How to Make Yeast Rolls & Bread

Homemade yeast bread straight out of the oven.

You can make your own yeast rolls and bread instead of buying them from a grocery store. It's a rewarding way to complete a homemade dinner. The recipe for traditional yeast bread does not vary much from recipe books, although adding herbs and spices will create different flavors. The recipe for yeast rolls and bread only requires a few ingredients. It is important to follow recipes very closely because if the dough does not rise properly, the bread or rolls will not turn out fluffy and round.

Things You'll Need

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup water
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 1/2 tbsp. shortening
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 2 oz. sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• Softened butter
• Wooden spoon
• Mixing bowls
• Electric mixer

Instructions

1. Combine the yeast and water. Stir until the yeast dissolves.

2. Place milk in the microwave for 30 seconds. Combine milk, salt, shortening and sugar in a separate mixing bowl. Stir until these ingredients are blended and smooth.

3. Beat eggs and add to the yeast mixture. Add flour to this mixture, and stir until all lumps are gone.

4. Gently add more flour to the bowl. Keep adding the flour until the dough stops sticking to the bowl.

5. Sprinkle flour on a smooth surface. Remove dough from the mixing bowl, and knead on this floured surface. Knead the dough for 10 minutes or until it becomes very smooth.

6. Use softened butter to cover a mixing bowl. This will prevent the dough from sticking. Rub softened butter to the top of the dough. Add the dough to the bowl.

7. Cover the mixing bowl, using plastic wrap or a cloth. Place the bowl in a warm place.

8. Remove the dough once it has nearly doubled in size. The dough needs to sit out for at least an hour. After the dough rises, push on it to remove any air bubbles that have formed.

9. Grab a piece of dough and roll it into a ball. The larger the dough ball, the bigger the rolls will be when they bake. If you want to make yeast bread, separate the dough into two sections to place them in a bread loaf pan. Use a rolling pin on each bread half to smooth each section into a rectangle that is about 1/3-inch thick. Roll each rectangle section from one horizontal end to the other to create a cylinder shape. Pinch the ends of the rolled dough and tuck them under.

10. Place rolls on a baking sheet or the bread sections in a loaf pan. Cover with a cloth and let them rise for an hour. Once the rolls rise, bake them in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the rolls or bread from the oven once they are brown, and allow them to cool by brushing them with butter.

References

• Yeast Bread Recipes
• Bread and Yeast History