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Easter Bunny Rolls

These easy-to-make Easter Bunny 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 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).

Baked bread roll on a cooling rack.

EGGLESS BREAD DOUGH RECIPE: FIRST PROOF

For a full bread dough recipe with the list of ingredients and measurements, please take a look at my recipe for 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. I don’t use any additional flour on my work surface.

Yeast dough on a granite countertop.

DIVIDE DOUGH

When making roll or buns, though not necessary, but for even results, it’s a good idea to weigh the dough and divide the dough into equally big portions.

To make the bunny rolls ears portion, I weighed 2.8 oz-3 oz (80-85 grams) of 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 each piece into a ball. Cover balls of dough with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 5 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax, and buns will be easier to roll out.

Unbaked balls of bread dough.

Here you can see small pieces of dough that I used for the bunny tails. Each piece is about 0.4oz (11 grams). Shape each piece into a small ball, and cover with a kitchen towel.

Small pieces of dough shaped into balls.

SHAPING BUNNY ROLLS

It’s best to roll out dough onto a surface that will make the dough cling to it slightly- silicone mat, granite, or stick a piece of food wrap on your table. Roll a larger ball of dough into a prolonged oval shape (steps 1-2). Then using both of your 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 (step 1-2), twist it keeping a small loop at the bottom (steps 3-4).

Hands shaping a piece of bread dough.

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

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

SECOND PROOF

Space bunny 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.

BAKING: HOW TO CREATE STEAM IN THE OVEN

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

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

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

Freshly baked rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

BUNNY ROLLS SUCCESS TIPS

  • To make bunny rolls use my bread dough recipe for Hot Dog Buns.
  • Proof yeast dough in a warm, draft-free spot.
  • Let shaped balls of dough rest for several minutes, this relaxes the gluten and dough is easier to roll out.
  • When rolling out the dough, use a rolling pin. And roll out the dough thin.
  • Don’t use additional flour to make the rolled-out dough cling to the surface. 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 to the work surface. The dough tends to cling to food wrap.
  • For best results, follow the steam method to bake the rolls.
  • Don’t place hot rolls on a cold granite to cool; condensation forms on the bottom of the rolls, and they can get a little soggy at the bottom; either let them cool on a baking sheet or use a cooling rack.
  • 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 cheese or meat platters.
Hands tearing the baked bread roll apart.

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 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Dough Proofing 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 38 minutes
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).

    FAVORITE HOMEMADE BREAD RECIPES

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