Soft and Fluffy One Hour Rolls
It’s no secret that I love bread. But what I don’t love about it is waiting for it! I was talking with a new friend a few months ago about baking, and he mentioned that at minimum, his bread recipes take 24-36 hours. He’s an amazing, restaurant-worthy baker (far more advanced in his baking skills than I will ever be) but all I could think was, “How in the world could anyone wait that long for some delicious bread?” When I want bread, I want it now! I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I have to wait 2-3 hours for some fresh bread, but then I discovered this recipe for soft and fluffy one hour rolls. Mind blown!
I’ve been burned by one hour roll recipes before that turned out dense and chewy or just didn’t taste right. These rolls, though… they taste like they took all afternoon to make! They’re light and fluffy and so soft and delicious. I made a pan of twenty rolls and they were gone in an afternoon, between the four of us. They are honestly some of the best rolls I’ve ever made, and I can’t believe they only take an hour to make!
I served them with some amazing cinnamon vanilla honey butter (recipe coming on Friday!) and they were pretty much the greatest thing ever. You definitely need this little beauties in your life, and fast!
Soft and Fluffy One Hour Rolls
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast (I used active dry yeast and it worked great)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour, more or less as needed
3 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing on top
sea salt, for sprinkling on topIn a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let stand for five minutes, or until foamy. Add the butter, salt, and 3 cups of flour, and mix until combined. Add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is only slightly sticky to the touch (be careful not to add too much flour!). Knead 3-5 minutes, until smooth. Cover and let rise 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 and line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. Gently punch the dough down and divide into 20 equal sized pieces (I used a kitchen scale because I’m neurotic, but I’m sure they would work out fine if you just eyeballed it). Roll each piece into a ball and space evenly in the prepared pan. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with sea salt, and let rise for an additional 15-20 minutes. Bake 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and brush with butter. Let cool slightly before serving and enjoy!
recipe via The Little Red Hen
Do you use all-purpose flour, or bread flour?
I have used both at different times and they were great! Also I have substituted the water for milk and came out great. Also I have added 4 tablespoons of sugar instead of two. Depends on what I’m having them with. A absolutely great recipe!
All purpose flour.
would whole wheat flour work?
Made these today since I was snowed in and was looking for something to go with the soup I made. They are delicious! Quick and easy too. They smelled so good baking in the oven I couldn't wait to eat them! This will be my go to recipe for rolls from now on.
I'm so glad you liked them!
I can't say for sure, because I haven't tried it, but it seems like it would work. It's usually not a one to one substitution, so I would start with less of the whole wheat flour and add just enough to form a dough that's not too sticky. They also might not be as light or rise as much.
I can't wait to try them!! They look easy enough for me! Thanks so much for sharing!
I've just made them and loved them! Thanks
I saw these rolls this morning and they looked so simple and delicious, I had to give them a try straight away. I've never been much of a bread baker as all that kneading and rising put me off but these were so easy and have come out perfectly (well, by my standards if not everyone else's!). I didn't have enough plain flour in the house so used strong white flour instead and am thrilled with the results! Plain = UK all purpose/ strong = bread flour I am guessing!thanks for a great recipe. Sue from Shropshire
Is this rapid rise yeast?
I used active dry yeast.
So glad they worked out for you!
How long do these keep without starting to get hard? I'd love to make them for a dinner party, but my oven will be occupied for several hours before guests arrive. Can they be made a day ahead? Thanks!
This is a fantastic recipe that can give u a lot of leeway with respect to switching out ingredients. I made two diff takes on it, one batch using a cup of grated coconut and another using a cup of oats. It was fluffy and soft and so yummy that even my picky dad ate them up!! I also used coconut oil in place of the butter and they were great. This recipe is a keeper 😀 😀 Thanks so much!! – Jen
Can I make them this afternoon and have them still taste as good tomorrow for Easter dinner?? I'm traveling with them, so I'd like to make them this af or tonight. OR, could I just make the dough and keep them in the fridge until tomorrow to bake? Thanks!
I've made other one-hour rolls that turned out more like biscuits- these were perfect! Just like the par-baked dinner rolls at the store, but better! Thank you for the recipe.
My boyfriend says these are the best rolls he's ever had. I have to agree. They're my new go-to for dinner rolls.
omg,ive made this in two batches one with whole wheat and it came out perfect .thanks for sharing the recipe .this is to keep for us .thanks again
The way it is written I need to clarify, is it 1/2 c. Warm water or 1 1/2 c. Warm water?
