Amazing Easy Fluffy Blender Rolls {My Thanksgiving Roll}


These easy fluffy blender rolls are AMAZING. No kneading and no mixer required, the dough is a dream to work with. Best rolls ever!

crescent rolls in basket with brown and white striped napkin

If a food blogger already has over ten dinner roll recipes in her archives, should she a) keep a new, life changing roll recipe to herself or b) risk the haters’ comments about hyperbole, and post it for the world to make and love? 

B. I choose B. 

You guys, this roll recipe is amazing. For what they require in effort (spoiler alert: hardly anything), they are easily the fluffiest rolls I have ever made. 

The wet ingredients are quickly mixed together in a blender and everything is stirred together by hand in a big bowl. No kneading. No mixer. It’ll take you 10 minutes tops to make the dough. 

fluffy dinner roll cut in half and spread with butter and jam

Last December, a fantastic reader, Marci T., sent me her recipe for “blender rolls.”

At first glance, the ingredients seemed pretty similar to these Parker House rolls that have been on my site forever. But I was intrigued by both the lack of stand mixer and the addition of a blender.

And I was quickly won over! These easy fluffy blender rolls are extraordinary. I have easily made them over a dozen times this last year, and each time, we can’t get over how soft and fluffy they are.

They are definitely going to be the rolls I make this Thanksgiving. (They are perfect for splitting in half and buttering, and I can already tell they will make the most fantastic leftover turkey sandwiches.)

easy fluffy blender rolls piled in basket with napkin

How to Make Blender Dinner Rolls

All ingredients except the flour and yeast go into a blender:

water, butter, eggs blending in blender with black lid

The wet ingredients go straight into the flour and yeast and everything gets mixed until no flour streaks remain. 

The texture of the dough will be soft, sticky and a little bumpy. Don’t over mix or knead the dough. 

Just cover and let rise until puffy and doubled, about 1 1/2 hours depending on how warm and toasty your kitchen is.

flour and yeast in glass bowl, pouring water and butter over flour, mixing ingredients to form soft dough

Roll Them Parker House Style

I almost always make these Parker House style (i.e. folded over) but I’m a rebel and instead of cutting them into circles, I take the easy way out and go for rectangles (which makes them square rolls once folded over).

Split the roll dough into two pieces.

The dough is pretty sticky, so on a lightly floured counter, roll each piece into a thick rectangle, about 9X14-inches (the thicker the rectangle, the fluffier the rolls will be – I try for about 1/4-inch thick or slightly thicker).

Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise and then cut each half into six pieces.

rolling dough into rectangle and cutting into 12 rectangle pieces

Dip the bottom of each rectangle into butter and then swipe the buttered end back and forth on a half sheet pan and fold in half. 

dipping roll dough in butter, folding roll dough in half on sheet pan
folded unbaked rolls on buttered sheet pan

Roll Them Crescent Style

For a bit fancier presentation, you can roll them crescent style. 

Again, on a lightly floured counter, split the dough in half and roll each half into a thick circle about 14-inches in diameter.  

Brush with butter and cut the circle into 12 triangles and roll each up starting with the wide end. 

rolling dough into circle and cutting into 8 pieces on floured counter

Rise and Bake

Cover the rolls and let rise until noticeably puffy (but not necessarily doubled). 

Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-18 minutes until golden. 

side by side pictures of square rolls and crescent rolls rising on baking pans and baking until golden brown

Out of the oven, you can brush the tops with melted butter or leave them with that delightful bakery-style lightly floured top. 

brushing melted butter on warm roll with pastry brush

How to Get Rolls Perfectly Golden

I hear from a lot of you that your rolls have trouble browning in the oven. They taste great, but they stay kind of pale and pasty in color. 

Here are a few tips that might help: 

  • bake at a higher temperature like 375 or 400 degrees F
  • don’t open the oven while baking (it lets out all that critically hot air!); use an oven light to check on them
  • place an oven rack a little higher in the oven (bread and rolls tend to brown better above the halfway point)
  • add just 1-2 minutes onto the baking time
super fluffy dinner roll on white plate on white and blue napkin

I hope it’s clear from these pictures and my probably-annoying repetition how fluffy and amazing these rolls are. 

My Aunt Marilyn, who’s opinion should never be discounted, declared these the best rolls she’s ever had. If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is. 

I’ve also heard from Marci (who gave me the recipe) that they make pretty amazing cinnamon rolls (and orange rolls!), too.

Apparently, these easy fluffy blender rolls are the most overachieving, perfect rolls on the planet. 

They’re easy enough for roll-making newbies and exciting enough for expert bread makers. I really, really hope you love them! 

close up view of super fluffy dinner roll with butter and jam on white plate

FAQs for Fluffy Blender Rolls

Do these rolls freeze well?

