Easy No Knead Bread Rolls with a Crusty Outside and Soft, Airy Inside

These no knead bread rolls are proof that you don’t need any baking experience to make incredible homemade bread. No kneading, no stand mixer, no special equipment. Just flour, water, yeast, a little sugar, salt, and olive oil. The secret is time. A series of simple folds and rests develops all the structure and flavor you need.

They come out crusty on the outside, soft and airy on the inside, and the kitchen smells unbelievable. A splash of iced water in the oven creates steam for that bakery-style crust. Once you try these, you’ll never buy store-bought rolls again.

Why You’ll Love These No Knead Rolls

  • Zero kneading required. Simple folds do all the work for you
  • Only 6 basic ingredients. Flour, water, yeast, sugar, salt, and olive oil
  • Crusty golden outside with a soft, pillowy interior
  • Steam baking trick gives you that bakery-quality crust at home
  • 100% vegan with no eggs, butter, or dairy
  • Perfect for sandwiches, soup, or just warm with butter
Mix the dough
Combine yeast, sugar, water, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until just combined. It will be shaggy and sticky, and that’s exactly right. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Add the olive oil
Pour olive oil over the rested dough and work it in with your hands or a spatula. Cover and rest for another 30 minutes.
Rest and bake
Place the rolls on a parchment-lined tray, score the tops, and rest. Bake with steam from iced water until golden.

What Does Folding the Dough Do?

Folding replaces kneading. Each time you fold the dough, you’re building gluten structure and incorporating air, which is what gives the bread its open, airy crumb. Three folds over 90 minutes does the same job as 10 minutes of aggressive kneading, but with way less effort. The dough gets noticeably smoother and more elastic after each fold.

Tips for Perfect No Knead Bread Rolls

  • Use room temperature water. Too hot will kill the yeast, too cold will slow it down. Aim for around 70 to 75°F
  • Keep your hands wet when folding. The dough is sticky and wet hands prevent it from sticking to you
  • Don’t skip any of the rests. Each 30-minute rest lets the gluten relax and develop. This is what gives you the texture
  • Score the tops with a sharp knife or razor before baking. This controls where the bread expands and gives a nice look
  • The iced water is key. Pouring it into a tray below the rolls creates steam in the oven, which helps form that crispy, golden crust
  • Don’t overbake. 20 minutes is usually perfect. They should be golden brown and sound hollow when you tap the bottom

Storage and Freezing

  • Room temperature: Store in a paper bag or bread box for up to 2 days. A paper bag keeps the crust from getting soft
  • Freezing: Let the rolls cool completely, then freeze in a zip-lock bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in the oven at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes
  • Refreshing day-old rolls: Sprinkle with a little water and bake at 375°F for 5 minutes. They’ll taste freshly baked again

More Vegan Baking Recipes

Browse more recipes at drveganblog.com

5 from 1 review

No Knead Bread Rolls

Crusty on the outside, soft and airy on the inside. These no knead bread rolls require zero experience and just a few basic ingredients. The secret is time. The dough does all the work for you through a series of simple folds and rests.
Servings 6 Rolls
Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 tsp instant dried yeast
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 ⅓ cups (550 ml) room temperature water
  • 4 ½ cups (575 g) all purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ cup (120 ml) iced water, for the oven tray

Instructions
 

  1. Mix the dough. In a large bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, water, flour, and salt. Mix everything together until just combined. It will be shaggy and sticky, and that’s perfect. Do not add the olive oil yet. Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Add the olive oil. Pour the olive oil over the dough and work it in with your hands or a spatula. Cover and rest for another 30 minutes.
  3. First fold. With wet hands, grab one side of the dough and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat from each side. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  4. Second fold. Repeat the same folding process. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  5. Third fold. Fold one more time. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  6. Shape and rest. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Divide into 6 equal pieces and shape each into a round roll. Place them on a parchment-lined baking tray with some space between them. Score the tops with a sharp knife. Leave to rest on the tray for 15 minutes.
  7. Bake. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the bread rolls in the oven and pour ½ cup of iced water into a separate oven tray on the rack below. This creates steam for a crustier finish. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.
  8. Cool. Let the rolls cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

The dough is intentionally wet and sticky. Do not add extra flour. Use wet hands for folding and a floured surface for shaping only. For an overnight version, refrigerate after the third fold and shape the next day. The iced water steam trick is essential for achieving a crusty exterior.

Nutrition

Calories: 391kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 10gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 31mgPotassium: 106mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 4mg

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