2-HOUR Crusty No Knead Rolls
These rolls depend on a very hot oven (450° F) for the initial blast of heat. My oven takes 35 minutes to reach 450. The best way to be sure is to use an oven thermometer. Always aerate (not sift) your flour before measuring! - Jenny Jones
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Makes: Eight rolls
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant or RapidRise yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup + 1 Tbsp hot water, 120 - 130° F (up to 1 1/4 cups if dough is too dry)
- (about 2 Tablespoons extra flour for shaping)
Instructions:
- Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in water until it’s well combined. Dough will be fairly thick.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Towards the end of the hour start preheating the oven to 450° F.
- Transfer dough to a floured surface and sprinkle with a little flour. Using a scraper fold dough over 10-12 times & shape into a rough ball.
- Using the scraper cut dough into 8 pieces. With floured hands, shape each into a ball by folding and tucking, like making a drawstring bag. Dough will be sticky.
- Place smooth side up on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (not wax paper) & cover with a towel. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. They will not double in size. (Let stand longer if oven has not reached 450).
- Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
- To re-crisp the next day, preheat the oven to 325° F and place the rolls directly on the oven rack for 10-12 minutes..
To Freeze: They freeze beautifully. To re-crisp, place frozen rolls directly on the oven rack in a preheated 325° F oven for 10-12 minutes. They'll be even more crispy than first-baked!
Click here for more on these rolls in my blog.
Many recipes, as does this one, use parchment paper at 450 degrees, but the parchment paper is safe up to 425 degrees.
I’ve made these a handful of times now. I went about half way between these and the soft rolls. Instead of 1c +1Tbsp water, I used 1/2c of whole milk plus 1/2c 1Tbsp water. Also, my oven runs hot, and we’re at about 6700ft. Baked at 430° for 20 min. So good.
Wow! I was here along time ago and made the original version that was like 4 hours. To my surprize I see a two hour version I was make this one last time. https://www.jennycancook.com/recipes/no-knead-crusty-rolls/ Always a hit with winter chilli!!
This was excellent! I found out a few hours before Christmas dinner that we didn’t have rolls, and I was able to whip these up quick!
Quelle serait la durée de temps si je faisais ces pains dans un petit four de comptoir……….????Merci
Vos pains sont excellents merci ……….Vous m’avez faites découvrir de faire du pain et depuis ce temps je le fais toujours……..
I’ll have to try weighing the flour next time, 1 and a quarter cups water was nowhere near enough to get as wet a dough as it seems like you intend
I know these are crusty rolls, but my rolls seemed super crusty! The inside was good though, so maybe I’ll bake for a little less time? I must say they are delicious though! Taste like the crust on Grandma’s homemade bread. So so good! So far I’ve made 3 of your recipes and they all are great! Thank you Jenny!
Made some cheddar jalapeño rolls.
What did you do exactly? How much and when did you you add cheese and jalapeños? Was it good?
Can you use this recipe with whole wheat flower too.
Thank you Bruni
Thank you very much I’m going to try it
Thank you for your bread I haven’t tried it yet but I’m sure it will come out great been watching your videos for a while you’re very beautiful thank you
The 2-hour rolls turned out delicious! Crusty on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Mine were not pretty as yours, I need to shape them more carefully. But overall, a nice foolproof path to fast, hot rolls!
Wow! Can’t believe how simple and delicious these are. Perfect dinner roll. Thanks Jenny!
Why do my rolls come out very hard. Any suggestions?
Mine were like rocks! After 3 perfect tries with No Knead Bread I must have been too cocky. They weren’t pretty and you could hardly bite into one So disappointed.
What happened?
Maybe when combining the hot water with dry ingredients the dough was over mixed? Or maybe they didn’t need to bake for 30 minutes? Mine came out on the harder side as well, but the inside was a good texture. I’m making again and I am going to decrease baking the time by 5-10 min and see if that helps.
I’ve seen some videos where melted butter is brushed on the top of the rolls. I think about halfway through the baking would make them a little bit softer on the outside. Mine were a little too hard but they were perfect on the inside. Thanks for the recipe Jenny!
