Homeschool Cooking With Kids Series: Easy Pull-Apart Rolls

Inside: One of my all-time favorite things to make from scratch is bread and rolls. Sharing an easy rolls recipe that is perfect for your beginner baker!

Do you want your children to learn to cook and feel confident in the kitchen? 

The key is to start with a simple, fun, hands-on recipe!

Disclosure: I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

This roll recipe is one of my favorites because it is from my mom and was called “Easy Buns”. These older recipes seem to do amazing. They just always turn out.

I was excited to help my daughter with these because she loves to bake but making rolls is a bit trickier. You can’t just measure and go. Which is probably why mine will actually turn out, lol!

Rolls, much like bread, are finicky.

I’ve discovered that the weather, temperature and the about of humidity in the air seem to impact the texture and changes how much liquid or flour you need to add to your recipe.

This recipe is perfect for those just getting started with breads, rolls, and buns because it is simple and easy. You can make them with all white flour or add some whole wheat in if you wish.

Rolls Or Buns?

By the way, I didn’t know to call these Rolls or Buns. So I asked on my Facebook Page because I couldn’t decide. We ended up having an awesome conversation.

You can click here to read it. Whatever you end up calling them they taste amazing, which is the point, right?

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Recipe Cards For Kids:

Before you get started grab these free recipe cards for kids. I like to encourage little bakers to change up the recipe to suit them and to keep track of any changes they make to a recipe.

These recipe cards are perfect for that!

Easy Pull-Apart Rolls Recipe:

• Prep Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes (includes rising time)
• Cooking Time: 6-8 minutes

What Ingredients You Need:

• 2 cups of warm water
• ½ cup of white sugar
• 2 heaping tbsp of yeast, traditional dry yeast
• ½ cup of oil
• 1 egg at room temperature
• ¼ tsp of salt
• 5-6 cups of flour
• Cooking spray or oil to grease the pans and bowl

Baking Tools You Will Need:

• 2 Large bowls
• Small bowl
• Liquid measuring cups
• Dry measuring cups
• Measuring cups
• Large spoon
• Muffin tins

What You Need To Know:

As I said, bread is finicky. I tend to go by “feel” then measurements. Your child may need help with this.

When my daughter made these we used white flour.

But I forgot to take photos. (Oops!) The only one I got was the one in the photo above.

The rest of the photos below are when I made them using both whole wheat and white flours. You can use whatever you like they are the same instructions 😉

What You Need To Do:

Gather your ingredients and cooking supplies.

This is important and an often skipped step. You do not want to get in the middle of making rolls only to find out you are missing a key ingredient!

Next, with your child read the recipe all the way through. Do you have everything?

Great, let’s get started!

Making Pull-Apart Rolls:

Add water and sugar to a large bowl. Stir.

Add your oil.

Add yeast and stir with a wooden spoon. We use Fleischmann’s ActiveDry Yeast. You want to make sure it is not bread-machine or fast yeast.

Let sit at least 5 minutes. Do not skip this step. This “rest” gives the yeast time to work.

The yeast will start to react and bubbles will form.

While you wait, crack an egg in your measuring cup.

I encourage the kids to do this in case they get shells. It is easier to scoop it out of the measuring cup then chase it in your bowl with other ingredients.

Add your egg.

Stir to combine.

Add your salt.

Now you are going to add your flour. If making whole wheat you want 2 cups of whole wheat and 3-4 cups of white flour.

I get the kids to measure it out into a bowl first. Then scoop from that bowl into the large mixing bowl.

Measure the flour into a bowl.

See the bubbles in the mix? ^ Yours may or may not look like that depending on the temperature and time. Don’t stress it. 

You want to take your time, pour in a little at a time and mix.

Start with your whole wheat flour if you are using it. Then, move on to the white flour, again adding it slowly and string between each addition.

Keep adding your flour until it starts to pull away from the sides.

Put a good amount of flour on your work surface and dump your dough out on top.

*At this point, I like to grease a clean bowl and set it aside within reach of the baker.

Sprinkle dough over the top and begin to knead.

The kids were annoyed the original recipe from my mom said, “Knead well”. I guess that wasn’t enough directions 😉

I showed them the texture and how to knead. I use the same method used here for bread.

Once you are done the kneading, drop it gently into your greased bowl and cover with a towel and set aside to rise for one hour.

During this time it is a great time to clean up the dirty dishes. I also like to take out my muffin tin and grease it.

After an hour bring your bowl back to your work area and get ready to punch your dough down. The kids really like that part!

Kneed a little bit, only a minute or two. Nothing too aggressive.

Preheat the oven to 400* degrees.

You want to make your rolls. We like 3 sections to our pull-apart rolls. I found a quick snap I took of my daughter making her’s. She brought out her mats she bought herself. She says it is easier to clean than the table which is what I use.

Pull off small amounts and make into a small ball, try to get all 3 the same size. Add these 3 to one muffin tin. This will make your “pull-apart” rolls.

Fill your pan.

We had too much and no muffin tins so I got silly and added the rolls to my silicone teddy bear molds. They turned out as well 😉

Bake at 400* for 7-8 minutes. Remember every oven is different so you want to bake until golden brown.

After removing from oven let sit for 5 minutes. Butter the rolls, remove and either eat while warm or set aside to cool.

We had them with the Chili recipe I shared here 🙂

They turned out cute, didn’t they? If you decide to use the silicone molds double-check the cooking time, it might take a few minutes longer.

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Baking is not only a great way to connect with your kids in the kitchen but a fun way to get started with your kids cooking!

Teaching your kids to cook takes time, effort, and patience but it is worth it! Nothing beats coming home to a meal that you didn’t have to make 😉

I can’t wait to hear how making these homemade pull-apart rolls goes with your kids!

Take care, 

Jen

PS. Both of my kids are pretty comfortable in the kitchen because I feel it is a needed life skill. You can read about one of our favorite programs and our thoughts here: Homeschool Cooking Curriculum We Love – Our Experience With the Kids Cook Real Food Program

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