bowl.

Make the Dough:

Mix flour and salt in your biggest bowl
Pour in the yeast stuff and eggs
Add the butter
Stir until it looks like a sticky mess

Pale yellow warm milk–butter mixture in a glass bowl, top-down view.

Work the Dough:

Dump it all onto a floured counter
Knead for about 10 minutes until it's smooth
Emma times me with her little pink watch
Should feel soft and not stick to your hands anymore

Risen dough ball in a clear bowl covered with plastic wrap on a white surface.

Let It Grow:

Stick dough in a greased bowl
Cover with a wet towel
Wait until it doubles (about an hour)
Go watch TV or something

Evenly spaced dough balls in a greased round pan before the second rise.

Shape and Bake:

Brush with beaten egg and bake at 375°F for 15-18 minutes
Punch down the dough (Emma loves this part)
Roll into little balls and put on cookie sheets
Let them puff up again for 30 minutes

Pan of glossy golden dinner rolls brushed with butter on a blue towel.

Substitutions For Bread Rolls Recipe

Flour Switches:

Bread flour → All-purpose flour (just not as puffy)
Regular flour → Whole wheat (use half and half)
White flour → Gluten-free blend (gets kinda crumbly)

Milk Options:

Regular milk → Almond milk or oat milk
Whole milk → Skim milk (not as good though)
Fresh milk → Powdered milk with water

Butter Swaps:

Real butter → Margarine or plant butter
Salted → Unsalted (just throw in more salt)
Butter → Olive oil (tastes different but works)

Bread Rolls Recipe Variations

Herb Rolls:

Throw some dried rosemary in the dough
Add garlic powder
Brush tops with garlic butter
Sprinkle with parmesan

Sweet Rolls:

Add cinnamon to the dough
Roll in cinnamon sugar before baking
Pour honey on them when they're hot
Emma's favorite

Cheese Rolls:

Stuff each ball with a chunk of cheese
Cheddar or mozzarella works great
Brush with butter and put more cheese on top
They get all melty inside

Holiday Rolls:

Add orange zest to the dough
Brush with cranberry juice mixed with butter
Makes them look fancy for Thanksgiving
People always ask what's in them

Equipment For Bread Rolls Recipe

Big mixing bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
Clean kitchen towel
Cookie sheets
Small brush for egg wash

Storage Tips

Same Day:

Leave them out on the counter in a basket
Cover with a clean towel
They'll stay soft for maybe 6-8 hours
Just heat them up in the oven for a few minutes

Next Day:

Put them in a plastic bag or container
They get a little tougher but still taste fine
Warm them in the microwave for 10 seconds
Or wrap in foil and heat in the oven

Freezer (up to 3 months):

Let them cool off completely first
Toss them in freezer bags
Take out what you need and let them sit on the counter
Emma likes to eat them frozen sometimes, weird kid

Why This Bread Rolls Recipe Works

I've been making these same bread rolls for about 8 years now, and here's what I've learned about why they come out good every time. The warm milk gets the yeast going without cooking it - too hot and you kill it, too cold and it just sits there doing nothing. Emma learned to test the milk on her wrist like testing baby bottles, and now she's way better at getting it right than me. The sugar is like food for the yeast so it gets all foamy and starts working.

The eggs make them taste rich and look golden, and the butter keeps them from getting hard too fast. When you knead the dough for 10 minutes, you're making it stretchy so it can hold all the little air bubbles from the yeast. That's what makes them puffy instead of like rocks. The two waiting times are really important - the first one makes them taste better, the second one makes them light and fluffy.

Top Tip

Remember what my cousin always said - it's the little stuff that makes people remember your cooking. That egg wash with cream and the steam spray might seem like extra work, but it really makes a huge difference. The cream mixed with the egg gives you that shiny, golden top that looks like it came from some fancy bakery instead of your regular kitchen.

The steam trick is what really blows people's minds though. When you spray that water in the oven right after putting the rolls in, it creates all this steam that keeps the outside soft while they're rising. That's why they puff up way bigger than they normally would - like twice the size sometimes. Emma always gets so excited to do the spraying because she thinks it's actual magic when they blow up in the oven.

My Cousin's Hidden Gem: A Recipe for Success

My cousin used to work at this fancy hotel, and she taught me this trick that completely changed how my bread rolls turn out. Instead of just brushing the tops with beaten egg, she'd mix the egg with a tablespoon of heavy cream and a tiny bit of sugar. Makes the tops all shiny and golden, like they came from some expensive place. But her real trick was what she did right before sticking them in the oven - she'd take a spray bottle with just water and give the inside of the oven a few quick sprays right after putting the rolls in, then slam the door shut fast.

All that steam makes the outside soft and helps them get bigger than usual. Emma loves being the spray bottle boss now - she thinks it's like doing magic when the rolls blow up way more than they normally do. My cousin always said the little stuff nobody thinks about is what makes people remember your cooking, and she was totally right. Now every time I make this bread rolls recipe, I do both of her tricks and people always ask what makes them so good.

FAQ

What makes rolls light and fluffy?

Two things make the biggest difference - getting the yeast working right with warm milk and letting them rise twice. The yeast makes little air bubbles that get stuck in the dough when you knead it good. Bread flour also helps because it's got more protein than regular flour.

Which bread is good for bread rolls?

You want to use bread flour if you can find it, not the regular stuff. Bread flour has more protein which makes the rolls chewy and puffy. If you can't find bread flour, regular flour works but they won't be as good.

Which flour is best for bread rolls?

Bread flour is way better than all-purpose flour for soft bread rolls. It's got more protein in it, which helps make them stretchy and strong. That's what gives you nice, chewy rolls instead of hard ones that crumble apart.

How to make really soft bread rolls?

Use warm milk instead of water, put eggs and butter in the dough, and make sure you knead for the whole 10 minutes. Don't skip letting them rise twice either - that's when they get really soft and fluffy inside.

Your Homemade Bakery is Ready!

Now you've got everything you need to make great bread rolls at home - from my cousin's hotel tricks to Emma's spray bottle job. These rolls have become such a big part of our Sunday thing, and I love watching people's faces when they bite into one that's still hot from the oven.

Once you make these a few times, you'll never want to buy those crappy store rolls again. They're way cheaper to make at home, and you know what's actually in them. Want more homemade stuff that beats the store versions? Try our The Best Cheese Danish Recipe that's perfect for weekend mornings. Need something for your next party? Our Best Knorr Spinach Dip Recipe always gets eaten up fast. Or surprise everyone with our Best Japanese Pancake Recipe that's fluffy like clouds and way easier than it looks!

Why You'll Love These Soft Bread Rolls