These Super Easy Everyday Yeast Rolls are a much quicker and easier version of the traditional southern Sour Cream Pocketbook Rolls. These shortcuts with fewer steps and no eggs produce a very surprisingly and incredibly rich, light, and fluffy roll. They truly are as easy to make as homemade biscuits. Make these for the holidays or any time of year you want homemade yeast bread without all the work.
What’s Great about a Sour Cream Yeast Dough?
A typical sour cream yeast roll dough is mostly inactive and knead free since the gluten develops while sitting for hours in the fridge. Thus, the work involved is a natural process only requiring time. Acid is known to inhibit gluten development since it increases the pH; however, that does not produce a negative result in this recipe. The acid, rather, encourages a stretchier, more porous dough which works in this version. The balance of yeast, salt, fat, acid, and sugar works together to create a light and stretching dough.
My Inspiration for these Super Easy Everyday Yeast Rolls
Sour Cream Pocketbook Yeast Rolls are a common southern tangy bread to make particularly around the holidays. Sometimes, they require more work than I have time for. I love them so much that I created a version that’s much easier and doesn’t include eggs. After all, eggs are expensive these days and time is always of the essence. Why not make your holiday meal much easier to prepare and still just as incredibly tasty?
Super Easy Everyday Yeast Roll Ingredients
The simple ingredients include yeast, granulated sugar, milk, sour cream, butter, salt, and all-purpose.
The Key is Time for a No-Knead Yeast Dough
The key to making these rolls is time, not to be confused with effort. Make the dough 8-24 hours before you want to divide and bake the rolls. I usually make the dough the night before. It only takes 10-12 minutes. It’s quick and simple. The magic of gluten development occurs while hanging out in the fridge.
Make the Dough (at least 8 hours ahead of time)
Activate the Yeast
In a 2-cup measuring glass or bowl, pour in 218 milliliters (¾ cup +2 ½ tablespoons) of milk. I prefer whole milk as the fat adds richness and softness to the bread. Heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds or so until it reaches 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). In a small bowl, add 14 grams (4½ teaspoons / 2 packages) of active dry yeast. Then, measure out 100 grams (½ cup) of granulated sugar and remove 1 tablespoon (~13 grams) and add it to the yeast. Stir both yeast and sugar. Add ~59 milliliters (¼ cup) of the warm milk. Just eyeball the amount. Stir and set aside the mixture for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is activated becoming bubbly and frothy.
TIP: If the yeast does not bubble or become frothy (even a little), the yeast is dead, and you need to start over with a new package.
Mix & Heat Milk, Butter, & Sour Cream
Dice 113 grams (4 ounces /1 stick / 8 tablespoons) of butter. Place it in the remaining milk. Add 227 grams (8 ounces /1 cup) of sour cream and stir. Microwave the ingredients for 30 seconds and stir. Heat another 30 seconds and stir. Add another 10 seconds or so until butter is just melted.
TIP: Diced butter will require less heat (less mass) to melt. Thus, less heat means less time you need for the butter to cool enough to add to the yeast.
Stir in Sugar & Salt
To the heated milk, butter, and sour cream mixture, stir in the remaining sugar. Add 6 grams (1 teaspoon) of salt, if using salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add 7.5 grams (1¼ teaspoons) of salt. Stir together and set aside to cool down if needed to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C).
TIP: The sugar is not too much for this recipe. It balances out the tang from the sour cream. Don’t hold back.
Mix ALL Ingredients Together
In a large bowl, add 480 grams (4 cups) of all-purpose flour. Make a well in the center of the flour to hold the liquid. Pour in the milk, butter, and sour cream mixture. Add the yeast mixture. Stir everything very well until all the dough has been incorporated. The dough will be sticky and wet. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight for a maximum of 24 hours.
TIP: Be sure to use a bowl about twice the size of the dough as the dough will double in size as it sits in the fridge. If you don’t have a large enough bowl, divide the dough into two smaller bowls.
Divide & Bake the Rolls (8- 24 hours later)
Prepare the Pan(s)
At least 8 hours or up to 24 hours later (the next day), divide and bake the rolls. First, prepare a 9- x 13- inch baking pan by greasing it with butter or cooking spray. Alternatively, you can grease several smaller pans, enough for 15 rolls.
TIP: Greasing the pan(s) with salted butter adds salty goodness to the exterior of the rolls as they bake.
Divide Dough into 15 Rolls
This step only takes 5- 10 minutes. Deflate and scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat out dough to 1 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter (biscuit cutter or drinking glass) that is ~2 ½ inch in diameter to cut out roll rounds. Put aside leftover dough as you cut out the rounds. Roll up leftover dough and continue patting out and cutting until all dough is used. You should end up with 15 rolls in total.
Place Rolls Touching in Pan(s) & Rise
Place rolls with the sides touching in the prepared pans. You should fit all 15 rolls in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Set the pan(s) aside in a warm area to rise for about 1 hour or until almost doubled. During the last 15 minutes of the rise, preheat oven to 350˚F (191˚C).
Bake
Place the rolls in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the tops and bottoms.
Add Final Touches
While hot, brush the baked rolls with another 1-2 tablespoons of butter, salted butter is best. A little extra butter on top keeps the tops soft, adds an appetizing shine and saltiness on the first bite. Eat them while they’re hot!