1 1/2 c.
I can´t wait to try them!!! They look easy to do!
Made these last night. I used instant yeast because that is always what I have on hand and I substituted olive oil in place of the butter in the dough because I was too lazy to deal with the two pound block I had in the fridge. They were delicious, I'll definitely make them again when I decide at the last minute that I want fresh bread with dinner. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
May I made the dough in a bread machine ? Thanks, tbey looks so good!
I don't own a bread machine, so I couldn't say for sure. They have a much shorter than usual rise time, so I am not sure if it would work. Let me know how it turns out!
Olive oil sounds great! I will definitely try it that way next time (although I do love butter). Thanks for sharing!
I just made these, and they look wonderful! They took about 20 min to bake in my oven, though mine seems to run cool. Plan on making these for my church's 4th of July picnic this weekend 🙂
Thanks for the recipe!
~Marcella
How much olive oil did u use?
Hi is 1cup equal to 4oz or 8 oz?
It depends on what you're measuring. For water (or other liquids) 1 cup = 8 ounces. If you're measuring flour, 1 cup is a measure of volume, not weight.
I would recommend using 2 tablespoons.
I've made 3 batches of these within the last week. They are amazing. Thank you for sharing.
If I don"t have a stand mixer, could I achieve the same results with a hand mixer?
I think it would depend on how powerful your hand mixer is. I would definitely use the dough hook attachment and see how it goes. You may need to do some kneading by hand.
These were super easy to make and tasted amazing! I will definitely be making them again. Thank you for the great recipe.
So glad you liked them!
Do you use salted butter or unsalted butter? I'm assuming unsalted. 🙂 thanks!
I always use salted (because I'm a rebel) but either will work.
These turned out absolutely beautiful!
We turned ours into sliders and to resist eating them all in one sitting, we brought the to a potluck this evening 😉
Thank you for sharing this <3
I am excited to make these, my Mr loves his bread. I was looking for a quick bread recipe that I could use to make beerroccks,I hope this is it. TY Michele 😀
😀
Made these tonight and they were awesome!!! My 6-year-old was in heaven, LOL! Thanks for the great recipe. 🙂
Can I make these all by hand.
Yes, definitely. 🙂
If persons are allergic to yeast, can Baking Powder be used a substitute?
Just curious why is sugar added?
Sugar is an important ingredient that adds to the flavor and balance of the rolls.
Are they freezable?
I have not tried this one yet, but generally, I have dound that freezing bread works out really well. I make all kinds of bread for my 2 boys and if it is a loaf, I freeze them in half-loaves so that I know I can use up the portion before it goea hard. For rolls, I just freeze them all and pull out the number I need the night before (for packing lunches) or the morning of for bread with dinner. Hope this helps!
Baking powder isn't a good one to one substitution for yeast, and the rolls will not rise well with baking powder. I would recommend something more like these biscuits if you want some quick bread but can't eat yeast: http://www.thebakerupstairs.com/2014/11/flaky-buttermilk-biscuits.html
It provides food for the yeast (to help it rise fast) and also adds a little flavor.
I haven't tried it yet, but honestly if you have time to make rolls in advance and freeze them, I would recommend making a real roll recipe (like this one: http://www.thebakerupstairs.com/2013/07/perfect-crescent-rolls.html).
I'm confused? I thought in order for it to be gluten-free you could not use all purpose flour. I have guests coming in a month who require gluten-free for health reasons. Help!
These are definitely not gluten free. I don't generally cook gluten free, so I couldn't even tell you what to substitute.
i see this was originally posted over a year ago, but i couldn't resist in commenting. you are not alone in being neurotic about using a kitchen scale 🙂 i'm just glad i'm not alone and that you're admitting it online!! hehe….i weigh everything i can that is portioned out….do you?
So can I add some honey to them to make them a little sweeter?
I really enjoy baking all kinds of breads. I baked these rolls this afternoon and they are very tasty and fluffy. I'm one who eyeballs the pieces of dough instead of using a scale and I ended up with 18 rolls in a 9 x 13 pan. They turned out great! I think that these rolls will be made fairly regularly at my home. Thanks for the recipe!
Didn't see baking podwer, what causes it to rise
The yeast makes them rise.
They have a good amount of sweetness as is, but I'm sure some honey would be delicious!
To make a gluten free version you will have to substitute a gluten free flour for the all purpose flour called for in the recipe. You also want to check the yeast you use for gluten. Bob's Red Mill (I think that's the name) makes a gluten free all purpose flour blend that may work. I would be sure to try a batch beforehand.
