3 Ingredient Honey Bread Rolls
These easy, stress-free honey flavored bread rolls are made with just 3 ingredients and don't require any yeast or kneading. The breads rolls have a crusty exterior and are soft and sweet on the inside.
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 metal 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.
Serving: 1roll, Calories: 173kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 4g, Sodium: 467mg, Sugar: 11g, NET CARBS: 41
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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