Honey Free Classic Yeast Rolls

Total time2 hr 30 min

Prep time25 min

Cook time20 min

4.5

(6)

Soft, pillowy, and golden-brown on top, these classic yeast rolls are the kind of pull-apart bread that disappears from the table before dinner is even finished. The sweetness here comes entirely from granulated sugar, so there's no need to hunt down a specialty swap or second-guess a store-bought ingredient label. Warm milk, active dry yeast, and a generous amount of butter do all the heavy lifting, creating a dough that bakes up tender and rich with a beautifully fluffy crumb. The double butter brush — once before the oven and once right after — gives the tops that irresistible glossy finish and deep flavor that makes these rolls genuinely hard to stop eating. Shaping them into smooth balls and nestling them together in the pan means they rise into each other, giving you that satisfying soft edge when you pull them apart. These are the rolls you bring to a holiday table, a Sunday dinner, or honestly just a Tuesday when you want the house to smell incredible.

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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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