Can you make these but then refrigerate till morning?
I honestly don't know how they would turn out. It's meant to be a quick bread recipe, so I've never tried making them in advance. If I had time to make rolls in advance, I would probably make something more like these crescent rolls (which I have made the night before and baked in the morning): http://www.thebakerupstairs.com/2016/09/perfect-crescent-rolls.html
Do you knead by hand or using the mixer?
I used my mixer, but you could easily knead them by hand too.
Can I refrigerate overnight before the second rise. Then take them out the next day for 20 min and then bake?
I honestly don't know how they would turn out. It's meant to be a quick bread recipe, so I've never tried making them in advance. If I had time to make rolls in advance, I would probably make something more like these crescent rolls (which I have made the night before and baked in the morning): http://www.thebakerupstairs.com/2016/09/perfect-crescent-rolls.html
These are THE best 1 hour rolls ever! We are sitting here eating them after dinner. We also had the with dinner…..
Thank you!
Vickie
I made a one hour roll recipe yesterday that I was not impressed with. Not your but fairly similar but it called for 2 tablespoons on yeast and 3 cups of flour. They wouldn't rise I literally had to let them sit for like an hour and half. Is it possible that maybe it was to much yeast? I'm definitely gonna try your recipe!
Mine are rising as I type this out, was thrilled to see you make bierocks and wanted to know if you've tried this recipe with those yet? I always cheat and use frozen Rhodes dinner rolls. These seem to be easy enough I may do homemade next time we make bierocks.
All I have to say is Wow! These are very awesome. I made a batch for dinner and they were all gone. These taste just like a roll I make that takes 3 hours or more. I will make these for now on. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
We have been using a great quick dinner roll but it was heavy, looking forward to trying yours tonight. A light fluffy quicker dinner roll is more what we are looking for. I'm hoping it's something I will server for our family Christmas dinner. Thanks
I made these today but they did not turn out the best. The taste was good but to heavy. I dont know if that is because the bottom was to dark from me putting butter on the bottom or was ot to much flour. Another thing os I used salted butter so i did not need the salt on top of the bread. Oh and my yeast package expired September 2017. So im going to give this another shot. I think if I turn my oven down lose less flour not salt on top I may have a winner.
Thanks Alicia! I made them this morning and they are nice!
How far do these need to be spaced apart? Looks amazing btw!
I just made these for my Christmas Celebration, let's just say, they were the hit over my brisket, pan seared green beans and stuffed potatoes, I am so happy they came out so well, thank you so much for this recipe, so easy!!!! and absolutely delicious!
How much did you weigh out each roll to be?
Do you think I could make these without the sugar? We don't care for breads to have a sweet flavor.
This recipe is fantastic!! Super quick and delicious! I was very skeptical to be honest but when we sat down to Christmas dinner (I volunteered myself to bring rolls from scratch and then almost wasn't going to do it due to being worn out from toddler Christmas morning mayhem and then I found this quick recipe) took bite and they were soft and buttery and really great. This will be my go to "rolls with dinner" recipe! Thank you so much!!
Hey Alicia,
I tried your recipe with a little twist. I filled them with flavored boiled and mashed potatoes.
The bread was extremely good, i fell a little short on the spices in the filling. When eaten insode the bread they were slightly bland, i can take cate of that next time. Also with the filling i would have added a tad bit of more sugar so that the sweetness of bread can be felt.
By the way these tasted quite nice even after 2 days. Just a 10 sec reheat in the microwave worked.
I used them as a tea time snack.
Hello. I'm a beginning yeast baker. I couldn't quite form my dough, which I had quartered then cut in wedges, into nice balls. Any tips?
I rolled my wedges into crescent till shapes, and they came out fine, just not as pretty as yours!
Thank you for the recipe!
Is this all purpose flour
I tried this today and the rolls turned out so beautiful! So soft and tasty. I am so happy I found this. I will definitely keep this recipe and bake these tools over and over again! May stuff them the next time around 🙂 thanks so much!
Could these be divided into 8 pieces for sandwich rolls ? ( I would assume so and baked a bit longer. Curious if anyone has done this )
Omgoodness!.I made these tonight to go along with Homemade Potato soup. These were the softest, most moist, delicious rolls ever.
Thank you for sharing. And they just lift out of pan like feather..A Keeper!!!
does it matter if you use regular yeast or instant .is one better than the other i have both
These are a new favorite in my house! So easy and delicious and my 4 yr old loved helping roll the dough into balls and put them in the pan!