Many of my favorite recipes are from you. I love your videos and YOU!
Can we bake with convection oven? What would be time adjustment?
425 for 22 minutes convection.
What a wonderful easy & delicious recipe, thank you for sharing. With everything I will be making for Thanksgiving, this will be a perfect addition.
Made these yesterday. They were so awesome!! We all loved them, and they were sooooo crunchy on the outside! Thanks so much for all your sharing. Where have you been all my life?????
I absolutely love all of your recipes
thank you
I just made these as last second addition to my meal and it was sooo easy and so perfect!! Crispy on the outside and soft chewy on the inside! They were gone before dinner started!!! I am Polish too, came here as a young child and often look to Jenny’s recipes because my mom never writes anything down. She just says …”little this and little that”.. doesn’t always work out. And these rolls are just like moms:).
Who’d a thought making bread was this easy? It’s so yummy but there’s one problem.. It’s a HUGE problem.. It’s so easy and yummy I make it all the time. Now I’m fat.. But I don’t care I have BREAD, ?
I divided all the ingredients in half and made 4 rolls and cooked in the toaster oven for 20 minutes. They came out perfect.
Can these crusty rolls be made with either all whole wheat flour or 1/2 whole wheat + 1/2 bread flour. Suggested quantities?
Thanks!
give as gifts ASAP or they are eaten : )
Thank you for the absolutely wonderful no knead, easy bread receipt.
My two granddaughters and grandson have made and gave as gifts.
One has to give as gifts ASAP
Fabulous recipe and video Jenny! I added kalamata olives and made 4 loaves rather then 8. Delish! Thank you!
Finally ! This recipe and the bread are perfect. Of course yeast is in short supply so I took to trying my hand at starters. Many failures later I came upon these recipes and have been able to modify with starter.
I added the everything bagel seasoning to these rolls. Wow
Thanks so much Jenny
Just made these. They came out great. I think the 30 minutes is the right amount of time. I rotated the tray half way. I only made 7- I will use a scale next time, since I’m not that good at judging dough and I was in a hurry. I used an egg white wash and sesame seeds.
I was wondering if these would work with whole wheat and/or what could I put in the dough for additional flavor.
I will definitely make these again. Very crusty, just let it bake and the inside should be done in the allotted time.
Made these rolls yesterday — turned out very nicely. After reading the online comments, decided to make 6 not 8. Aerated the flour too. Baked them at 425F for 22 minutes on the middle rack of our convection oven. Nice crispy crust and good colour, not rock hard as some have reported. Reheated 2 rolls today in the toaster oven for a few minutes for lunch with roasted red pepper soup. Just as tasty as fresh yesterday. Recipe is a winner!!!!
Can you bake the rolls in cast iron, (Thinking of the Lodge mini cake pan)
Or would they get hot and maybe burn on bottoms?
Thank you. Love your site❣️
Hi Jenny – I made this recipe once but was not able to tuck the dough into little smooth-topped balls as directed, due to the stickiness of the dough, so I kneaded the dough slightly and formed it into rolls as best I could. The rolls turned out nice and crusty but a little doughy in the center and small in size
SO – I need a little clarification about how to form the rolls: the dough is quite sticky, as you have said, but to get them to a point where they can be stretched into smooth-topped balls, I would have to add quite a lot of flour.
Would you provide a little more detail about the proper amount of flour needed to form the balls once the dough has been divided? Thanks
It’s true that the dough is sticky but the best suggestion I have is to watch the video.
I have been making your fool-proof No Knead Dutch Oven bread successfully for a very long time, averaging two loaves per week! That’s a lot of yummy bread loaves. So when when I learned that you adapted that recipe to rolls, I was thrilled. I made these rolls yesterday and want to share my experience.
