Here’s another great recipe to have and to hold from this day forward. It’s actually the same basic recipe as my Easy French Bread, but this time we’re going to shape it into rolls instead of bread loaves! So, get ready people: homemade white bread rolls are on the blog today! These are delicious, beautiful, and oh-so-simple to make. 

This recipe makes a great dinner rolls, sandwich bread rolls, burger buns, or sausage rolls. Read on to discover my tips for making them turn out great, every time!

How to make homemade white bread rolls

This simple white bread roll recipe is made just like any other type of simple yeast bread. If you’ve never made bread before, the steps are simple:

1. Make the dough with a few basic ingredients: Water, yeast, salt, sugar, fat, and flour.
2. Allow the dough to rise (about 1 hour).
3. Punch the dough down to remove the excess air, shape into buns, and allow to rise a second time.
4. Bake the rolls at a hot temperature until golden brown.

That’s it! It’s a pretty simple process which can be completed from start to finish in about 3 hours.

Beginner tips for making homemade bread

There are a few things to keep in mind when making homemade bread, especially if you’ve never made it before.

1. Follow the recipe! Once you get more familiar with making bread and rolls, making adjustments will seem like second nature. However, starting out, it’s important that you follow the recipe to get the best feel for the dough and how it is supposed to behave.
2. Proof your yeast before you use it. This will prevent any waste if the yeast has died in your cupboard.
3. Too much flour? Don’t throw that away! If your dough is dry, you can knead in a little extra water to make it soft again – or, if it’s just stiff, bake it anyway. It will still taste delicious!
4. Know your oven. Bread can take a lot of heat – But you don’t want to over or (under!) bake it either. Follow the recipe instructions (starting with the lesser amount of time recommended for baking) to ensure that your bread is baked through, but not too dark.

Ways to use this recipe

I love to use this recipe for simple white bread rolls, burger buns, or even sausage rolls.

• For white bread rolls: Follow the recipe as directed.
• To make hamburger buns: glaze with a beaten egg mixed with 1 tsp cold water, and sprinkle with sesame seeds before baking.
• This recipe divides perfectly into 16 long, sausage shaped rolls (great for sausages or hot dogs). Otherwise follow the recipe exactly as directed for sausages.

Substitutions and additions

For this recipe, substitutions (and additions!) are easy to make. Here are a few that I would recommend.

Flour

You can sub some (not all) of the white flour in this recipe for whole wheat, rye, or whole grain (I would recommend 1 cup).

Water

Water in the dough makes a crustier roll. If you want softer rolls (for burgers or hotdogs), try subbing milk for 1/2 of the water.

Fat

The oil in this recipe can be substituted for any type of cooking fat. Lard, olive oil, butter, coconut oil – they all work!

Additions

Try adding 1/2 cup of any of the following for a great variation on this recipe!

• Nuts
• Seeds
• Oats
• Raisins (+ 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon)

How to store white bread rolls (and for how long)

Bread rolls are best served on the day they are made. If you plan to make them ahead, you can store them in ziploc bags (or an airtight container) in the freezer. Thaw the rolls completely before opening the container or bag.

Frozen rolls will keep for several weeks in the freezer. Fresh baked rolls, kept in an airtight bag or container, will last for 2 days on the counter top.

Using leftover bread

If your bread gets a little stale, don’t throw it away! There are so many great uses for old bread. Try any of the following for great results!

• Toast
• French toast
• Bread pudding
• Homemade bread crumbs
• Croutons

To make this recipe, you will need:

• Ingredients (see recipe card)
• Stand mixer or large mixing bowl
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large stir spoon
• Bench scraper
• Parchment paper
• Baking sheets
• Cooling rack

For step by step process pictures of making the dough, check out my Easy French Bread Recipe for exactly the same process! For a few process pictures of these white bread rolls, scroll down!

5 from 1 vote

Print

Basic White Bread Rolls

This is the roll version of my Easy French Bread recipe. Pretty much the same recipe, just a couple of differences in the directions!

Course Breakfast, Dinner, lunch, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American, Canadian

Keyword bread, bread rolls, easy bread recipe, rolls

Prep Time 3 hours

Servings 20 rolls

Author Naomi

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. lukewarm water
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. or 1 pkg. dry active yeast
• 2 c. lukewarm water
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 5 + cups all-purpose flour* approx. *see recipe notes

Instructions

1. In a large drinking glass or measuring pitcher, combine the 1/2 c. lukewarm water with 1/2 tsp. sugar and dry active yeast. Stir to combine and let this rest about 10 minutes, till risen and bubbly.
2. Note: Careful not to use hot water! If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and you’ll have to start again. Allowing the yeast to rise in the cup, separate from the rest of the ingredients, is to test the yeast and make sure it’s rising well. This prevents wasting your other ingredients, should you have to start again.

3. While the yeast is rising, combine the rest of the water, salt, sugar, and oil in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixture. Add the risen yeast mixture and about 2 cups of flour. Stir to combine. If you’re mixing the bread by hand, continue adding flour in small amounts until the mixture is difficult to combine by stirring.

4. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a work surface generously dusted with flour and knead, adding flour, until the mixture forms a smooth soft dough. If using an electric mixer, add flour in small amounts, and scrape the dough off of the sides of the bowl often. When the dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl on its own, it should be ready– The consistency should be stiff, spongy, and slightly sticky. If you’ve never made bread before, I recommend kneading it by hand until you learn, by experience, what the consistency should feel like.
5. Turn the dough into a greased mixing bowl and cover with plastic. Let this rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

6. Grease your hands with a little oil, punch the dough down, and shape into golf-ball size rolls, stretching the dough between your fingers and pinching it underneath to make it smooth. Roll in a little bit of flour to coat them slightly. Place on baking sheets (with room between them so that they can spread out), and cover with a tea towel and let them rise for 35 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and set the timer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, using a very sharp knife or bread scoring tool, make a little slit in the top of each roll. Allow them to rest until the timer goes off.

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Recipe Notes

The Perfect Amount of Flour: If you have a kitchen scale, this recipe is perfect with 920g of flour.

Pre-rise:

Post-rise:

I highly recommend a bread scoring tool for this part!!

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

• Easy French Bread
• Easy Whole Wheat Bread
• Easy No-Knead White Sourdough Bread
• Sourdough Dark Rye Pumpkinseed Rolls
• Everything Bagels

And voila! Done. For baking time, I just recommend that you take them out when they look nice and golden, like these photos. When they’re brown enough, they will be done.

If you make these rolls, let me know in the comments or feel free to tag me in your photos on Instagram @naomicakesofficial!

Bye for now,

Naomi 

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