Hi,
Two questions.
1) Do you think I could make these on a cookie sheet instead of a closed pan?
2) Do these keep for a day? Would like to make the day before Thanksgiving but don't want them to be hard by the next day.
I'm sure they would work fine on a cookie sheet. In my opinion, they're best the day that they are made.
Thanks, Young baker, for asking about kneading by hand or mixer. I usually choose artisan no-knead bread recipes because I have no kneading experience. I did recently get a mixer and was hoping the mixer could do the kneading. Thanks, Alicia, for answering and sharing this recipe. Thinking this'll be my recipe for Thanksgiving bread.
mine just went in the oven. thank you for a fabulous recipe
OMG!!!! These turned out A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! At first i didn't think the first rise was rising proper, but after punching it down the dough felt just fine. I couldn't contain my excitement watching them rise in the oven, with my husband laughing at me through the whole process. Love these!!!!
Thanks for the recipe!!
Made these for Thanksgiving. Now it's the only rolls my family wants. Thanks for the recipe.
So these do not use eggs??
I’ve used this recipe twice and the rolls were excellent each tim. Thanks for this easy recipe.o
Awesome! So glad you liked them!
Omg these are so yummy.I made them and my kids and hubby went crazy.thank you for sharing .
Thank you for this recipe. It's just wonderfully easy to make. I mixed some butter oregano and garlic mix on top before putting them in the oven which gave me a wonderful crust on top. Will definitely be making this again, soon!
Can you please tell me how much your dough balls weighed ? I’ve made them twice without weighing dough and they are so big. I would def. like to weigh the dough for more uniform pieces. Love the recipe
I made these today and substituted 1/3 of the flour with whole wheat flour. I ended up with wonderful light wheat rolls.
The sugar doesn't add much sweetness to these rolls, but is needed to feed the yeast. You could cut it back by half, just enough for the yeast but no added sweetness.
If using a kitchen scale what is the weight for each roll?
It will depend on how much flour you added and your altitude/humidity. I just weigh the whole ball of dough, divide that weight by 20, and make each of my balls that weight.
Do any of you know how this recipe can be made into a loaf of bread instead of rolls? I made the rolls and they are wonderful.
Terima kasih atas resepnya, akan saya coba membuatnya
I have now made these 2 days in a row. They are easy, amazing and delicious. My whole family loves them! (I use bread flour.)
Delicious – I made these for Christmas dinner last night and they were super tasty. They did turn out a little dense because I think as you warned, I used a little too much flour 🙂 Will keep this recipe and try again with less flour and see if I can make mine turn out as pretty as yours! Thanks!
I've always been intimidated by making bread, but I tried your recipe. The rolls turned out so great! I will be making it many, many times in the years to come. I used half whole wheat flour (I'm always trying to add nutrition where ever I can.), and it was delicious. Thanks so much!!
I used olive oil instead of butter. And put ham cheese on the top. Was yummy
I used olive oil instead of butter. Plus i put ham and cheese on top.
Just made these and they turned out so beautifully!!!! I'm so excited and delighted. My sister is going to fresh out with excitement. Thank you for this excellent recipe!!!
I needed rolls to have with spaghetti I made but didn’t want to go out in the rain to get. I ended up going because I didn’t think my yeast was working. When I got home it looked foamy so I went ahead and made them. Yummy! Will be using these instead of the store bought rolls. They did take about 25 minutes in the oven but that could very well be my old oven. Thank you immensely for sharing your recipe.
Always check the expiration date on the yeast. Also, be sure the water is warm enough or it will not activate the yeast. Too warm,the yeast will die and not rise properly. It should take no longer than 5 minutes to start smelling the yeast and bubbles to develop, which is "proofing" to see if yeast is alive.
Am not much of a baker but thank God for this recipe. I added Vanilla essence and the taste was Devine. Will definitely be making these rolls often. Thank you so much Alicia for sharing this .
I make these frequently, bc they're easy and amazing! I use bread flour and they're always gobbled up! I'd def say bread flour makes a solid alternative. They're super fluffy!!
Terrific recipe. I made the mistake of overbaking. (I had the rack too low, I think, and the tops weren’t browning, so I thought they needed more.) So don’t be like me! Follow the baking time, or use a glass-bottomed tray for another visual indicator. Will make again.