First, I thought the dough seemed a bit dry after the initial mixing and again after a few hours of rising, but I didn’t make any adjustments. I thought that cutting this dough into the recommended eight segments resulted in too small a roll and lended itself more to dinner rolls more than sandwich rolls. The baking to also appeared to be too long for such a small roll and resulted in a very hard outer crust. So here is what I plan to do when I attempt my next batch of these rolls. I will cut the dough into larger segments, probably 5 or 6 segments rather than 8, and I will bake them for less time in my convection oven watching them closely until they are light golden and having a crispy rather than hard crust.
The flavor was great on my first attempt, but they seemed over baked and too small. Hopefully adjustments will produce my desired roll. I will let you know my results.
I have a gas convection oven. I am going to try 400 degrees for maybe 20-25 minutes. I put some ground sage and dried thyme leaves in the dough. FIngers crossed!
If they are overdone, you might try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees. That’s usually recommended for using the convection setting for baking.
Great recipe! I will make them again. I did have a problem with the parchment starting to burn at that high temperature and the bottoms of the bread were getting burned. I had to pull them out and swap the parchment for foil then lower the temperature. Next time I might bake them at the higher temperature for 5 minutes or so, then turn it down. Also, I had the bright idea of putting some of the Trader Joe’s bagel seasoning on top of a couple of them. It burned, but I was able to scrape most of it off. I loved the rolls! I will be making more this weekend!
Try Reynolds brand parchment paper – it will turn brown but won’t burn.
Does anyone know how many teaspoons are in a package of yeast usually? Just curious. Thank you!
Look under Metric.
One packet of yeast contains 2 1/2 teaspoons
One packet of yeast is 2 1/4 teaspoons.
I made your Quick and Easy Chocolate Cake on Tuesday and these last night and all I can say is, “Jenny can cook!” and now “Waynette can cook, too!” LOL!
Can’t wait to make rolls – loaves are fabulous
I just tried these yesterday and they are perfect! Make sure your yeast is fresh. Then just follow the recipe exactly as written and you can’t go wrong.
Sorry to ask but I would like to know if using regular active dry yeast instead of instant or Rapid Rise yeast is okay for this recipe. Thank you!
Makes no difference. Same results for each yeast
Hi Jenny, I hope this comment finds you and your loved ones safe and well during these difficult times. I found your videos on youtube a few weeks ago while searching for a dutch baby recipe and my husband and I have been watching together ever since. We made the dutch baby. It was so tasty and fun to make. We added a bit of lemon curd w/ whipped cream for the spread then loaded it with fresh berries. Yum! Then a few days ago, we made your homemade chocolate pudding for Easter dessert. Easy and delicous! And we just made your bread for the first time ever. Wow! It was perfection! We followed your instructions to the letter and it came out perfect! It was crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. It was, in a word, wonderful! Thank you for taking the time to make these great recipes with easy to understand instructions. Watching you is a joy! We are making homemade turkey burgers tonight so we are going to try our hands at your crusty rolls and just shape them into ‘hamburger rolls’ we hope it works! Fingers crossed! Please stay safe and well.
Hi Chrissy!
Not sure if you’ll see this in time since I’m making these in the next hour or two, but- how did the ‘hamburger buns’ work out? Any tips??
Hi Jenny
In the instructions it says let stand for 1hr? Is this suppose to read 2hrs? Just making sure. Thanks.
The instructions are correct. The rolls take 2 hours start to finish.
Gotta say, not sure about all these comments about it being amazing. I just tried this recipe and they turned out ROCK HARD and tiny. Obviously something was left out of either the ingredients or the directions!
The recipe is correct as written. Please look at the FAQs to find out what went wrong. https://www.jennycancook.com/no-knead-bread-solutions/
I am so glad to have found your recipe for these GREAT rolls! So easy and so good. Hard to believe that such a nice crust can be obtained without throwing water in the oven or spraying or anything like that. Flavor of the roll is nicely balanced; texture/chew is fabulous. Looking forward to a time when I can bake a batch of these for family gatherings! Thank you Jenny!
Keeper!
I like how this roll recipe is so easy and that it has a super crispy crust! I love having one in the morning with Cambozola cheese and a cup of coffee. It takes me back to mornings in Germany and breakfast time with dear friends.
