Easy No Knead Yeast Rolls

Easy No Knead Yeast Rolls - Photo by JayDi Photography

Hi, my name is Diane and I'm a dough-aholic. Any dough. I just love getting my hands in there and making dough. I'm weird, I know. Those of you who know me I'm sure will agree.  So what do I do on a lazy weekend afternoon? I make bread. I wanted a form of a dinner roll to go with my fresh pasta and sauce.  These were quick and effortless because you don't have to knead the dough.  Serve your friends and family these rolls and they'll think you slaved all day on fresh bread for them. The aroma of yeasty dough rising was only surpassed by the smell of rolls while they were baking. Yum!

Easy No Knead Yeast Rolls

Yield: 24 small rolls or 12 large rolls

Ingredients
 2 [1/4 oz] packets rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tsp
1 1/3 cup of lukewarm water (If you use hot water, it will kill the yeast and the bread won't rise)
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 large egg
8 Tbsp butter, divided, melted

Directions:
1. In a measuring cup, dissolve both packets of yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in 1 1/3 cup of lukewarm water.
2. Let the yeast mixture sit on the counter for 5-7 minutes to allow the yeast to "bloom."  You'll see bubbles and froth begin to gather on the top.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar.
4. Add the egg.
5. After the yeast has developed, gradually add it to the dry ingredients in the bowl, along with 5 tablespoons of melted butter.
6. Begin to blend the ingredients together, using a large spoon incorporating more liquid as you go.
7. Place the dough into a greased bowl, and cover with a damp dish towel.
8. Allow the dough to sit in a warm, draft free place, covered for 1 hour.  After one hour, the dough had will have doubled. 
9. You can make these rolls any size you like, of course. I used a 2 ounce cookie scoop, lightly sprayed with cooking spray, to separate the dough into even portions. (It's important that the rolls to be uniform in size so they'll bake evenly.)
10. Arrange the rolls side by side, in a greased metal baking pan. I used 2 - 9 inch cake pans.
11. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and using a pastry brush, lightly brush the tops.
12. Reserve some of the melted butter to brush on the tops after the rolls come out of the oven, too.
13. At this point, you can cover with a damp cloth and allow the rolls to rise again until doubled, about an hour.
14. Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 20-22 minutes.  

**To make ahead: After forming the dough into rolls, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray and refrigerate.   Uncover, and brush with melted butter, just before baking at 400°F for 20-22 minutes until golden.  The rolls will continue to slowly rise even in the refrigerator.