These are the most incredible Soft Bread Rolls. Really easy to make with just a few ingredients and they freeze really well making them perfect for batch cooking. If you have never tried to make your own bread before, then these soft sandwich rolls are the best place to start.
I have spent months perfecting this soft roll recipe. They are light, fluffy and actually pretty simple to make with no kneading.
They do take some time, but most of that time is hands off as they are left to proof a couple of times. The actual hands on time is very minimal with a bit of mixing, stretching and folding.
These no knead bread rolls almost have a ciabatta like texture to them, due to the process of stretching and folding rather than kneading. They make great soft dinner rolls too.
Looking for more bread recipes? Why not try our high protein Cottage Cheese Bagels, super simple Easy White Loaf or our really quick Homemade Flatbread?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Flour - Use a white bread flour. Below there are tips about using wholemeal flour.
- Yeast - This is instant yeast, so you don't need to do anything with it before adding it to the water. Make sure your yeast isn't too old or expired, as the dough won't rise.
- Water - You need lukewarm water, not boiling or cold.
- Sugar - We used honey, but granulated sugar works well too.
- Oil - We have used a good quality olive oil. You can use vegetable oil if you prefer.
- Salt - This might seem like a lot of salt, but it is needed for the recipe and it isn't a lot once divided between each roll.
Wholemeal Bread Rolls
For wholemeal rolls, use 50/50 white flour and wholemeal flour. You will need to add a little splash more of water, as wholemeal flour absorbs more liquid. We have tried using just wholemeal flour, but it gives a really dense roll.
Using half wholemeal flour does still give a more dense roll than if you are just using white, but not as much as full wholemeal flour.
If we are doing half and half, then we like to sprinkle some oats on top as they look really nice.
Hot Dog and Hamburger Buns
This recipe makes fairly big rolls, which we use for sandwiches and hamburger buns. You can easily adjust them to make smaller rolls by dividing the mix into eight or ten instead of six.
For hotdog buns, roll them into 6 finger shapes instead of balls. You can also make baguette shapes by shaping it into 3 longer rolls - these are good for making homemade garlic bread.
How To Make Soft Bread Rolls - Step by Step
- Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add the luke warm water, honey, oil and yeast and then whisk together.
- Step 2: Add your sifted bread flour and sea salt and mix together well to form a ball of dough. Scrape down the bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and leave somewhere warm for 15 minutes.
- Step 3: Now it's time for the first stretch and fold. Check out our video for this recipe to see exactly how to do it. Using a wet hand, grab the dough and pull and stretch it up and then over itself. After you have done this a few times it will tighten up into a ball. Cover it again and leave somewhere warm for another 15 minutes.
- Step 4: Repeat the stretch and fold as done previously and then cover again and leave somewhere warm for an hour and a half. The dough will be fully proofed now and will have risen considerably.
- Step 5: Flour your work surface and pour the dough out on to it.
Stretch the dough out a little bit to make a rectangle shape, but be careful not to handle it too much and disturb the bubbles as they are key to this amazing texture. Cut the dough into 6 squares.
- Step 6: Flour a lined (with baking paper/parchment paper) baking tray and then gently place your rolls on to it. Cover them again and leave to proof for 45 minutes.
Towards the end of this final proofing time, preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C(fan)/430°F/Gas 7 with a tray of hot water at the bottom of the oven. This creates a steamy environment in the oven which helps the rolls rise.
- Step 7: Put the rolls in the top of the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the tray of water and cook for 10 minutes more. Keep an eye on the rolls though, as every oven cooks differently and you might only need 8 minutes more. They will have a nice golden brown top.
- Step 8: Remove the soft bread rolls from the oven and left them cool on a wire rack.
Serving Suggestions
This soft bread roll recipe is so versatile. We always make a big batch of these to stash in the freezer because there are just so many different ways to use them.
We used them as burger buns in our Cajun Chicken Burgers or Turkey Smash Burgers. Smother them in garlic butter and make our Air Fryer Garlic Bread or Cheesy Garlic Bread.
They are also the perfect bread rolls for sandwiches, so why not load them with our Cottage Cheese Tuna Salad, Cheese Savoury Mix, or Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad.
My kids also really like these with butter and jam on for an after school snack.
