How to Shape Easter Bunny Ear Rolls

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These easy-to-make Easter Bunny Ears Rolls are perfect for breakfast, brunch, dinner, or a quick snack to nibble on throughout the day. What are you waiting for? With my step-by-step recipe tutorial, you’ll bite into soft, warm bunny-shaped rolls in no time.

View from the above of a hand holding a bread roll.

HOW TO MAKE BUNNY ROLLS OUT OF BREAD DOUGH

I use my yeasted bread dough recipe for homemade hot dog buns to make Easter bunny rolls. This bread dough is super easy to make; it doesn’t contain eggs, and you can use butter, lard, duck fat, or vegan butter to make vegan rolls, if you prefer. This bread dough contains: flour, salt, dry yeast, water, fat (butter, lard, duck fat, vegan butter).

BREAD RECIPE

Of course, you can use your favorite bread dough recipe or try the eggless bread dough that I use to make Best Hot Dog Buns. I often make a double batch of this recipe because it’s so good and easy to make. You can make rolls in advance; they freeze well for up to two months.

A bowl with risen bread dough. — Risen dough, double batch.

I don’t punch down this bread dough. Instead, I invert it onto a work surface. And I don’t use any additional flour on my work surface.

DIVIDE DOUGH

This step isn’t mandatory, but weighing the dough and dividing it evenly makes it easier to shape uniform bunny ears and tails.

Bunny Ears – I weighed 2.8 oz-3 oz (80-85 grams) of the dough for the ears. Reserve a piece of dough for the bunny tails, and calculate 0.4oz (11 grams) per tail.

Pieces of bread dough on a granite countertop.

Shape the bunny ears dough pieces into balls.
Cover the dough balls with a kitchen towel and let them rest for 5 minutes.
This allows the gluten to relax, making the buns easier to roll out.

Bunny Tails – Shape each small piece 0.4oz (11grams) into a ball. Cover the dough balls with a kitchen towel while you work on the ear part of the bunny.

Small pieces of dough shaped into balls.

SHAPING BUNNY EAR ROLLS

It’s best to roll out dough onto a surface that will make the dough cling to it slightly- a silicone mat, granite, or lay a piece of food wrap on your table/kitchen counter.
Roll a larger ball (bunny ears without the tail piece) of dough into a prolonged oval shape (steps 1-2).
Then, using both hands, tightly roll the dough into a “snake” shape and keep shaping it until it’s a little over 12 inches (30 cm) long (steps 3-4).

Hands shaping a piece of dough into a snake.

Fold the long rope in half (steps 1-2), twist it, keeping a small loop at the bottom (steps 3-4).

Transfer bunny ear-shaped dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment (step 1). Take a small ball of the dough – bunny tail and gently press it into the loop section (steps 2-3).

Hands placing a piece of shaped bread dough onto a baking sheet.

SECOND PROOF

Space bunny ear rolls on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Cover a baking sheet with a kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free spot for 40-45 minutes. I leave mine on the counter and place two kitchen towels underneath the baking sheet to help balance the cold granite.

Risen shaped bread roll on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

BAKE AND HOW TO CREATE STEAM IN THE OVEN

To bake bunny rolls, I use a simple steam method that produces the best rolls around.

Preheat the oven to 425°F (215-218 °C) with a shallow oven-safe dish on the bottom rack. Avoid using glass as it can shatter at high temperatures.
Just before baking, mist the rolls generously with water. I bought a spray bottle just for this purpose.
Right after you place your water-misted rolls into the oven, pour about 1/3 cup of water into the hot dish on the bottom rack, or add several ice cubes. Close the oven door immediately. This will produce steam in the oven.
After the buns are baked, spray them again with room-temperature water as soon as you take them out of the oven.

I bake bunny rolls for about 10-12 minutes, depending on the oven, just till they are golden brown.

Freshly baked rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

BUNNY EARS ROLLS SUCCESS TIPS

What bread recipe to use?

Choose a dough that shapes well. I usually use the same yeasted dough I make for hot dog buns, but my Sweet Bread Recipe works just as well.

Let the Dough Proof in a Warm, Draft-Free spot.

Use my tips for proofing yeast dough in a warm, draft-free spot.

Relax Gluten

In the 1st stage, let the shaped dough balls rest for several minutes. This relaxes the gluten, and the dough is easier to roll out. If the dough keeps retracting when rolling it out, give it a few more minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

Don’t use Additional Flour

Roll the dough on a silicone mat, or lay a piece of food wrap on your work surface and press it down so it sticks. The dough tends to cling to food wrap.

Use the Steam Method

For best results, follow the steam method to bake the rolls. If you can not preheat a shallow dish in the oven. Make sure to spray the buns generously before baking.

Cool Baked Bun on a Cooling Rack

Don’t place hot rolls on a cold granite surface to cool; condensation forms on the bottom, and they can get a little soggy. Transfer buns onto a cooling rack to cool before storing.

Freezing

You can freeze bunny rolls for later. Let them cool completely, and then freeze them in freeze-safe bags or containers. They freeze well for up to 1-2 months.

Golden brown bread rolls on a cooling rack.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH BUNNY ROLLS

Aren’t they adorable!? Soft bunny rolls are a tasty twist on traditional dinner rolls; they can be served warm or at room temperature. They are an absolute favorite with kids and adults alike. They will be devoured before you know it; that’s why I always make a double batch.

