BHA & BHT Free Classic Yeast Rolls

Total time2 hr 30 min

Prep time25 min

Cook time20 min

4.5

(6)

Few things beat pulling a pan of golden, pillowy rolls from the oven, and this classic recipe delivers exactly that kind of simple, soul-satisfying baking moment. The ingredient list is refreshingly straightforward — whole milk, butter, flour, egg, yeast, sugar, and salt — which means you're working with real pantry staples and nothing else. That matters a lot when you're avoiding synthetic preservatives like BHA and BHT, which sneak into a surprising number of packaged breads and store-bought rolls without much fanfare. Making your own dough from scratch is genuinely the cleanest workaround, and this recipe makes it completely approachable. The method walks you through a proper yeast bloom, a buttery kneaded dough, and two rises that build incredible soft texture and flavor. A generous brush of melted butter right before baking and again straight out of the oven gives the tops that gorgeous, rich finish you'd expect from a bakery. These rolls are the kind of thing that disappears fast at the dinner table, and knowing exactly what went into them makes every bite even better.

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the dough

1 cup whole milk
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
3 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp fine salt
1 large egg, room temperature
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces

For brushing

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1
Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat until it reaches 105–110°F (40–43°C) on a kitchen thermometer — warm to the touch but not hot. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast and 1 tbsp of the sugar over the surface, and let stand for 5–10 minutes until foamy and fragrant.
2
Add the remaining 2 tbsp sugar, the salt, and the egg to the yeast mixture. Add the flour and mix on low speed with the dough hook until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes.

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