Tips For Making The BEST Soft Sandwich Rolls
- There are many factors that can change the amount of flour needed to make bread rolls. Elevation, humidity, and the temperature of the liquid can all mean that you might need to use a different amount of flour. So bare in mind that this is what works in my kitchen, and you may need to adjust the recipe.
- If the dough is too sticky at step 2, then add a tablespoon of flour at a time.
- This might seem like a lot of time for rising, but it is essential to get really light and fluffy rolls.
- Make sure the soft bread rolls cook at the top of the oven, as this what will make them nice and golden brown.
- Every oven cooks differently, so keep checking on them and yours might be golden brown after 15 minutes, whereas other ovens might need more like 22 minutes to cook. It will also depend on the size of your rolls. If you divide this soft roll recipe into 10 rolls, then will only need about 16 minutes.
- To make these soft sandwich rolls look really nice, you can brush them with milk and then sprinkle some sesame seeds or poppy seeds on top.
- For something extra special, brush them with melted butter before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can keep these in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days. They also freeze really well. Individually wrap them and put them in a freezer bag and they will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can defrost them at room temperature.
Yes, you can cook these in the air fryer. Cook at 160°C for around 25 minutes. They don't have the same texture though and you will need to cook them in batches.
Every oven cooks differently, so if yours are browning too quickly then you can cover them with foil for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
More Bread Recipes
If you’ve tried these soft sandwich rolls, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Soft Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 500 g (4 cups) Bread flour - sifted
- 370 ml (1.5 cups) Water - lukewarm
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- 7 g (1.75 tablespoon) Fast action yeast
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add 370 ml Water, 1 tablespoon Olive oil, 1 teaspoon Honey and 7 g Fast action yeast and then whisk together.
- Add 500 g Bread flour and 1 teaspoon Sea salt and mix together well. Scrape down the bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave somewhere warm for 15 minutes.
- Now it's time for the first stretch and fold. Check out our video for this recipe to see exactly how to do it.Using a wet hand, grab the dough and pull and stretch it up and then over itself. After you have done this a few times it will tighten up into a ball.
- Cover it again and leave somewhere warm for another 15 minutes.
- Repeat the stretch and fold as done previously and then cover again and leave somewhere warm for an hour and a half. The dough will be fully proofed now and will have risen considerably.
- Flour your work surface and pour the dough out on to it. Stretch the dough out a little bit to make a rectangle shape, but be careful not to handle it too much and disturb the bubbles as they are key to this amazing texture. Cut the dough into 6 squares.
- Flour a lined (with baking paper/parchment paper) baking tray and then gently place your rolls on to it. Cover them again and leave to proof for 45 minutes.
- Towards the end of this final proofing time, preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C(fan)/430°F/Gas 7 with a tray of hot water at the bottom of the oven. This creates a steamy environment in the oven which helps the rolls rise.
- Put the rolls in the top of the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the tray of water and cook for 10 minutes more. Keep an eye on the rolls though, as every oven cooks differently and you might only need 8 minutes more. They will have a nice golden brown top.
- Remove the soft bread rolls from the oven and left them cool on a wire rack.
Recipe Tips
- There are many factors that can change the amount of flour needed to make bread rolls. Elevation, humidity, and the temperature of the liquid can all mean that you might need to use a different amount of flour. So bare in mind that this is what works in my kitchen, and you may need to adjust the recipe.
- If the dough is too sticky at step 2, then add a tablespoon of flour at a time.
- This might seem like a lot of time for rising, but it is essential to get really light and fluffy rolls.
- Make sure the soft bread rolls cook at the top of the oven, as this what will make them nice and golden brown.
- Every oven cooks differently, so keep checking on them and yours might be golden brown after 15 minutes, whereas other ovens might need more like 22 minutes to cook. It will also depend on the size of your rolls. If you divide this soft roll recipe into 10 rolls, then will only need about 16 minutes.
- To make these soft sandwich rolls look really nice, you can brush them with milk and then sprinkle some sesame seeds or poppy seeds on top.
- For something extra special, brush them with melted butter before serving.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Rebecca Coates says
Do you think you could make these in a bread maker? They look wonderful!
Dannii Martin says
I haven't tried it myself, but I don't see why not. If you try it, do let us know.