I have used the no-knead bread for many years. I also make baguettes with this same recipe. I use the Emile Henry baguette baker. Works great. I look forward to trying this recipe right now! Thank you. I have tried making rolls with the no-knead recipe using a cast iron fry pan and Dutch oven lid. Works well, but this is much more use friendly!
How do you make the baguette? How many recipes per four loaves? DH & I made the dinner rolls this afternoon. We are blown away with the ease & success of this recipe. Please please tell me what to do to make baguettes. ThankYou in advance or your answer.
Jenny, I love your website and have tried many recipes that turned out great. I followed the directions plus my oven temp is correct for the crusty rolls. They turned out way too done and too hsrd and crisp. What do you suggest?
Wow..always felt a bit intimidated of making bread but these rolls an the no knead bread is soo easy an the bread comes out like you bought it from a bakery…I am just soo impressed an excited. Haven’t stopped making the breads an don’t buy bread from store anymore.
I never comment on recipes but OH MY GOODNESS! I absolutely had to let you know what a winner this one is! Soft, fluffy, chewy, yeasty and tender rolls surrounded by chewy, crusty, golden brown deliciousness with minimal, easy hands on time. There is no longer any reason not to have fresh, homemade rolls any time! Thank you for this recipe and the excellent instructions! I will be following you to grow my repertoire!
I can’t thank you enough for all your amazing recipes, but today I thank you for this one.
I used to be able to bake bread and never had a problem. I stopped baking for a few years because I was attempting to eat low carb.. LOL.
I hated it and I have been trying to get my bread baking groove back and I have had some really strange results, but then I remembered that I had never ever had a problem with your bread recipes and I decided to make the wonderful crusty rolls.
Nailed it! I am not straying from your recipes again, Jenny. Thank you so much for sharing all of your amazing recipes with us.
P. S. Hubby was afraid to taste the rolls because of my last disaster… His smile was all I needed to know that he loved these. Thank you ❤️
Just made for 1st time…I really love the crust…so crispy and soft onskde…I waited just couple minutes and dug in.. slathering with butter…they are really good.
I have made these rolls 4 times now. They are absolutely delicious. I am 61 years old an have made bread most of my life but nothing like these. Thank you for the recipe. Blessings to you Jenny.
Can I make the rolls bigger by cutting the dough into 6 parts instead of 8?
Sure ! just watch the time
I have reached the place where the texture of these rolls is PERFECT1 So, I am so emboldened that I am making a double batch of these rolls and adding 3 apples with cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg! I will share my outcome. I am using GRANNY SMITH apples. I will post photos of these rolls somewhere and will provide the link. I feel so confident now. I made bread over 45 years ago using red wheat that I ground myself. I did well. Now, I make this recipe in Kyrgyzstan and I am showing others how to make it. Mothers do not teach their daughters how to cook like they used to do. I am on a mission to teach young men and women to prepare their own bread. NOW, with cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg, I am emboldened. I will share my results with all of you.
Can’t wait for your results!! Did you do anything to outside? Butter, cinnamon/sugar?
How did your yummy sounding apple cinnamon rolls turn out?
I’m doing the same thing. I have a club that meets at church once a month to teach teenagers how to follow recipes (I may expand it later, some adults even want lessons). We have done bread, tortillas (flour and corn), tamales (had a guest teacher for it), enchiladas using the corn tortillas, cake, cake decorating, cream puffs and eclairs, sugar cookies, pie crust, chicken pot pie, … They may or may not use the lessons, but at least they will know how. lol
Dearest lovely lady…Please come up with a GLUTEN FREE roll recipe…quinoa or rice flour with Zanthum gum and/or/ buttermilk powder///there are so many of us who require GF flours…You can make it happen, Blessings, Beth (LOVE your views!!!)
Hi Jenny,
Lovely, lovely recipe. I have been making this recipe for several months now. I am at high altitude (7,000 ft) and I make this recipe exactly as written. These rolls turn out crusty on the outside, light and tender in the inside. So, so, good!