All I can say is WOW…I made these twice in one evening
These are so good even though I substituted some of the ingredients like one packet of rapid rise yeast instead of one tablespoon of active dry yeast. I even baked them in a toaster oven because my wall oven was broken though it took longer than 20 minutes. Thanks Alicia!
I have found heaven! These rolls were perfectly fluffy, and pretty, too. My hubby and I ate them when they were just warm out of the oven and we had no room left for dinner! So we added some wine and ate more! This is a keeper, and I thank you for it!
I have found my dinner roll recipe! I followed the recipe using bread flour. Adorned them with flake salt. They were lovely, fluffy, and tasted so good! I should admit that the next day they were a bit "gummy" when warmed over with butter, and that's just how we like them! So enjoyed the first fresh day, then just as much the second, reheated. Thank you for a wonderful recipe that I will use over and over again!
Would it hurt to use bread flour? That’s all I use when making bread.
I haven't tried it, but I'm guessing it would work just fine!
I tried doubling the recipe and it was waaaay too dry. Most of the flour didn't mix in until I added a bunch more water. If I were to make these again, I would leave out one cup of flour
I made these rolls last weekend for a Sunday family dinner. Everyone LOVED them, so I will definitely keep the recipe. However, I have one question. The rolls were great, but they never got brown on top; not even a teensy bit. I followed the recipe exactly, but they never got any color on top at all. Can someone tell me what I might have done wrong? I've been cooking, baking, making bread for years, so this wasn't a first time thing for me.
this is an easy fast recipe that tastes so yummy, my husband loves them as well. he will just grab one on the go. they taste good the next day if they last that long. thank you for this recipe im about to make for the second time. this is a keeper for my family
Can this dough be made into a bread?
I haven't tried it so I can't say for sure. Good luck!
Best roll recipe EVER! I've tried lots of roll recipes, but they've always been hit and miss on it they turn out. These rolls though… Perfection every time! I don't use any other recipe now! Last Thanksgiving these rolls were definitely the favorite food of everyone there!
I have now made these several times and given the recipe to mahy people. This recipe is now pinned everywhere so that I never lose it.
Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us.
I have a large quantity of instant yeast, so will it still be 11/2 table spoon of yeast? Or does this recipe work only with dry yeast?
Just made these for the first time and they are fantastic! I used a 9 x 13 glass cake pan and divided the dough into 15 rolls. I baked them for 13 minutes at 400° for 13 minutes and they came out perfectly!
I make these every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They are AmAzInG!!! Thank you!
I only used 3 cups and it was perfect.
There rolls are sooooo good! They did take a little longer to bake than the recipe called for – maybe 25 min, but were so good – slightly sweet and light a fluffy. Definitely making again!
I have made these before and are so good . I have some cute baking cups and was wondering if they would come out just as good in those instead by of all in a baking dish.
Can either milk or skim milk powder in the water be used instead of just water?
I haven't tried that before, but I would guess that it would work. Let me know how it goes!
I've made these now, 3 or 4 times. They are perfect. Each time my children have said, the rolls can be their dinner! Fluffy, soft and buttery. A true treat and they come together very quickly.
Yes you can. I made them, freeze half, when needed, just reheat in oven but I found best is warm them in microwave, turn out just like freshly out from oven, soft and fluffy.
these rolls are fantastic my son in law loves them and so does my 4yr old grandson does to thanks for giving this recipe!!!
Well after reading everyone comments here's mines .I had this recipe saved from Pinterest..Just finished making mines ..my take was using my muffin tin pans with the paper cups.. Awesome..thanks so very much. For sharing..I know they'll be gone before night fall 👍👍👍👍👍
No matter what bread I try and make it never turns out. What could be the problem. Can it be the yeast
Baking bread hates me! Used active dry yeast.. Got little rocks that didn't rise! Screw it
What is best to use plain flour or self-raising flour
plain.
Best buns ever, so soft and fluffy. Trying very hard not to eat them all. Husband said they are the best buns I ever made.
Weigh your dough first, then divide that by the number of rolls you are making.
Just made a loaf – baked it for 30 minutes; turned out great!
I just made a loaf – cooked it for 30 minutes – it's great.
I haven’t tried it as a loaf, but that sounds great!
Okay, I just found these on Pinterest this morning and had to make them. They are easy, delicious, and beautiful. I have never made a roll that has lived up to my standards…until today. Try them. They are everything that Alicia says they are!!
I am waiting for my dough to rise. This is my second time making these rolls. They are soooo good.Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.💗
Tammy P.