These honey bread rolls are soft and sweet. The bread rolls only need 3 ingredients and don’t require any yeast or kneading. They are an easy, stress-free bread to make as a side dish.
I love adding a little honey to my baked goods. These honey rolls have just the right amount of sweetness in my opinion. The bread rolls are also easy to make. Combine the ingredients, let the dough rest, and then it’s ready to bake.
Ingredients
- Honey
- Seltzer water
- Self-rising flour
This bread is a variation on my 2 ingredient bread rolls but I’ve added honey to give them a little sweetness and honey flavor.
Honey: These rolls are flavored with honey. Honey also adds sweetness to the bread.
Seltzer water: You can use seltzer or sparkling water but make sure it is very carbonated and that the carbonation has been added to the water. Natural sparkling waters often don’t have enough carbonation. This bread recipe relies partially on the carbonation in the water to rise properly.
Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour is all purpose flour that is premixed with baking powder and salt. Since this recipe does not use any yeast, it uses the baking powder from the self-rising flour to help the dough rise. If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can also make your own by mixing together all purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
How to Make Honey Bread Rolls
- The honey and water are first mixed together. The flour is then mixed in until a dough forms.
- The dough is then covered and left for a few hours to ferment. During this time, the dough develops flavor and air pockets which will help with the bread texture.
- The dough is then divided into 12 equal pieces and rolled into balls. The bread is then baked in the oven.
More Bread Roll Recipes
3 Ingredient Honey Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 cups (530 g) self-rising flour see note before starting
- 10 fl oz (295 ml) seltzer sparkling water see note before starting
- 1/2 cup (163 g) honey
Instructions
- In a large glass mixing bowl, combine the water and honey. Gently stir to mix. Then add the flour. Mix well with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms. The dough will be sticky and wet.
- Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 3-6 hours.
- About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C). Add a large cast iron skillet or a large baking dish that is oven-safe at 425°F to the bottom rack of the oven while it preheats. Adjust the rack that the bread will bake on to just above the bottom rack (You want the bread to bake as low in the oven as possible so the tops don’t get too dark). Bring a tea kettle or pot of water to a boil.
- After the dough has rested, wet your hands with some water. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, and then fold it over the center of the dough. Repeat this process from all eight sides of the dough.
- Lightly flour a work surface with self-rising flour. Carefully turn the dough out onto the floured surface, seam side down.
- Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to divide the dough into 12 equal portions. I recommend weighing the dough to make sure all the rolls are the same size.
- Shape each piece into a ball by pulling the edges to the center to and pinching to seal. Place seam side down on your work surface and roll under your hand to create tension and form a round, taut ball.
- Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1½ to 2 inches apart. If desired, you can brush the tops of the bread with egg wash to give them a shinier and smoother finish. See notes for more details.
- Carefully pour boiling water into the cast iron skillet/baking dish when your oven is done preheating and rolls are ready to be baked.
- Then quickly add the tray of rolls and bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crusty on the outside and completely cooked. To check if a roll is done, you can tap the bottom side and it should sound hollow. Let the rolls cool on a wire rack. If desired, you can brush the tops of the rolls with more honey before serving. The rolls in the photos for this post were brushed with more honey on top.
Notes
- Seltzer water: you can use seltzer or sparkling water but make sure it is very carbonated and make sure it is a water where the carbonation has been added. Many natural sparkling waters will not have enough carbonation to help the bread rise properly. Be careful to only use 10 fl oz for this recipe. Adding too much water will make your dough too wet. Most cans of seltzer water are 12 fl oz so you do not want to add the full amount of a can.
- Self-rising flour amount. There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup (30g)) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30 g)). Brands like King Arthur Flour and White Lily make the low protein flour. Brands like Gold Medal and most store/generic brands contain a regular protein amount. The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, you want a flour with a regular amount of protein. Please use a self-rising flour with 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup (30 g). Or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
- I made these with Gold Medal self-rising flour (Amazon | Walmart)*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Homemade self-rising flour: Combine 4 cups of all purpose flour, 2 tbsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt. Whisk to evenly combine. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill. You do not want a high protein flour for this bread. It will be dense and dry.
- Optional egg wash finish: Brushing egg wash on top of the bread before baking will give the surface a smoother, slightly shiny and darker appearance. The bread rolls still turn out well without egg wash but they will split more on the surface and will have a more rustic appearance. If you want the bread rolls to have an egg wash finish, add the egg white of a large egg into a small bowl and whisk it lightly. Then brush rolls with the egg white right before baking.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
