Better homemade rolls than from the bakery: a simple recipe you can make every day

Name: Better homemade rolls than from the bakery: a simple recipe you can make every day
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 500 g plain flour; 300 ml lukewarm water (approx. 35–37 °C); 30 g fresh yeast or 10 g dried yeast; 1 teaspoon sugar; 10 g salt; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (sunflower or rapeseed); water for brushing; seeds for sprinkling (sesame, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds)

Easy to prepare
8 portions
120 minutes

Jan, 09. 01. 2026

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This recipe is ideal even for beginners. The process is simple, the ingredients common, and the result tastes better than most store-bought rolls from the bakery.

Homemade rolls have one huge advantage – you know exactly what is in them. No unnecessary additives, no improvers, just flour, water, yeast and a bit of care. The result? Beautifully crispy rolls with a golden crust, soft crumb and an aroma that fills the whole apartment.

For 8 portions

Ingredients

Basic dough:

500 g plain flour
300 ml lukewarm water (approx. 35–37 °C)
30 g fresh yeast or 10 g dried yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
10 g salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (sunflower or rapeseed)

To finish:

water for brushing
seeds for sprinkling (sesame, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds)

Preparation procedure

Crumble the yeast into a small bowl, add the sugar and pour in about 100 ml lukewarm water. Stir and let stand for approximately 10 minutes, until the starter begins to foam.
Sift the plain flour into a larger bowl, add the salt and mix. Pour in the prepared starter, the oil and the remaining water. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, work into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 8–10 minutes, until smooth, elastic and no longer sticky. If it sticks, add only a small amount of flour.
Place the dough in a bowl lightly greased with oil, cover with a cloth and let rise for approximately 60 minutes, until it has doubled in volume.
Turn the risen dough out onto the work surface, divide into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a roll. Place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and let rise for another 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Brush the rolls with water before baking and optionally sprinkle with seeds. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until nicely golden. A properly baked roll will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Number of servings

8 rolls

Total preparation time

approx. 2 hours

(of which about 30 minutes is active work, the rest is rising and baking)

Tips for perfect rolls

For an even crispier crust, place a small dish of water in the bottom of the oven while baking to create steam. If you want a softer crumb, you can add a tablespoon of butter or plain yogurt to the dough. The rolls can be frozen without problems and later briefly reheated in the oven.