The baked and cooled rolls freeze great! I haven’t tried freezing the dough or the shaped rolls before baking.

How can I make them ahead of time?

The rolls can be shaped and placed on a sheet pan, covered, and immediately put in the refrigerator (before they rise) for up to 24 hours. They will probably rise a bit in the refrigerator. Take them out to come to room temperature and finish rising and bake as directed.

How come my rolls aren’t browning on top?

Here are a few tips that may help your rolls brown better or more evenly: bake at a higher temperature like 375 or 400 degrees F;
don’t open the oven while baking (it lets out all that critically hot air!);
place an oven rack a little higher in the oven (bread and rolls tend to brown better above the halfway point); add 1-2 minutes onto the baking time.

Can I double the recipe?

Absolutely! I do it all the time. For a double batch, I double everything straight across except the yeast. I use 2 1/2 tablespoons yeast for a double batch (instead of 3 tablespoons).

Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast?

Yes! Active dry yeast needs to dissolve/proof in water before adding to the dry ingredients (whereas instant yeast can be added directly to the dry ingredients without proofing). For active dry yeast, add the yeast to the blender after adding the eggs and blend for a few seconds.

Can I use whole wheat flour?

I haven’t tried these with 100% whole wheat flour, but I have subbed out two cups of the white flour for whole wheat and it works great. I recommend using white whole wheat flour for a lighter, less dense result (as opposed to red whole wheat flour).

One Year Ago: Chewy Malted Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars 
Two Years Ago: Fluffy Honey Oat Dinner Rolls
Three Years Ago: The Best Chicken {or Turkey} Pot Pie 
Four Years Ago: Triple Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Cookies 
Five Years Ago: Amazing Crustless Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
Six Years Ago: Chocolate Caramel Pecan Pie
Seven Years Ago: Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon
Eight Years Ago: Chocolate and Coconut Cream Pie Bars

Yield:
24 rolls

Prep Time:
1 hour

Cook Time:
17 minutes

Additional Time:
3 hours

Total Time:
4 hours 17 minutes

fluffy dinner roll cut in half and spread with butter and jam

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups hot water (not boiling; just hottest water from tap)
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter (I use salted)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 7 cups (35 ounces) all-purpose flour (see note)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast (see note for active dry yeast)
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

  1. To a blender, add the hot water, butter (I just throw the whole stick in there), sugar, and salt. Blend for 10-15 seconds until well-combined. Add the eggs and blend until smooth.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and yeast.
  3. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour and stir with a spoon (or use your hands) until well-combined and no dry streaks remain. The dough will be sticky and bumpy.
  4. Cover and let rise until noticeably puffy and doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  5. Divide the dough in half.
  6. For folded square rolls, on a lightly floured counter, roll half of the dough into a thick rectangle, about 9X14-inches. Cut in half lengthwise and then cut each half into six rectangle pieces. Dip the bottom of each piece in butter and swipe the buttered end back and forth on a half sheet pan and then fold in half (see pictures in post for a visual). Repeat with remaining dough, spacing the rolls about 1/4-inch apart.
  7. For crescent rolls, on a lightly floured counter, roll half of the dough into a thick circle, about 14-inches in diameter. Brush with melted butter. With a pizza cutter, cut into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece up starting with the wide end and place on a parchment-lined half sheet pan. Repeat with remaining dough.
  8. Cover the rolls and let rise until puffy, about 1 1/2 hours.
  9. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden. If desired, brush tops with melted butter while still warm.

Notes

Yeast: I’ve only ever made this recipe with instant yeast (which doesn’t need to be dissolved and proofed in liquid before using). If you want to use active dry yeast, use the same amount, but add it to the blender at the very end after adding the eggs and blend for just a second or two.

Flour: I use unbleached all-purpose flour; to measure the flour, fluff the flour very well, scoop in the cup and then level off with a knife. Don’t pack the flour into the measuring cup or these rolls will be overfloured and dry. I haven’t tried these rolls with 100% whole wheat flour, but I have subbed in two cups of whole wheat flour for two cups of white flour and it works great. I recommend using white whole wheat flour for a lighter, less dense roll.

Freezing: I haven’t frozen the dough or the shaped rolls, but I have frozen the baked and cooled rolls, and they freeze great. Thaw at room temperature. They tend to dry out if warmed up too much, but they can be lightly warmed in a 200 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

Doubling: this recipe doubles well. I use 2 1/2 tablespoons yeast for a double batch; everything else I double straight across.

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Recipe Source: adapted slightly from a MKC reader, Marci T. (thanks so much, Marci!)

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Mel



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