Black Pepper Free Classic Yeast Rolls

Total time2 hr 30 min

Prep time25 min

Cook time20 min

4.5

(6)

Soft, pillowy, and golden on top with a buttery sheen that makes them almost too pretty to pull apart — these classic yeast rolls are the kind of bake that fills the whole kitchen with warmth. For anyone avoiding black pepper, dinner rolls can actually be a surprisingly tricky category, since many store-bought and restaurant versions sneak it into the dough or seasoning blends. Here, the ingredient list is refreshingly clean: milk, yeast, sugar, flour, salt, egg, and butter — nothing hidden, nothing to second-guess. The slow double rise is what gives these rolls their feathery, tender crumb, and brushing them with melted butter straight out of the oven adds that glossy, rich finish you'd expect from a bakery. They bake up touching each other in the pan, which means pull-apart edges that are soft and slightly steamy — the best part of the whole batch. Serve them alongside a holiday spread, a weeknight soup, or honestly just on their own while they're still warm.

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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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