Homemade Mennonite Yeast Rolls Recipe (2024)

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Homemade Mennonite Yeast Rolls Recipe (1)

I started my very first job when I was a teenager in high school. It wasn’t some elaborate thing that I wanted (and I definitely didn’t know how to cook mennonite yeast rolls).I had big plans in my head of what I wanted to be, and baking wasn’t it. But never-the-less, it was an income for me to spend frivolously. And later in life I’d come to find that I would enjoy it more than I realized. My very first job was working in a little Mennonite specialty store and bakery in my hometown — it was called The Farmer’s Wife.

I could sit here and tell you that everything I learned when it comes to cooking came from my mom and grandma, but I’d be lying. You see, most of what I learned came directly from that little country store and the wonderful women that worked within it. But this particular recipe came from a beautiful Mennonite woman who I cherish deeply. She loves her family more than you could imagine. She truly is a Proverbs 31 woman, and she is inspiring even when she doesn’t realize it.

My need for a good mennonite yeast roll recipe came about eight years ago when my husband, aka Mountain Man, asked if I could make homemade rolls for dinner one evening. It also makes an incredible Mennonite Cinnamon Roll Recipe.

I tried, and I failed…drastically. Mountain Man isn’t one to hide his true feelings when it comes to things, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. This time, it was a bad thing, as his response went something like, “why can’t you make rolls like those Mennonite women do.”You have got to be kidding me….

So I humbly asked a friend for her favorite mennonite yeast roll recipe (after all, she was mennonite!), and she gracefully mailed it to me on a sheet of paper through snail mail. Snail mail….how official it was back then. It was nice getting something in the mail rather than having to print it off on the computer or stare at the iPad while making the recipe.

I made the recipe, and it was awful. I made it again, and again, the same outcome. By the tenth try they finally started to resemble normal yeast rolls. And what I quickly realized is that it wasn’t the recipe that made them good, it was the technique. I often watch food network, where they talk about people’s techniques in the kitchen. For years I scoffed because I truly didn’t think it made a difference….boy, was I wrong.

So with that said, below you will find the recipe, slightly tweaked, for these sinfully tasty yeast rolls. The recipe is extremely easy, however, I tried to convey the technique as much as possible in the recipe so that you can hopefully avoid having to make these ten times before you get them right!

Homemade Mennonite Yeast Rolls Recipe (2)

Homemade Mennonite Yeast Rolls

1/2 cup warm water 2 Tbs ofyeast

  • Stir together in small bowl and let sit while mixing the rest of the ingredients.

1/2 cup butter
2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
6-7 cups all purpose flour

  1. Heat in a saucepan heat all remaining ingredients (except flour) until butter is melted and sugar and salt are dissolved. Let rest until lukewarm.I actually just let it set for about 5 mins and then go ahead and use it.
  2. In a stand mixer, combine butter/milk mixture andyeastmixture.
  3. Add 6 cups of all purpose flour slowly. Your dough should be a little sticky, but still firm. You can also knead by hand. If dough is still too sticky, then add up to another cup of flour in half cup increments (up to 7 cups total). Knead until smooth and elastic, but still sticky.
  4. Put dough in a greased bowl and lightly grease top of dough. Let rise for about 45 mins or until doubled.I like to use a heating pad to speed up the process, or I put the bowl on top of a towel over the burner that I was using to melt the butter mixture. Makes it rise quicker.
  5. Punch down dough, grease three 9″ round pans (you won’t fill the third one completely). Grease your hands with oil if necessary for the next step. Pull off large walnut size balls and knead until smooth.Basically, if you’ve ever made loaf bread, this is the point where you knead androllit to fit the loaf pan. I just knead it and tuck the ends up into the bottom center to make a smooth top.
  6. Put 8 to 12 rolls per pan — I prefer 8-9 for largerrolls. If you want smallerrolls, you can adjust size etc.
  7. Let rise for about 15 mins. Bake at 350 for 18 mins.

You’re done!

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Yield: 16-24 rolls

Homemade Mennonite Yeast Rolls

Homemade Mennonite Yeast Rolls Recipe (3)

These homemade mennonite yeast rolls are sure to please everyone at the dinner table!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 Tbs of yeast
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 6-7 cups of all purpose flour

Instructions

    1. Stir together yeast and water in small bowl and let sit while mixing the rest of the ingredients.
    2. Place butter, milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan and cook on medium heat until butter is melted and sugar and salt are dissolved. Let rest until lukewarm. I actually just let it set for about 5 mins and then go ahead and use it.
    3. In a stand mixer, combine butter/milk mixture and yeast mixture.
    4. Slowly add 6 cups of all purpose flour until dough forms a ball. Your dough should be a little sticky, but still very firm. You can also knead by hand. If dough is still too sticky, then add up to another cup of flour in half cup increments. If you need more flour, add up to 7 cups of flour total. Knead until smooth and elastic, but still slightly sticky.
    5. Put dough in a greased bowl and lightly grease top of dough. Let rise for about 45 mins or until doubled. I like to use a heating pad to speed up the process, or I put the bowl on top of a towel over the burner that I was using to melt the butter mixture. Makes it rise quicker.
    6. Punch down dough, grease three 9″ round pans (you won’t fill the third one completely). Grease your hands with oil if necessary for the next step. Pull off large walnut size balls and knead until smooth. Basically, if you’ve ever made loaf bread, this is the point where you knead and roll it to fit the loaf pan. I just knead it and tuck the ends up into the bottom center to make a smooth top.
    7. Put 8 to 12 rolls per pan — I prefer 8-9 for larger rolls. If you want smaller rolls, you can adjust size etc.
    8. Let rise for about 15 mins. Bake at 350 for 18 mins.