I am 75 years old and stirring can be difficult so I double the recipe and mix it up in my stand mixer. Sometimes, if I’m in a rush, I’ll divide the dough in two and plop it in my Wilton, non-stick, 8×4 loaf pans. After the loaves rise, I bake them for 15 mins at 425F, drop the temp to 375F and bake another 15 mins. The loaves just fall (literally) out of the pans. Wonderful for sandwiches the first day and then they make the most delicious toast or grilled cheese or panini after that.
I always freeze one loaf wrapped in foil. To reheat, place foil wrapped loaf in a cold oven, set temp to 350F and bake for 35-40 mins. Remove from oven and foil and you will swear it’s a fresh baked loaf of bread.
We haven’t bought bread at a store in years, but this particular recipe is a game changer. I no longer have to set aside an entire day to make bread, which is a miracle in itself. Add to that the fact that everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, loves these rolls. I can’t imagine ever using any other bread/roll recipe. Why mess with perfection?
Jenny, you are a masterful, clever baker! We love watching your lighthearted videos that are filled with helpful hints, laughter and good, solid recipes. Everything I have ever baked/cooked using your recipes always turns out great. Thank you for all your ingenuity, and especially for this delicious, easy, roll and bread recipe. You-go-Girl!
For the small loaves (rolls) do you cover them on the sheet pan ???
They bake uncovered.
I believe that Maria was asking about covering the rolls (before baking) while they rest/rise. Thanks.
Maria,
My assumption is that covering them would be good and would help prevent them from forming a crust before going into the oven. Seems important to avoid the outside drying before going into the oven, or their initial rise in the oven could be limited, especially since Jenny’s recipe doesn’t require and water/stream at the beginning.
The recipe indicates to cover them with a towel so I wasn’t sure… always trying to clarify.
2 hr fastest no knead rolls recipe.
Would I be able to substitute the 2 1/2 cups flour with equal amount of Gluten Free flour?
No, this recipe needs gluten.
Just made two loves of the bread yesterday and gave one to my neighbor who loved it and so did my husband and I. Going to attempt the rolls tomorrow and I’m sure they’ll be awesome too! Thanks so much for your awesome recipes Jenny you’re such a joy to watch in the kitchen.
Im wanting to make dough in advance and use in couple of days. How do I do this? Can I freeze dough?
The dough freezes beautifully.
these are easy to make, they taste great and I cut the salt to 1/4 tsp. can.t wait to try adding spices. thanks Jenny
I just mixed up a batch very easy. waiting out the hour, will let you know how it goes. 🙂
did the hot water recipe for crusty rolls but left it over night they didn’t rise why?
You need to use cold water for overnight.
YEAST: Could you verify for me whether it is ¼ tsp of yeast (as per the YouTube video) or 1.5 tsp yeast in the recipe above
FLOUR: Also, it is 3 C flour (YouTube video) or 2.5 C flour as in the recipe above.
ALSO…. do you have ideas as to how I would use this recipe for pizza crust?
THANKS!!!!!
These are two different recipes.
first time at this site; made this today. Quick and easy. Added about 1-2 Tbsp of chopped fresh dill when mixing it up. After forming the balls, I snipped the tops with kitchen shears, painted with egg white beaten with a bit of water. Topped with caraway, poppy, and coarse salt; some also with dried minced garlic.
So easy and delicious we make these at least once a week.
Why the difference in amount of ingredients, i.e., flour, water, between the No Knead Bread and No Knead Crusty Rolls recipes?
Looking forward to my first try.
Gave these a go last week and my family went crazy for them! I made them while the kids were at school and they were thrilled when they came home and our house smelled like fresh bread. I just made a double batch with my 7year old daughter (she’s a junior chef ?) that will be bread bowls for our broccoli cheddar soup tonight. Thanks for this fantastic recipe, Jenny!
I tried your 2 hour rolls. The 1st time the dough was very dry and the rolls were like baseballs. I could not cut them with a knife, I had to smash them open to see the inside. It was underdone. Then I read about areating. The 2nd time I areated the flour and the dough came out ok. When I took them out of the oven they were like baseballs again. Uncutable with any sharp instrument. I smashed it open and the inside was very nice. Why is the crust so hard? What am I doing wrong?
