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These Easy Artisan Rolls truly are ridiculously easy. Stir up the dough then go to bed. In the morning, shape and bake. Unbelievably delicious too!
When I first published this recipe 5 years ago, I called the rolls Unbelievably Easy Artisan Rolls. And it was true, they are unbelievably easy. But that was before the days of our Ridiculously Easy Recipes. Recently, when making a batch of this delicious bread, I realized that it truly deserve a place in our Ridiculously Easy collection. So, without further ado, let me re-introduce you to these fabulous, Ridiculously Easy Artisan Rolls.
What is Ridiculously Easy?
If you're new to The Café, you might not be familiar with our Ridiculously Easy recipes. They are super popular with our readers and I love them just as much! You can read more about these recipes in this post along with the specific criteria that these recipes have to follow but my nutshell definitely is "recipes that make you look like a kitchen rock star with minimal effort on your part". Like that? I sure do!
Can yeast rolls really be easy?
Let me explain how easy they are and you can decide for yourself. Ready? Combine flour, salt and yeast in a bowl. Grab a sturdy spatula. Add tap water (even cold tap water works!), and stir till combined. Cover, go to bed and have sweet dreams! When you wake in the morning, the yeast will have done its magic.
Sprinkle a work surface with flour and turn the dough a few times, to give it a nice white coat. Divide your dough into 12 pieces and shape the pieces into balls. Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes. That's it! See what I mean? Easy, ridiculously easy!
Oh, one more thing; wipe that drool off your mouth, and please, try to wait till they've cooled just a bit before you start sampling.
I saw these beautiful rolls a few months ago on Pinterest. They originated on a beautiful blog called Alexandra's Kitchen. I did adapt the recipe slightly, but she's the genius who came up with the technique.
It's hard to find really good artisan bread unless you live in a big city where there are lots of bakers. Here in Asheville, NC, there are several high-quality bread shops, but they're few and far between. So what do you do if you're craving delicious, European-style bread? You know, the crusty exterior and chewy, richly-flavored-interior type of bread with those big irregular holes?
In the past all I could personally do was dream about it but now the answer is super simple, I just whip up a batch of these Ridiculously Easy Artisan Rolls.
I started to call them dinner rolls but changed my mind when I thought about how versatile they are. While they do make wonderful dinner rolls, I also love these rolls for sandwiches and as an accompaniment to soups and salads.
Four Ingredients
And, while my recipe today has just four ingredients; flour, yeast, salt and water, you can get really creative with herbs and spices. My favorites are rosemary and sea salt, but I was at Whole Foods for lunch recently and had a crusty dinner roll with Parmesan and fresh ground pepper. That just might be my next version!
Make ahead!
Do you know what might be even better than the simplicity of this Ridiculously Easy Artisan Rolls recipe? The fact that you can make a batch in advance and freeze them for several weeks. Just under-bake the rolls slightly, then pop them in the freezer after cooling. Pull the rolls out of the freezer a few hours in advance and warm them for 8-10 minutes before serving. They'll taste just like freshly baked!
Imagine a basketful of these fragrant rolls being passed around the table at your next dinner party. You'd be sure to see smiles of delight, as each guest peeks under the napkin. Be prepared for lots of compliments, as the warm rolls are savored by one and all. Only you will know that the total hands-on time for these rolls is less than 20 minutes!
Café Tips for Making these Ridiculously Easy Artisan Rolls
- Use plenty of flour on your work surface. This is what will keep the dough from sticking. You will need at least a ¼ cup, maybe more, depending on how wet your dough is. I also like to keep my hands well-floured while shaping the rolls.
- A metal bench scraper (aka a dough scraper) is a wonderful tool to have when making bread, rolls, etc. It will keep your hands from getting sticky as you can use it to move the dough and coat it with flour. Also turning the dough a couple of times on a well-floured surface with a bench scraper, will also keep the dough from sticking to the counter. And lastly, a bench scraper makes cleaning the counter a breeze as you can just scrape up any excess dough and flour.
- Do you have to let the dough rise for 10-12 hours? Nope! I've been in a pinch a number of times and have sped up the rising time by using warm water instead of room temperature water. The rolls still turn out and are delicious BUT the beautiful craggy interiors of these rolls are definitely improved with a long slow rise. There is also more depth of flavor - so if you have the time, by all means, go for the overnight l-o-n-g, s-l-o-w rise.
- This Ridiculously Easy Artisan Rolls recipe is a bit unusual in that you form the rolls by pulling the edges under, then pinch them together to form a smooth ball and place them on the baking pan with the pinched side UP. All other roll recipes that I've ever used direct you to place the rolls on a baking pan, smooth side up. Being a bit of a rebel, I decided to try baking them with the pinched side up and LOVED the beautiful artisan whimsical presentation when the rolls "rolled" out of the oven.
- I love these pre-cut sheets of parchment paper. They save a lot of time in the kitchen, as they're the perfect size for a half sheet pan.