Watch me make them here

Homemade Mennonite Yeast Rolls Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my homemade yeast rolls tough? ›

Too much flour, or not the right kind, could be to blame. Dough made only from flour with a high or even average amount of protein (like bread flour or all-purpose flour) can become tough from overmixing. Protein gives bread structure in the form of gluten—the more you mix and move the dough, the more gluten you get.

Why are my homemade yeast rolls dry? ›

Too much flour makes dough too stiff to rise properly, creating a dry texture. A range of flour is always given in yeast bread recipes because flours vary in moisture content, reacting in different ways depending on the time of year, weather conditions, etc. Be careful measuring flour.

How long can yeast rolls sit before baking? ›

These unbaked dinner rolls can be refrigerated for up to 18 hours before baking. Remove from the refrigerator an hour and a half before serving. Let them stand for about 1 hour 15 minutes before baking.

Can you let yeast rolls rise too long? ›

“If the dough has risen too long, it's going to feel fragile and might even collapse as you poke it,” says Maggie. If this is the case, there's a chance you can save your dough by giving it a quick re-shape.

How do I make my rolls more airy? ›

Tips for Making Fluffy Dinner Rolls
  1. Don't get the milk too hot. The optimal temperature for milk is around 100 degrees F. ...
  2. Make sure your yeast isn't old. ...
  3. Use a combination of all-purpose and bread flour. ...
  4. Mix your dough long enough. ...
  5. Don't rush the rising time. ...
  6. Don't over-bake.

What is the most common cause of yeast bread failure? ›

Many of these common yeast dough problems are usually due to the yeast being dead to begin with, the yeast being killed or impeded somehow during the bread-making process, or being in a non-ideal environment that is too hot or too cold.

Is butter or shortening better for yeast rolls? ›

Baked goods made with shortening are typically softer and more tender than those made with butter. They also tend to be slightly taller, as it has a higher melting point and doesn't spread as much.

What happens if you put too much yeast in rolls? ›

Putting too much yeast in bread dough will make it double in size very quickly during the bulk ferment and even more quickly during the proofing of your loaves. As long as you don't let the dough more than double in size at either stage, you should get a reasonable loaf of bread.

Is milk better than water for yeast rolls? ›

48 Milk in Bread Baking

Consequently, dough made with milk should come softer from the mixer than dough made with water. Other aspects of milk in yeast doughs include: Dough may be mixed more intensively. Milk yields dough with a higher pH compared to water dough, and the fermentation will be slower.

Can you use milk instead of water in yeast rolls? ›

If, for example, the recipe calls for a cup of water, use half water and half milk, or all milk instead. If the recipe doesn't call for any liquid at all, just leave out the dry milk and increase the amount of flour a bit. Incorporate it into the dough little by little, so as not to make the dough too stiff.

Should I brush yeast rolls before baking? ›

Butter basting: Rolls can be brushed with butter before, during, or after baking. While it doesn't brown the surface as much as egg wash will, it does promote browning and adds a lot of flavor.

How do you know when yeast rolls are done? ›

The internal temperature of a loaf of crusty yeast bread when it is cooked to perfection should be 200 to 210 F. Soft breads and dinner rolls should be 190 to 200 F. The bread will pull away from the sides of the pan and will feel firm to the touch. The bread will sound hollow when you tap it lightly.

Can I let dough rise overnight on counter? ›

- Uncovered container with dough you need to limit to max 4 hours in room temperature. It is possible to leave bread dough to rise overnight. This needs to be done in the refrigerator to prevent over-fermentation and doughs with an overnight rise will often have a stronger more yeasty flavour which some people prefer.

How can you tell when yeast breads are done? ›

You may notice that many of our King Arthur Flour yeast bread recipes call for the perfectly baked loaf to reach an internal temperature of 190°F. And honestly, this is a good benchmark. Most loaves and rolls will indeed be done when they register 190°F at their center.

What makes yeast bread light and fluffy? ›

Add Sugar

As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

Why is my bread doughy and not fluffy? ›

There may be several reasons for a dense, cake like texture in bread. It may indicate the kneading wasn't enough for the gluten to develop properly, or the dough was proved for too short a time or the dough may have been too dry. It is also worth checking the flour you used.

Why is my bread heavy not fluffy? ›

The usual reason why bread becomes too dense is due to using flour with low protein content. When your loaf is spongy and heavy, you might have also put too much flour into it or made the dough in a cooler or too warm setting.

Why is my bread dough not soft and fluffy? ›

Overworking the dough can cause the gluten strands to break down, resulting in a tough and dense bread. To ensure a light and fluffy texture, knead the dough just until it becomes smooth and elastic. This usually takes about 7-10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a stand mixer.

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