No Knead Bread Rolls
No knead bread rolls are a type of dinner roll that require minimal effort and no traditional kneading of the dough. Make the dough up to a day in advance then bake them in a muffin tin for soft, chewy rolls with a delicious crust that are perfect for a holiday table or weeknight dinner!
If the thought of bread baking has scared you from trying in the past, these easy no knead bread rolls are perfect for beginner bakers. They always produce soft and fluffy rolls that fill your kitchen with the most delicious fresh baked bread smell!
The dough requires no kneading or special tools and the rolls come out tender with a golden brown crust every time. Plus, these no-knead dinner rolls bake in a muffin tin and require no shaping for the best individual rolls that everyone will love!
Just like my everyday no-knead bread this is a super easy bread recipe that anyone can master and no one will be able to tell the difference between these and any other classic dinner roll!
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Make ahead: The dough can rest covered in the refrigerator up to 24 hours ahead of time! Then just shape into balls, do a second rise in the muffin tin and bake. Perfect when planning ahead for a holiday dinner.
- No special equipment needed: The dough comes together easily by hand, no stand mixer or dough hook required!
- Fuss free baking: By baking these in a muffin tin, there is no need to get a workspace messy or worry about shaping your rolls the right way. It’s the easiest way to make homemade bread rolls!
- Quick baking time: These easy dinner rolls bake in only 20 minutes! If you have other dishes that need to rest before serving like a holiday turkey, bake these while you finish meal prep and then present these fluffy rolls to guests along with the rest of the feast.
No-Knead Dinner Rolls Ingredients
- Active dry yeast: Dry active yeast is best in the recipe versus instant yeast which will rise faster.
- Water: You will need boiling water to dissolve butter and sugar as well as lukewarm water to dissolve the yeast.
- Unsalted butter: Adds rich flavor and gives the rolls their light, fluffy texture.
- Salt: Enhances the taste of the bread rolls.
- Granulated sugar: This helps feed the yeast.
- Egg: Helps bind the ingredients together.
- All-purpose flour: Flour provides structure to the rolls. You can use bread flour if you would like chewier rolls.
How to Make No Knead Bread Rolls
To start, dissolve butter, salt and sugar in a medium bowl with boiling hot water. Set aside until lukewarm.
Next, activate your yeast by adding yeast and lukewarm water to a small bowl. Wait 5 minutes then add your butter mixture to the bowl with the yeast and stir to combine. Add eggs and stir again to combine.
Stir in 3 cups of flour with a wooden spoon to make a soft dough then place dough in a large bowl greased with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap then place in the refrigerator to chill for up to 24 hours.
After the dough has doubled in size during the first rise, remove the covered bowl from the fridge and pinch off pieces. Roll the pieces into round balls and place dough balls in greased muffin tins â…“ full. Brush the tops with melted butter for the best buttery dinner rolls.
Place the rolls in a draft free warm place to proof for about 2 hours.
When the 2nd rise is completed and the rolls have doubled in size, bake in a hot oven at 425°F for 20 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes in the pan then remove to a bread basket and serve warm.
Expert Tips for the Best Bread Rolls
- Sticky dough: No knead dough can have a tendency to be sticky. Add flour as needed to form a soft dough.
- Chill dough: These no knead bread rolls rely on a long fermentation process in the fridge to develop their flavor and texture. Let dough rise for as little as two hours and up to 24 hours.
- Cloverleaf or spoon: Spoon the dough directly into the muffin tin for spoon rolls or pinch the dough into balls and place 3 balls in each muffin tin for a cloverleaf dinner roll. Either way they will be the best dinner rolls!
- Greased muffin tin: Make sure to grease the muffin pan with no-stick cooking spray, otherwise you risk your homemade rolls sticking to the pan!
Storage
Store leftover no-knead rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also store the rolls for longer in the refrigerator, but you will run the risk of the rolls drying out faster when stored in the fridge.
Freeze baked rolls after they have cooled completely. Wrap individually and place in a freezer safe bag or flash freeze on a baking sheet and then transfer frozen rolls to a bag and store for up to 3 months. Thaw and enjoy!
To reheat, place rolls in a warm oven until warmed through or microwave for 30 seconds or less.
FAQs
Can I use instant dry yeast?
You can use instant yeast but plan on the no-knead rolls rising faster both in the fridge and on the counter.
Can I make these ahead of time and then bake?
These no knead bread rolls are perfect to make ahead of time as the dough develops even more flavor after chilling the fridge for up to 24 hours! The next day just pop the pieces into the muffin tins, let rise again until doubled in size while you prep dinner, then bake fresh and serve!
Why did my rolls come out dry?
All ovens bake a little differently and yours may bake hotter or cooler depending on a multiple of factors. If your rolls are coming out dry, decrease the baking time. It’s also a great idea to invest in an oven thermometer to determine the actual temperature of your oven.
How to serve no-knead dinner rolls?
From weeknight dinners to holidays dinners at Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter these no-knead dinner rolls are the perfect addition to the table! Pair them with holiday mains such as turkey or ham or with a simple soup for a weeknight dinner.
They taste amazing fresh out of the oven with a smear of butter and your favorite jam!
More No Knead Bread Recipes
- No Knead Sourdough Bread
- No Knead Brioche Bread
- No Knead Blueberry Muffins
- Drop Biscuits
- Irish Soda Bread
No Knead Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 1½ teaspoons Dry active yeast
- ¼ cup Lukewarm water
- ¼ cup Unsalted butter
- 1¼ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Granulated sugar
- 1 cup Boiling water
- 1 large Egg – beaten
- 3½ cups All purpose flour
Instructions
- In a medium bowl add the butter, salt and sugar. Add boiling water to the bowl and stir everything together until the ingredients are dissolved.
- In another small bowl add the lukewarm water and sprinkle the yeast on top. Wait about 5 minutes for the yeast to start activating.
- When the butter mixture is lukewarm, add the yeast mixture to it and stir. Then add the egg and mix. Then stir in the flour to make a soft dough. Begin with 3 cups of flour and add as much more as necessary to make a soft dough.
- Grease a large bowl with olive oil, place the dough in it, rolling it around in the oil and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Chill the dough for 2 to 24 hours.
- When doubled in size, take the dough out of the fridge and pinch off pieces, roll into balls and place in greased muffin tins â…“ full. Brush the tops with melted butter. Place the rolls in a warm draft free area to rise for about 2 hours.
- When doubled in size, bake in hot oven at 425F for 20 minutes. Let them cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and serve. Enjoy!