- For regular parchment paper, I really like the Kirkland brand that Costco sells. The problem is, that they only carry it seasonally. I was happy to discover you can purchase it online with free shipping. A roll like this will last a long time and is way more economical than the typical size rolls that you often find.
P.S. If you love delicious, EASY bread recipes, be sure sure to check out our Ridiculously Easy Rosemary Bread. SO good and you won't believe the amazing aroma that will fill your house; AND how easy it is!
These Unbelievably Easy Artisan Rolls are super easy! Stir up the dough, then go enjoy a good sleep. In the morning, shape and bake. Unbelievably delicious too!
- 4 cups bread flour plus extra for shaping
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast (traditional)
- 2 cups room-temperature tap water
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In a medium-large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, salt, and yeast. Make a well in the center and add the water. Mix with a sturdy rubber spatula until all flour is incorporated. Don’t worry, the dough will be wet and sticky, that’s how it should be. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise at room temperature for 10 to 12 hours.
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The following morning (or after 10-12 hours), the dough will have risen, but it may still look shaggy and its surface will be covered with bubbles.
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Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
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Spread a generous ¼ cup of flour on a work surface. Dump the dough out onto the floured surface and turn it several times to coat with flour. I like to use a bench scraper for this.
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Divide the dough into 12-16 equal portions, turning each piece in the flour to coat. (The bench scraper is also great for cutting the dough). Shape each piece into a ball, pulling edges under and pinching together to make a smooth top. Invert balls and place on prepared pan, pinched side up. This will give you craggy, rustic textured rolls. If the dough is sticky as you’re shaping, just roll the piece in more of the flour. Let shaped rolls rise for 20 minutes.
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The rolls may look a little deflated as they're rising and they won't rise a ton during the 20 minutes but a little magic happens when they hit the hot oven and you'll be shocked at how beautiful they look when baked.
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Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake 15 minutes. Rotate pan. Bake 5 minutes more or until nicely golden. Transfer rolls to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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If making in advance, remove from oven when pale golden brown (about 3-4 minutes less). Cool completely, then freeze on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer rolls to a large zip lock bag and store in the freezer. To serve, allow rolls to thaw, then heat for 10-12 minutes at 325˚F.
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
Teresa says
I live in Florida and the dough is very wet after rising. I add enough flour to be able to work the dough (sometimes a cup of flour or more) and shape them and bake and they are great! But why is the dough so wet? the humidity? or should I being changing the amount of water I'm using?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Teresa, this is a wet dough but you shouldn't have to add that much flour. That being said, it is very humid in Florida and that can make a big difference. You might want to go with a few tablespoons less water.
Karen C. says
These rolls are just the best! They are rustic and crusty and have an amazing texture. I have been baking bread for 50 years and this in now my go to recipe for rolls. On top of that, they are so easy and now that I am in my 70's, my arthritic hands really appreciate that aspect! I found them a little pale the first time I made them because of all the flour. Next time I melted a little butter and gently dabbed the top of each roll. They turned out beautifully golden brown. Problem solved!! Seriously, thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. My family absolutely loves them and I make them all the time.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
That's great, Karen! Thank you for your review 🙂
Eileen says
Labels please!!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Hi Eileen, we do not have labels for this recipe at this time.
Hedy Weddington says
Just made and turned out wonderful! I added italian seasoning with aleppo pepper (1 tbsp) and the taste was great. I’ve been baking bread as a hobby for a few years now so I didn’t freak at the wet dough and was comfortable handling, flouring, cutting and forming but I think for folks not familiar with how the dough reacts could be the reason for some of the negative comments I read. I actually used 1/2 cup by the time I was done forming. Also, yes, they were a very light color with a hint of white from the flour but again if you are familiar with artesian breads then you know that’s ok. I’m going to make less rolls and bigger for hamburger size next time. One question- where you say dump from bowl onto floured surface and TURN several times - you actually mean turn or roll, not envelope fold, right? Thanks for the recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
So happy you enjoyed them, Hedy!
Regarding your question, yes just roll the dough in the flour to coat.
GAIL says
For the past few years, we have had soup in the crockpot(s) all set for when we arrive home after church on Christmas eve. These rolls are great with soup. I did add sea salt and rosemary to half of them and should have added to all. Super easy and again, great with soup!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Gail!
Margaret says
I made these rolls for a postponed Christmas dinner due to the blizzard. Very easy to make they look good. I wish they were more brown on top. Should I have brushed with egg white before baking? Recipe didn’t indicate to.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Margaret, so sorry you had some trouble with this recipe. You probably just needed to bake them a little bit longer as every arm is a little different. I’ve never brushed egg on them as they are an artisan roll, and should look kind of rustic. Just because I am until they have a light gold color.
Leigh says
I have not had much luck with making bread. I have had this recipe saved for a long time and tried it yesterday. I had zero confidence in my ability to make these. I am a great cook but when it comes to baking, not so much. Even though my rolls were not uniform in size (need to practice dividing the dough), these rolls were so good! I will never buy rolls at the store and I plan to make these with the partial bake instructions to bring to our family Christmas dinner. I would say I used closer to a 1/2 cup of extra flour to turn and shape the dough but it didn’t impact the rolls. Thank you for the great recipe and instructions. I will definitely be reviewing other recipes you have posted.