Gurp1
What kind of flour are you using?
What is the expiration date of your yeast and how are you storing it?
How long do you preheat the oven?
With a little more info, I will try to help.
To answer your questions.
Yeast expiration date is Dec 05, 2019 and I keep the yeast in a kitchen drawer.
Flour is Gold Medal All Purpose.
I preheat the oven till it signals that it is ready.
Hope this helps
Gurp1
Two things: One, almost all ovens will take at least 1/2 hour to reach 450. (my Viking takes 35 minutes) If yours signals sooner than that I would still question the temperature. An oven thermometer is the only way to know for sure. Two, even with a good expiration date, yeast has a short shelf life once a package is opened. Even with the small packets, once it’s opened, yeast should be tightly sealed and kept in the freezer, not refrigerated or in a pantry or drawer. I hope this helps.
It could be just be the flour you’re using or the way you’re measuring. Here is an excellent link on brands of flour, weights and measuring techniques:
https://www.cupcakeproject.com/how-much-does-a-cup-of-flour-weigh/
I advise everyone to go to that cupcake sight.
As the lady notes, different measuring cups give different weights.
Different flours weigh differently. This is a huge difference in recipes.
Flours are formulated for different areas of the country. Flours formulated for the American South won’t work the same in the Rocky Mountains.
For best baking results, first follow the recipe to the letter. Then if the results are not what you want, start by varying the flour and water, 1/2 to 1 tsp, or 1 to 3 ml or gm.
Another gotcha is using liquid measuring cups for dry ingredients and vice versa.
The only way to get consistent results is to weigh dry ingredients in grams or avoirdupois ounces and liquid ingredients in milliliters or liquid ounces.
A liquid ounce and a avoirdupois (dry) ounce are not the same and the difference can screw up your recipe.
I once caught two Walmart clerks trying to sell an Indian lady a liquid measuring cup to measure 100 grams of curry powder. They told her it was ounces so she could convert it. I intervened and got the lady a small kitchen scale. The Walmart clerks melted away.
Maybe you ladies can start the Revolution to change the US to the metric system. You use the metric system every day. Our money is metric.
Barry
Thank you Jenny, I made the most delicious, “No Knead Crusty Rolls” last night , and put several in the freezer for later. I really like the presentation that you give showing us really how easy it is to cook some amazing dishes. Also your videos give a little more detail about really how simple it is. Mom has always said that anyone that can read can cook. They just have to want to. Your videos really speed up the process of practicing. Looking forward to many more wonderful dishes.
Sincerely, David
Hi Jenny, can not find anyone else to ask you if you ever tried making these rolls with gluten free all purpose flour, it is mostly rice flour and other non gluten grains. If I do not hear from you, I will assume you have not tried, but if you have and had good results I would like to know, or I could try making them and let you know how the gluten free flours work on your good bread/rolls recipes.
See my FAQs: https://www.jennycancook.com/no-knead-bread-questions/
try Better Batter flour its on line and also amazon its the best I found it is like using flour and taste is real good compared to others.
Jenny: I’m so glad I found you. I love to just to listen and watch you work. You are such a happy person and your short- cuts are always fun. I have been saving your recipes for a long while. I no longer work so I can continue to learn from you.
God Bless You and your teaching.
I made these today but they didn’t turn out quite right. The dough wasn’t very sticky like it should have been when I pulled it out of the bowl. I guess with my oven being a convection oven it only took 15 minutes for the rolls to cook and they were a little heavy. They were crunchy and still good though.
If you have the option not to use convection, please do. Otherwise, please look at the FAQs for a better result.
I made this recipe too. MIne also was dry somewhat. Not like your recipe Jenny. I hope they turn out. This reminded me of real bread dough that needed to be kneaded. I only kneaded it to combine. I have sent it on the counter for 1-2 hours. I think I might have made mistake by doubling the batch. Would doubling make a difference maybe should have used a little less flour? thoughts? Thanks for all your recipes they look so delish. 🙂