Cafeteria Rolls
These Cafeteria Rolls are the perfect addition to any meal. Whether you’re serving them alongside a hearty soup or as buttery dinner rolls with a holiday feast, these soft and fluffy rolls are sure to be a hit.
Do you remember eating the delicious homemade rolls in your school cafeteria? Recreate that nostalgic taste with this easy recipe. These rolls are so simple to make, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been making them all along.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are super easy to make and have a soft and fluffy texture every time.
- It’s a great recipe for beginners who want to try their hand at yeast rolls.
- You only need simple ingredients so you don’t have to worry about spending a lot of money at the store.
🛒Ingredients
To make these soft and fluffy rolls you will need a few simple ingredients. Most of these ingredients are pantry staples, but if you don’t have them on hand already they are all easy to find at your local grocery store.
- warm water
- granulated sugar
- active dry yeast
- milk
- large eggs
- salt
- all-purpose flour
- shortening
- butter
See the recipe card below for quantities.
🔪 How to Make Cafeteria Rolls
Making these homemade rolls is so easy. Just follow these step-by-step instructions or check out the directions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post and you will have delicious rolls that your family will love in no time at all.
Step 1: Bloom the yeast
In a large bowl, mix the warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top, gently stir together, and let it stand for about 10 minutes until the yeast starts to bloom.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients
Gently whisk the milk, eggs, and salt into the yeast mixture
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients
Into a large mixing bowl combine the flour 2/3 cup sugar, and then crumble the shortening into it using your fingers until it is finely mixed in. Gradually stir the flour into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon until it is all combined.
Step 4: Let the dough rise then knead
Set your dough in a warm place (I use the proof setting in my oven) until it has doubled in size, about an hour. When you dough has doubled pour the melted butter and knead it into the dough until all combined.
Step 5: Rise a second time
Grease 2 9×13 pans. Separate the dough into 24 pieces. Then roll them into balls and place 12 in each pan. Set aside until the rolls double in size, about 45 minutes.
Step 6: Bake the rolls then serve warm
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes until the rolls are golden and cooked through. Serve!
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
- Add herbs and garlic to the dough for a savory flavor.
- You could also brush the tops with honey butter for a slight sweetness.
- Brush the tops with garlic butter for an Italian twist on these rolls.
If you love making homemade rolls you may also enjoy these Sweet Potato Rolls.
🥄 Equipment
Here is a quick overview of the kitchen tools that you need to make these homemade cafeteria rolls.
- large mixing bowl
- whisk
- 9×13 casserole dishes
🥫 Storage
Store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you want to keep them longer, store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
💭 Tips
Here are a few tips that you can use to ensure that these homemade rolls turn out perfectly for you every time that you use them.
- If your yeast doesn’t bloom, it may be old or the water was too hot and killed the yeast. Try again with fresh yeast and lukewarm water.
- Don’t skip the rise time for these rolls, the rise time is what makes them so soft and fluffy.
- For evenly shaped rolls, make a circle with your thumb and index finger, then press the dough through the circle, and fold under the leftover dough on the bottom.
- You can also brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter right after they come out of the oven for a delicious buttery flavor.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
The best way to reheat these cafeteria rolls is to wrap them in foil and heat them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. You can also microwave them for a few seconds, but they may not be as soft and fluffy.
Yes, you can freeze yeast roll dough. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container or freezer bag. When you are ready to use it, let it thaw completely and rise for an hour or two before baking the rolls.
When the yeast starts to form bubbles and become frothy, you know that it has successfully bloomed. This takes about 10 minutes.
🍽 More Bread Recipes
Do you enjoy homemade bread? If so, give these recipes a try:
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Cafeteria Rolls
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- 9×13 casserole dishes
Ingredients
- 3 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 3 envelopes active dry yeast
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 10 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup shortening crisco
- ¼ cup butter melted
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top, gently stir together and let it stand for about 10 minutes, until the yeast starts to bloom.
- Gently whisk the milk, eggs and salt into the yeast mixture
- Into a large mixing bowl combine the flour 2/3 cup sugar, and then crumble the shortening into it using your fingers until it is finely mixed in.
- Gradually stir the flour into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon until it is all combined.
- Set your dough in a warm place (I use the proof setting in my oven) until it has doubled in size, about an hour.
- When you dough has doubled pour the melted butter and knead it into the dough until all combined.
- Grease 2 9×13 pans. Separate the dough into 24 pieces.
- Roll them into ball and place 12 in each pan.
- Set aside until the rolls double in size, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes until the rolls are golden and cooked through.
- Serve!
