These No-Knead Dinner Rolls are easy to make, no kneading required, and they have a super soft and fluffy texture and golden-brown tops. Lots of tips, photos, and make-ahead tips!

Don’t be intimidated by making these no-knead dinner rolls. This recipe calls for zero kneading and it’s really easy! The mention of yeast shouldn’t scare you either. It’s super easy to work with yeast, and I’ll walk you through all the steps!  Check it out! 🙂

Which Type of Yeast Do I use?

Instant yeast: If you use instant yeast, also called rapid-rise or quick-rise yeast, you can add it right in with your dry ingredients without proofing it.

Active dry yeast: If you don’t have instant yeast, you can use active dry yeast. You can add active dry yeast right in with the dry ingredients, and the dough will take a few minutes longer to rise, OR you can add it to the warm liquid called for in the recipe and allow it to proof for 5 minutes before adding it to the dry ingredients. This will shorten the rise time. I used the active dry in this recipe because I was out of the instant.

Proofing Yeast = placing yeast in warm liquid for 5 minutes.

Mixing the dough and the first rise:

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is NoKneadYeastRollsCollage4-680x510.jpg
  • Mixing the dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.  Add the lukewarm milk, melted butter, and eggs to the well, and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
  • First rise: Cover the bowl with a lint-free kitchen towel and set it aside for 2 hours in a warm, draft-free environment. 

Punching down the dough and the Second Rise:

  • Punch down dough: After the dough has doubled in size, uncover it and use your fist to punch down the dough and deflate it.
  • Form rolls:  Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.  Using floured hands, form the dough into a long roll of about 12 to 14 inches.  Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the roll into 12 equal pieces.  Form each piece into a rounded ball, folding the dough into itself on the bottom and pinching it together.  Place the dough balls in the prepared baking dish.

Make Ahead:

If you want to prep the rolls ahead of time, simply follow the recipe through the first rise. Punch down the dough and form it into rolls. Place the rolls into a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

The next day, set the rolls out of the refrigerator, cover them with a towel, and allow them to rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size. Meantime, preheat the oven. Bake the rolls as directed in the recipe.

Check out more great dinner roll recipes…

Angel Rolls

Honey Rolls with Cinnamon Honey Butter

If you make this recipe please rate it, and leave a comment below on how you liked it. I love getting your feedback! 🙂

Wanna see different recipes each day? Feel free to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, & Instagram!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Hot baked no knead dinner rolls

No-Knead Dinner Rolls

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Cindy @mycountrytable
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours & 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12 rolls 1x
  • Category: Bread/Sides/Thanksgiving
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These No-Knead Dinner Rolls are easy to make,  super soft and fluffy with golden brown tops, and there’s no kneading required.  


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 packet active dry yeast, 1/4 ounce*
  • 4 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups cup lukewarm milk, divided
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 large eggs, lightly whisked
  • Melted butter for brushing tops
  • Coarse salt for tops, optional


Instructions

  1. Proofing the yeast: In a small bowl, mix together 2 teaspoons of the sugar and the yeast.  Add 1/2 cup of the lukewarm milk and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes until frothy.* 
  2. Mixing the dough: Meantime, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.  Add the remaining milk, milk-yeast mixture, melted butter, and eggs to the well, and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
  3. First rise: Cover the bowl with a lint-free kitchen towel and set it aside for 2 hours in a warm, draft-free environment.  See notes below.** Meantime, line a 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper, allowing the parchment paper to hang over each end enough to grab hold of later for easy removal of the rolls.
  4. Punch down dough: After the dough has doubled in size, uncover it and use your fist to punch down and deflate it.
  5. Form rolls:  Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.  Using floured hands, form the dough into a long roll of about 12 to 14 inches.  Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the roll into 12 equal pieces.  Form each piece into a rounded ball, folding the dough into itself on the bottom and pinching it together.  Place the dough balls in the prepared baking dish.
  6. Second rise: Lightly spray a piece of plastic wrap with non-stick cooking spray and place it over the dish, then place a towel over the plastic wrap.  Allow the rolls to rise for 45 minutes.
  7. Meantime preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Bake the rolls until they are golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.  They should also sound hollow when you tap them with your finger.
  8. Remove the rolls from the oven and lift them out of the dish by holding each end of the parchment paper.
  9. Brush the rolls with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Serve.
  10. Cover leftovers at room temp for 1 day.  Rolls are best if eaten the day they are made.

Notes

  • *Proofing the yeast: You can follow this recipe using active dry yeast or you can opt to use instant or rapid-rise yeast.  In this case, you would skip the 5-minute proofing.
  • **First rise: This is what I do.  I preheat my oven to 160 degrees before I start this recipe then turn the oven off. I open the oven door for a couple of minutes before placing the bowl in the oven, then I place the bowl on the top oven rack, making sure the rack is not too hot. I wait for the oven to be lukewarm and close the oven door.  I leave the bowl in the oven for exactly 2 hours or until the dough has doubled.