Serve them warm with a pat of butter or honey.
Have you tried jam or marmalade? So delicious.
Olive oil dip: whisk together olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary.
Meat stews and soups: rolls make a perfect side dish.
Serve bunny rolls along with cheese or meat platters.

Hands tearing the baked bread roll apart.

Print Pin

Best Hot Dog Buns

The recipe makes 9-10 medium to large hot dog buns. This recipe can be used to make Easter Bunny Ears Rolls. Follow the shaping instructions in the recipe post for Easter Bunny Rolls.

Oven temperature 220C/425F.

Hot dog buns can be frozen.

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine American, French, German, Slovak

Keyword bread, homemade hot dog buns, hot dog buns, soft hot dog buns

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 13

Dough Proofing 1 15

Total Time 1 38

Servings 10

Calories 130kcal

Author Hani B.

Ingredients

HOT DOG BUNS

500 grams bread flour/ about 3 1/2 to 4 cups (or good quality all purpose flour or 1:1 ratio Bread Flour : All Purpose Flour)
1 1/4 tsp salt
30 grams 2tbl soften butter or use lard, duck fat, vegan butter

Yeast Mixture

300 ml 1 1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp honey
2 1/2 tsp dry yeast
1 tbsp flour

Instructions

HOT DOG BUNS RECIPE

Special Tools You Need

You will need a small spray bottle filled with room temperature water to spray the buns before and after baking. And a shallow oven-safe dish.

Yeast Mixture

In a small dish whisk together warm water (1cup + 1/4 cup warm water, 300ml), honey (1 teaspoon), yeast (2 teaspoons+ 1/2 teaspoon), and flour (1tablespoon). Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
Tip: Don't use hot water. Hot water will kill the yeast.

Knead Soft Yeast Dough

In a bowl of your mixer whisk together flour(3 1/2 cups to 4 cups, 500grams) and salt (1 teaspoon and 1/4 teaspoon).
Pour the foamy yeast mixture and soften butter (2 tablespoons) into the bowl with the flour mix. Attach a hook attachment onto your stand mixer. Knead until a smooth dough is formed. If the dough appears too dry you can add 1 tablespoon of room temperature water. Alternatively, if it appears too wet add a little more flour, 1-2 tablespoons.
TIP: Don't a have a mixer with a hook attachment? You can make the dough by hand.
Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes. Dump onto lightly floured work surface and knead with your hands till it comes to a ball, 1 to 2 minutes.

1st Proof

Transfer the ball of dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot, for 30 minutes.

Shape the Hot Dot Buns

Dump the risen dough onto a silicone mat. Weigh the dough and divide the dough into approximately the same portions. I use a scale to weigh them so they are about the same size around 90-100 grams each.
Shape each piece into a small ball. If smaller rolls are desired you can make them smaller, no problem. Cover balls of dough for 5-10 minutes. This helps to relax the dough and it's easier to roll out.
Tip: Don't use additional flour on your work surface, it makes it harder to shape the buns.
To shape the hot dog buns first you need to roll out each small piece of dough (one at a time) into a thin long oval shape.
With a rolling pin flatten each piece of dough on a silicone mat into a oval shape, about 1/8 inch (3mm) thick and thinner.
TIP: Silicone mat helps the dough to cling slightly to it so it doesn't retract as much and it's easier to shape the rolls.
To form the hot dog buns use both of your hands and shape a rolled-out oval piece of dough into a log. Start at the short side of the oval, having your hands close together. As you are rolling the dough into a log stretch the dough log using your hands going outwards, while putting a little bit of pressure on both ends of the log.
TIP: Place the shaped hot dot buns seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Leave about 3 inches between the rolls.

2nd Rise

Cover rolls on a baking sheet with a damp paper towel or a damp kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes in a warm, draft-free place.

BAKE THE HOT DOG BUNS

About halfway thru the 2nd rise, place a small shallow dish (please DON'T USE GLASS) on the bottom rack of your oven and preheat the oven to 425F.
Remove the kitchen towel or damp paper towel from the risen buns. Spray them generously with room temperature water. Then immediately place the baking sheet with sprayed buns in the oven (2/3rack).
And then immediately pour about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water on a shallow dish on the bottom rack. When water touches a hot dish it will produce steam. Quickly close the oven door, not letting the steam escape.
TIP: You can also use ice cubes in place of water, use about 4-5 medium-size ice cubes.
Bake hot dog buns for 12-13 minutes. Buns shouldn't be white, they should be light golden brown/yellow on the top. Take the buns out of the oven and immediately while still hot use a spray bottle and spray them the second time with water. Allow cooking completely before freezing or serving. Repeat the baking process.

Notes

CAN I FREEZE HOT DOG BUNS? – Yes, absolutely. That’s what I do all the time. I let the buns cool completely and then freeze them. They freeze with no problem for up to 2-3 months. If you plan on freezing them for longer be sure to use a freezer paper. It protects the bread from freezer burns.
HOW CAN I MAKE VEGAN HOT DOG BUNS? – Use vegan butter in place of dairy butter.
I DON’T HAVE BREAD FLOUR, WHAT NOW? – Use can use good quality All Purpose Flour (King Arthur All-Purpose, Pillsbury, look for flour with 11 to 13 % protein content). I haven’t had good luck using generic grocery store brand all-purpose flours on their own. Instead, I’ve made my own mix using all-purpose and bread flour. That seems to be working well. You can use ratio 1:1, 1:2,2:1 (bread :all-purpose flour).