This page requires that scripting be enabled in your browser to function properly. If you need help enabling scripting, please vist our
technical FAQ page.

Southern Butter Rolls

Read Reviews (80)

"Light yeast rolls." — Maria Magee

Ingredients Edit and Save

Watch video tips and tricks

How to Make Poppy Seed Rolls

French Bread Rolls To Die For

Sweet Dinner Rolls

Ninety-Minute Cinnamon Rolls

Quick Yeast Rolls

Rosemary Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls

Garlic Parmesan Dinner Rolls

Clover Leaf Rolls

Herb Pull Apart Rolls

Sugar and Sweeteners

Measuring All-Purpose Flour

Types of Cooking Oil

Types of Salt

Original recipe makes 24 rolls Change Servings

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Check All Add to Shopping List

Directions

Mix together flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast. Mix in shortening. Mix in water.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand for 20 minutes. Cover dough with oil. Place dough in a bowl, cover, and proof for 1 hour.
Form rolls, and place on a greased baking tray. Proof for 45 minutes.
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 12 to 14 minutes.

Kitchen-Friendly View

ADVERTISE WITH US

I had lost my favorite roll recipe and decided to try these...oh my goodness this is a keeper! I have this one saved. They turned out like a picture...and so fluffy and light but yet rich buttery flavor. They were not at all heavy...feathery light. The only modifications I made were I heated my water 105-115degrees and added butter flavor shortening to that. I added it to the dry yeast, sugar, and 2 cups of flour. I then added all but the last half cup of flour blended with the salt. I had always been taught that salt can kill yeast if added directly so I never add salt until I have added some of the flour first. I use the last half cup of flour to knead into the yeast adding a little at a time because all flours differ. I only use bread flour with my bread making. By heating the liquid to between 105-115, it cut down on the kneading time tremendously...cut it in half. After the rolls came out of the oven, I immediately brushed the tops with butter using a pastry brush. They came out of the pan with ease(I use cooking spray to coat bottom and sides of pan) and everyone raved about them.

—TUNISIANSWIFE

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

Aug 04, 2011

What a bummer! The photos of this recipe look great, but following the directions and recipe exactly how it is written left me with non-fluffy, non-rising bread. I was skeptical adding cold water and not proofing the yeast in warm water and sugar first as most recipes require. I am not a pro bread maker, but I have made it enough so I am puzzled by this recipe's directions. :( The taste was good. :)

—House of Aqua

See full review »

95 Ratings

Feb 23, 2005

These are GREAT!!! I used butter instead of shortening...they are the BEST!!!! The whole family is requesting these rolls at every meal...a tip...I use 1/3 and freeze the dough in ziploc bags(2 bags with 1/3 each)...the next 2 nights I thaw the bread for 2-2-1/2 hours form into rolls and allow to rise the second time. That way we get fresh rolls for 3 nights with one batch!! Each batch is as good as the first.

—TAMMIEFLICK

See full review »

Jul 24, 2003

My first attempt with this recipe wasn't all that great, but my second attempt...WOW! I made my rolls a little bigger so I yielded 18 rolls instead of the 24 stated in the recipe. I used butter flavored shortening, and melted it first in a saucepan, then added the cold water to it. That made the water/shortening mixture the perfect temperature for the flour mixture. The 18 rolls turned out large and fluffy, with a great taste that didn't need any extra butter on top. My older daughter ate 3 of these large rolls and almost ignored the rest of the dinner!

—THEINGRAMS4

See full review »

Nov 26, 2011

I used my Kitchen Aid mixer to make these rolls. I proofed the yeast with the warm water (I didn't use cold water, yeast works better with warm water) and sugar for ten minutes, then I added the melted butter (which I used instead of shortening) and all the dry ingredients. I kneaded it in the Kitchen Aid with the dough hook for about five minutes or so. I set it to rise in a greased bowl on my heating pad for an hour, then formed them into rolls and plopped them into greased muffin tins (about a heaping 1/4 cup for each roll), covered them with saran wrap and set them to rise on my heating pad until they doubled. Right before baking, I lightly brushed them with a little melted butter. 400* for 12 minutes was just right for me. Decent dinner roll. NOTE: When you make this roll recipe--don't follow the instructions on letting it rise. Use warm water. Using cold water may work for others but it's never worked for me. It'll save you some wasted ingredients in the end.

—Sarah Jo

See full review »

Nov 30, 2004

What did I do wrong? The taste of these dinners rolls was pretty good, but they were dense--not light and fluffy like grandma used to make. I kneaded the dough for twenty minutes--I even timed it out. Did I use the wrong kind of yeast? What? Again, these were absolutely delicious, but something went wrong. The yeast must have been fresh. It wasn't in the cupboard for a long time; I just bought it at the store the day I made the rolls. I'm an inexperienced baker, so the outcome was probably my fault--but I don't know what I did wrong.

—CURTISLEE

See full review »

Jul 24, 2003

Oh, this is really good. Made it once with wholewheat flour and it was still very light and tasty. If you use veggie oil instead of butter - this becomes a vegan recipe.

—CHEWLY

See full review »

Apr 11, 2003

really good and easy. even the kids helped make the rolls. I used a breadmaker for the kneading part.

—pfaulkner

See full review »

Rate This Recipe

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

More Recipes Like This See all

Old Plantation Rolls

Double Quick Dinner Rolls

German Brotchen Rolls

Herman Dinner Rolls

Mom's Yeast Rolls

School Lunchroom Cafeteria Rolls

No Knead Refrigerator Rolls

Herbed Batter Rolls

Golden Crescent Rolls

Quick Yeast Rolls

ADVERTISE WITH US

Nutrition

Calories
120 kcal
6%

Carbohydrates
20.3 g
7%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fiber
0.8 g
3%

Protein
2.7 g
5%

Sodium
243 mg
10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Southern Butter Rolls

Serving Size: 1/24 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 24
Amount Per Serving
** Calories: 120
** Calories from Fat: 27

% Daily Value *
** Total Fat 3g 5 %
** Saturated Fat 0.6g 3 %
** Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
** Sodium 243mg 10 %
** Potassium 40mg 1 %
** Total Carbohydrates 20.3g 7 %
** Dietary Fiber 0.8g 3 %
** Protein 2.7g 5 %
** Sugars 2.1g
** Vitamin A < 1 %
** Vitamin C < 1 %
** Calcium < 1 %
** Iron 12 %
** Thiamin 20 %
** Niacin 17 %
** Vitamin B6 1 %
** Magnesium 2 %
** Folate 34 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.