Close-Up Images of Yeast Rolls
The rolls are nice and golden brown. The butter adds texture and shine to the tops. The sides are white and fluffy. Notice the soft, light crumb. There’s a little stretching since the natural gluten developed by simply leaving the dough in the fridge for hours sans kneading. 😉
Storage Suggestions
Store rolls sealed in a bag on the counter for a couple of days. For longer storage, place them in freezer bags and in the freezer for up to a couple of months. From frozen, remove as many as you’d like at a time and thaw on the counter for about 30 minutes. Or from frozen, heat in the microwave or wrap in foil and heat in the oven at 350˚F (177˚C) for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
Final Thoughts of Super Easy Everyday Yeast Rolls
Many of us associate homemade yeast rolls with special times of the year or with a special meal, mainly because they take so much effort to make. This recipe, however, is simple enough that you can make rolls anytime you’re craving a good homemade yeast bread. It’s difficult to find a good recipe that takes so little active time. I hope you enjoy these as much we do. They work well with an elegant meal or simply eaten by themselves hot with salted butter. Whether you make homemade bread routinely or you’ve never made it before but want to try, I think this recipe would work for any level of baker.
Baker’s Perspective: Super Easy Everyday Yeast Rolls
These are the easiest yeast rolls I have ever made. It takes me longer to mix the ingredients than it does to pat and stamp out the rolls. In fact, you could even treat this dough like drop biscuits by dividing the dough (spoonfuls or handfuls) into 15 pieces and placing them in the pan. If you want homemade rolls for dinner, prepare the dough the night before, then do a quick divide and allow them to rise before you bake and eat them for dinner. While the recipe is simple, remember to give the dough those 2 significant rise times.
Taster’s Perspective: Super Easy Everyday Yeast Rolls
We love these rolls. They are rich, buttery, lightly sweetened, and tangy. The butter brushed on top adds a pleasant saltiness to the exterior of the rolls. The sour cream adds the tang, but not too much since it is balanced out by the sugar. The butter and whole milk contribute to the soft, stretchy crumb. Overall, these are great rolls to eat daily, for any special event, or holiday. Give them a try and see what you think. They are a regular bread in our household.
Check out my YouTube video on making these rolls. “Super Easy Everyday Buttery, Tangy Yeast Rolls Wonderful for the Holidays: No Knead and Egg Free”
Super Easy Yeast Rolls: No Knead & Egg Free
Ingredients
- 218 ml (¾ cup +2 ½ tbsp) milk whole preferred heated to (100˚F-110˚F / 38˚C-43˚C), divided
- 14 g (4½ tsp / 2 pkgs) active dry yeast
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar divided
- 113 g (4 oz /1 stick / 8 tbsp) butter plus more for brushing on baked rolls
- 226 g (8 oz /1 cup) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 6 g (1 tsp) salt, if using salted butter in dough 7.5 g (1¼ tsp) salt if using unsalted butter in dough
- 480 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour fluff, scoop, and level off flour if using a measuring cup
Instructions
Day 1 or Early Morning (8-24 hours before baking): Combine ingredients and refrigerate. 10 minutes active time
- Activate yeast by measuring the milk in a 2-cup measuring glass or medium size bowl. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds or so until it reaches 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C).
- In a small bowl, add yeast. Measure the sugar and remove 1 tbsp (~13 g) and add it to the yeast. Stir both yeast and sugar. Add ~59 ml (¼ cup) warm milk. Stir and set aside for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is activated (bubbly and frothy).TIP: If the yeast does not bubble or become frothy (even a little), the yeast is dead, and you need to start over with a new package.
- Dice butter and place it in the remaining milk. Add sour cream and stir. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Heat another 30 seconds and stir. Add another 10 seconds or so until butter is just melted.TIP: Diced butter will require less heat (less mass) to melt. Thus, less heat means less time you need for the butter to cool enough to add to the yeast.
- Stir the remaining sugar and salt into the milk, sour cream, and butter mixture. Set aside.TIP: The sugar is not too much for this recipe. It balances out the tang from the sour cream. Don't hold back.
- In a large bowl, add flour and stir in sour cream mixture (once it has cooled to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). Add yeast mixture and stir well until all the dough has been incorporated. The dough will be sticky and wet. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight for a maximum of 24 hours.TIP: Be sure to use a bowl about twice the size of the dough as the dough will double in size as it sits in the fridge. If you don’t have a large enough bowl, divide the dough into two smaller bowls.
Day 2 or 8 hours later: Divide, shape, rise, and bake: 10 minutes active time
- Prepare a 9- x 13- inch baking pan by greasing it with butter or cooking spray.TIP: Alternatively, you can grease several smaller pans, enough for 15 rolls.
- Deflate and scoop dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat out dough to 1 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter (biscuit cutter or drinking glass) that is ~2 ½ inch in diameter to cut out roll rounds. Put aside leftover dough as you cut out the rounds. Roll up leftover dough and continue patting out and cutting until all dough is used.
- Place rolls with sides touching in the prepared pan(s). You should fit all 15 rolls in the 9- x13- inch pan. Cover and allow them to rise in a warm place ~1 hour or until nearly doubled.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (191˚C) during the last 15 minutes of the rise. Bake rolls for 20-25 or until golden brown on the tops and bottoms. Once out of the oven, brush rolls with another 1-2 tbsp of butter. Serve and enjoy.
Video
Notes
You might be interested in these other roll- or bun-type breads.
Sour Cream Pocketbook Yeast Rolls
The Berry Rolls: My Grandmother’s Yeast Roll Recipe
Colombian Pandebono GF Cheese Rolls
Hamburger, Hot Dog, & Hoagie Buns
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