Knotted Rolls

Buttery, fluffy homemade rolls tied in knot and brushed with butter. The perfect knotted rolls recipe!

Homemade Knotted Rolls

It is officially Easter weekend and Easter dinner isn’t complete without a basket of warm, buttery homemade rolls. My Mom is the bread master and she always had homemade rolls on hand for all occasions. 

When I was creating my BEST DINNER ROLLS RECIPE, I poured through all of my hundreds of old, cherished cookbooks. I can’t believe how many church cookbooks my Mom collected over the years! I did a lot of research on how to make homemade knotted rolls and conducted a crazy amount of recipe testing. These knotted rolls come out perfect — fluffy and buttery! 

These Homemade Knotted Rolls are similar to my best dinner rolls recipe, but I changed a few things. Since we are rolling the bread dough out, we are upping the flour amount for easier rolling and knotting. I am also increasing the first rise time to ensure light and fluffy rolls. However, once you make your knotted rolls, the second rise time is shorter so the knots don’t lose their shape as the rolls puff up. 

Nothing beats a homemade dinner roll, especially when crafted into elegant knots. This guide will walk you through making soft, buttery knotted rolls from scratch. These rolls are beautiful to look at, wonderfully soft, and perfect for any meal.

There are so many ways you can shape your roll dough to change it up. All you need is this classic roll recipe and you are ready to go! This homemade knotted rolling out the dough in a rectangle and cover with salted, softened butter. Next, you fold the dough into thirds and then slice into 1-inch strips. Once you have your strips, tie a knot with the dough and place it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Knot Rolls Ingredients:

Here’s what you need to make these simple yeast rolls at home..

• Active Dry Yeast: I like to use Fleischmann’s, RedStar, or SAF yeast
• Warm Water (about 110 degrees and slightly warm to the touch)
• Sugar: A little bit of sugar helps to activate the yeast. Yeast loves sugar!
• Butter
• Sugar
• Whole Milk (warmed)
• Eggs
• Flour: I suggest using bread flour or all-purpose flour when making this roll recipe.
• Salt
• Butter: This is for brushing on the rolls after baking.

How to make the Best Knotted Rolls:

• Let the YEAST PROOF.  The key is to use very warm water (about 110 degrees). If it is too hot, it can kill the yeast. If it is too cold, the yeast won’t proof. Adding sugar to the yeast helps it proof even faster because yeast loves sugar. Let the yeast proof for at least 5 minutes. Make sure the yeast is still working by testing it out. You will know the yeast is working when it starts to bubble and form a creamy foam on the surface.

• Use BUTTER and EGGS. The butter and eggs are what adds richness to the homemade rolls dough. Warm up the butter and milk before adding it to the dough. 
• Use a STAND MIXER if possible for easy kneading. This bread recipe is easiest with a stand mixer such as a Bosch. This is a huge time saver as you knead the rolls for 5 minutes in the mixer. If you don’t own a stand mixer, you can knead the bread dough by hand. Watch for the dough to start pulling away from the sides. You still want the dough to be slightly sticky but begin to pull away from the sides.

• Let RISE until DOUBLE in size. Cover the bowl with a cloth to prevent it from drying out. This can be done in a warm place. If you want the dough to rise faster, place the dough covered in a warm oven. Set the oven to 200 degrees, turn it off, and then place the dough in the oven and let it rise until double in size. This expedites the rising process and cuts the time in half. 

• Roll the dough into a rectangle, brush with softened butter, then fold into thirds, and then cut into 1-inch strips. After you cut it into strips, tie a knot with the dough and place it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. 

• BAKE until GOLDEN BROWN. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake until light golden brown. Remove from oven and spread butter over the top of rolls to give moisture and shine.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s):

If you want to learn more about making homemade rolls, here are some frequently asked questions when making rolls with yeast.

Tips for Working with Yeast:

Avoid Overworking: After the first rise, be gentle when shaping to preserve the dough’s airiness.

Use Fresh Yeast: Check expiration dates, as older yeast may not rise properly. Make sure to not use too hot or too cold water or the yeast will not rise.

Warm Environment: For both rising stages, place the dough in a warm, draft-free area.

Troubleshooting Tips when making yeast rolls:

• Dense Rolls: If the rolls are dense, it could be due to too much flour or an insufficient rise.
• Flat or Undersized Rolls: This may occur if the yeast wasn’t active or if the dough didn’t rise enough before baking.
• Sticky Dough: Add a bit more flour if needed, but avoid adding too much flour, which can make the rolls dense.

Storage Tips:

Can you freeze rolls? Absolutely! I love making a big batch of homemade dinner rolls and placing them in a gallon-sized Ziploc freezer bag and placing them in the freezer.

• Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freezing: Freeze rolls for up to 1 month. To reheat, thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven. If you need to defrost in the microwave, I suggest lowering the power to 50% and heating for only 20 seconds.

Variations and Substitutions:

I love to make this recipe into garlic knots by brushing the rolls with a garlic butter once I remove them from the oven. This can be achieved by adding 2-4 minced garlic cloves to the softened butter and brushing all over the rolls.

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