Easy Sesame Bread Rolls (2024)

November 6, 2019 — last updated April 6, 2022

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These Easy Sesame Bread Rolls need to be a staple on your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner table. Soft and fluffy just the way they should be. Even if you’re not the best baker (and I certainly am not), these rolls are so easy to make. Check out the step by step video.

The two best smells that can come from your oven is baking bread and homemade cookies. Even better are when the rolls are fresh and warm out of the oven and eaten simply with a good, creamy butter.

Now, I’m no master baker, but even I can make these rolls without messing them up. There’s no mixer needed. All you need is a bowl, a spatula, a warm place to proof the dough and a little time.

My favorite thing to do is top them with toasted sesame seeds before baking, but you can really top them with anything from poppy seeds, flaked onion, garlic powder/salt or leave them plain. If you leave them with no topping, brush them right out of the oven with melted butter.

These easy sesame bread rolls are so light and soft. I also use them for sandwiches (hello holiday leftovers) serve with soups, stews and they even make the best burger buns.

If you want to get really festive, a few years ago I made a rosemary bread wreath, picture above, that can also be a fun and edible table decoration.

Make ahead

You can make these rolls of the holidays. They keep for 2 to 3 days kept in a cool place in a sealed container. You can even freeze the dough balls, defrost in the refrigerator and bake per the recipe.

If you’ve tried these Easy Sesame Bread Rolls or any other recipe on the blog, then don’t forget to rate the recipe andlet me know it turned out in the comments below. I love to hear from my readers!

Yield: 16 rolls

These easy rolls are soft and fluffy and perfect for any family meal.

Prep Time2 hours 3 seconds

Cook Time20 minutes

Total Time2 hours 20 minutes 3 seconds

Ingredients

2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup (240 ml) milk, warmed to 100-110 °F (38-43°C)
4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted (see note)
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour/plain flour, plus more for kneading
Egg yolk, whisked
Sesame seeds

Instructions

Add the yeast, sugar and ½ the of the milk to a small bowl and mix. Let stand for 10 minutes until foamy.
In medium bowl, whisk together the butter, salt and eggs. Set aside.
To a large bowl add the flour and mix in the wet ingredients, stir/mix until well combined.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, dusting with flour as needed until elastic and smooth and no longer sticky.
Coat a bowl lightly with oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size. I like to turn the oven on for a minute or so, turn it off then put the dough in the oven to proof.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Divide the dough into 16 balls. Place on the pan, evenly apart. Cover with a towel and place in a warm area to rise for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C. Place the oven rack in the center of the oven.
Brush the tops of the rolls with the egg yolk. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Notes

Note: To melt the butter, place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on 50% power until melted.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per ServingCalories 60Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 42mgSodium 142mgCarbohydrates 3gNet Carbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 2gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 2g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.

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posted by Janette on November 6, 2019

16 Comments / Leave a Comment »

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16 Comments on “Easy Sesame Bread Rolls”

Bonnie — @ Reply

I am an experienced baker. My family always made homemade bread for the holidays so I know what good bread is. I decided to give this recipe a try because it looked so delicious and so simple at the same time. I love that no electric mixer or heavy kneading is required. I made this yesterday. I find that it’s excellent! I did not get each of my rolls to be the same size but now I’m happy about that because several are snack size, some are dinner roll size, and a few are sandwich size. All of them look and taste like they came from a baker. I will NEVER buy grocery store rolls again. They take a little time to make but most of that time is to allow the dough to raise. So, you can be busy doing other things at the same time. Just a note: I used the pre-packaged dry yeast that contains 2.5 teaspoons of powder. I used the whole packet and everything came out fine. Absolutely delicious and beautiful to look at. Thanks for posting your recipe!!
- Janette — @ Reply
  
  Thank you so much for the glowing review, it is very much appreciated.
Jerri — @ Reply
See Also
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I made these last night and my husband suggest I serve them for Thanksgiving. He loves them so much I’m using them to make his lunch sandwich. thank you 🙂
- Janette — @ Reply
  
  That’s a wonderful idea. I love them for sandwiches too 🙂
Carol — @ Reply

Big fail! Started with the brand new yeast I bought…never foamed up. Should have quit there.
- Janette — @ Reply
  
  I’m so sorry the yeast failed you, I’ve had it happen to me. I hope you give them another go.
Diane Guerrero — @ Reply

Great! I’m not normally great at making bread so I was amazed by these – delicious!
- Janette — @ Reply
  
  I’m not a great bread baker either, so I was very happy that I was able to develop this easy recipe. Thank you so much for the feedback.
Rosemarie Arnold — @ Reply

Hi Janette,
Great recipe!
I made the rolls, made 8 for sandwiches. This recipe is fool proof, so easy with ingredients found in most kitchens. Will be making them often. Already sharing the recipe with a friend in Belgium.
I am wondering if they could be adapted as a sweet roll? Like the buns in the UK that are filled with cream and jam?
TTFN
Rosemarie
- Janette — @ Reply
  
  Thank you for the nice compliment on the rolls. I’ve never thought about making them into cream buns, but now you have me thinking 🙂
Mary-Beth — @ Reply

These were so good I’m back to make them again, by request of my 11 year old. Thank you!
- Janette — @ Reply
  
  I love to hear this because children can be the toughest critics 🙂
Beau — @ Reply

I just tried this recipe and wow I was impressed! I have only just started baking about a month ago and have tried my hand at a few rolls – these are by far the best. I wanted them to use for the kids lunch rolls at school so I made 8 larger rolls from the recipe. I also used 1 tablespoon of brown sugar as I didn’t have any other sugars in the pantry. The rolls are so fluffy and taste absolutely delicious! I wish I could add a photo as a testament!
- Janette — @ Reply
  
  I love how fluffy they are too. Thank you for sharing your experience, you can send me the picture if you like 🙂
Tiffanee — @ Reply

Light and fluffy and pretty easy to make, these rolls were a huge hit! As they cooked their shiny tops caught my eye every time I walked by the oven. My last few bread attempts have been horrible. Thank you for a recipe even I can make!
- Janette — @ Reply
  
  I love how light and fluffy they are too. Thank you so much for the feedback.

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