Food and Recipes Bread Rolls And Buns Cafeteria Rolls Be the first to rate & review! Your school lunchroom days may be behind you, but these fluffy cafeteria rolls can still be yours. By Kimberly Holland Kimberly Holland Kimberly Holland is a writer and editor with 17 years of experience in food, lifestyle, travel, and health content. She is an Associate Editorial Director for Southern Living. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on March 6, 2025 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Active Time: 35 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Yield: 1 1/2 dozen Jump to recipe Key Takeaways Instead of kneading by hand, use the dough hook of a stand mixer so you can make sure wet and dry ingredients are fully combined.No matter how new your yeast is, don't skip the activation step. The mixture of warm milk and yeast will turn foamy, which is a sign the yeast is alive, ensuring the bread will rise.If you don't have a proofer, you can turn on your oven and let the resting dough sit on top. Do you remember those big, fluffy, soft, and delicious rolls that were served up in your school cafeteria? They'd be right alongside the baked chicken, green beans, and rice on those divided cafeteria trays? And if you were lucky, your friend wouldn't want their roll, so you'd get two. Those were the days—and the absolute best rolls. Our ode to those cafeteria rolls have a gorgeous golden brown, buttery exterior and a tender, fluffy center. They bake up big and tall with the perfect amount of chew. Sure, you could make these for a weeknight dinner—no one will stop you—but if you want the most oohs and ahhs, bring out a basket filled with these at Easter or a family dinner, and watch absolutely everyone swoon. Learn how to make cafeteria rolls, and relive those delicious memories. Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Editor's Note: This recipe was developed by Amanda Holstein; the introduction was written by Kimberly Holland. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 (1/4-oz.) envelopes active dry yeast 2 cups warm whole milk, divided (about 110°F) 6 1/2 cups (about 1 lb. 11 3/4 oz.) bread flour, plus more as needed 1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing 6 Tbsp. granulated sugar 3 large eggs, at room temperature 1 Tbsp. kosher salt Cooking spray Directions Whisk together yeast and 3/4 cup of the warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer; let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Add flour, butter, sugar, eggs, salt, and remaining 1 1/4 cups warm milk. Beat on low speed with paddle attachment until just combined and a sticky dough forms, about 1 minute. Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Remove paddle attachment and attach dough hook; knead on medium speed until dough is smooth, elastic, and beginning to pull away from sides of bowl, 8 to 10 minutes. If necessary, add 1 tablespoon of additional flour at time, but not exceeding 1/4 cup total. Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Transfer dough to a large bowl lightly greased with cooking spray, turning dough to coat top. Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Cover and let rise in a warm place (75°F to 80°F) until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 2 (8-inch) square baking dishes with cooking spray. Punch down dough and turn out onto a clean work surface. Divide dough into 18 even portions (about 3 ounces each). Working with 1 dough portion at a time, cup dough with palm and roll against counter into a smooth, tight ball. Repeat with remaining dough portions. Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Arrange dough balls evenly between prepared baking dishes; cover and let rise in a warm place (75°F to 80°F) until dough is almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Bake in preheated oven until tops are deeply browned and a thermometer inserted into center of rolls registers between 180°F and 190°F, 16 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and brush tops with additional butter; let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Rate It Print