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you for your review, Leigh! So glad you had success with these.
Beth says
We did not like these. Flavor meh, and way to dense and doughy.
Chris Scheuer says
So sorry you did not enjoy them, Beth. So many others have loved them, as you can read from the reviews! Again, sorry you wasted good ingredients, I hate that.
Susie says
Chris, i am always hesitant about kosher salt. I have coarse kosher salt. Is there a difference and if so how do I measure it. Thanks, Susie
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Susie, kosher salt is a coarser salt and sometimes it's even called "coarse salt". You can use more of it than you would regular fine table salt as table salt is much more concentrated. I like the pure flavor of kosher salt as it doesn't have anything else added.
Nancy says
I made these rolls for the first time today, and they are, oh, SO good! I formed them into 6 hamburger buns/rolls. These are the kind of rolls you wish you could buy, but why do so when they're so easy to make? I really appreciate the flexible rising times since this allows more accurate planning as to when you want to serve them piping hot from the oven. This is my new go-to recipe for rolls. Thank you and bless you for all your efforts!
Chris Scheuer says
Wonderful! Thank you for letting us know, Nancy!
Joanne says
These are wonderful little dinner rolls. They are so easy too! I added diastatic malt to the dough. It gives the bread a caramelized look and can be found on Amazon. I like the slight crunch on the outside and the holes inside.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for letting us know, Joanne!
Kyle says
I really wanted to like these, but there was really nothing to rate highly. There either needs to be less water or more dry ingredients to make this recipe “work” the way a normal roll/bakery item should. My dough was so goopy that it was close to impossible to work with without having to add close to 1-2 extra cups of cups. In turn, there isn’t enough yeast flavor or salt to flavor these properly. While cutting and folding, the dough is so goopy that you end up making tough and sticky dough blobs. There was a bit of rise to the bake but not enough to remove how “patched” these look. They also don’t brown within the time allotted. Flavor, with the addition of butter and extra salt, is okay but not something I’m comfortable serving to my family.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Kyle, so sorry you didn't enjoy these and had difficulty with these rolls. It's hard to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you.. As you can see from other reviews so many readers have absolutely loved them as does my family. It's meant to be an artisan roll, not a soft buttery roll although we love those too!
Again, sorry you had trouble with these rolls. I hate wasting good ingredients.
Sim says
I struggled with this recipe because the dough was so wet that I couldn't shape the rolls. It didn't rise considerably in the oven and created a crust, but I ended up with turkish-style bread, which had very large and irregular air pockets. It was delicious, but wasn't crusty dinner rolls. I wonder if this is because I hit the "metric" button for the recipe, which stipulated 500 ml water to 500g flour.... I have made a lot of different bread recipes and never used more than 75% liquid to flour ratio, so this is incredibly wet.
Sim says
sorry for typo - it *did* rise considerably in the oven (but still relatively flat like turkish bread)
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sim, it is a very wet dough. That's why I say not to hesitate to use plenty of flour when you shape the rolls. I will double check the metric measurements.
Renee says
I know you have said in the past that all purpose flour could be used. What about gluten free flour? I always need to consider a granddaughter with celiac.
Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Renee, I haven't tested this recipe with GF flour. Yeast bread recipes can be a little thicker when you're going GF and require more than one type of flour. I would probably go with a recipe that is designed for GF baking to ensure success.
If you're interested in GF recipes, my nephew is a great chef and baker and specializes in GF recipes. Here is his site: https://cakesandcoriander.com
Joy W says
Super easy to make and taste wonderful. Will definitely be making this recipe again and again instead of buying crusty dinner rolls.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Joy.
Cynthia G says
These were so easy. They’re so delicious I don’t want to eat any thing else. Thank you. This goes in my favorites. As me will be made often
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for letting us know, Cynthia!
Glenda says
Just made these. So good! Will definitely need double batch cause kids will inhale them!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Glenda!
Lily says
Hi there!
I was wondering what the ratio would be for the yeast if I were to substitute with Instant Dry Yeast instead of Active Dry Yeast? Can’t wait to give these a try. Thanks for sharing!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lily, you can use instant yeast for this recipe. I have used it in an equal amount.
Susan Shannon says
Can he dough rise for morw than 12 hours?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Susan, it could probably go as long as 18 hours.
Susan Shannon says
Thank you Chris.
Will try them an let you know how they turn out.
Susan
Chris Scheuer says
Great!
Robin says
Hi, I was wondering if I could add seeds to the dough and also seeds and salt to the tops. I know that there are recipes out there with seeded soft rolls but I really want to give these ones a try as I really like the idea of a crusty roll for a creamy soup that I’m making . Thank you for all the wonderful recipes, I haven’t tried anything yet as I just discovered your site this morning but I absolutely look forward to your inspiration.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Robin, you could definitely do that! I would add the seeds to the dough with the dry ingredients. You might have to add a little egg wash to make the seeds stick to the rolls on the tops.