Nothing beats homemade bread with festive vegan holiday dinners, and these no-knead dinner rolls make the process a bit easier! You simply mix, rise, shape, rise again, and then bake. No need for a mixer or active kneading time. I dress these buttery vegan rolls up with some sweet potato purée in the dough, fresh rosemary, sage and thyme, garlic powder and dried onion. They kind of evoke the flavors of vegan stuffing! Great for potluck Friendsgiving celebrations as well. I include make-ahead instructions with this recipe.
I am shocked that we are lacking a dinner roll option amongst the 60+ holiday recipes collected here over the years. Not anymore! I love to make bread as a hobby, but when I post a recipe here, it’s usually a no-knead option. See my No-Knead Marathon Bread and No-Knead Cinnamon Rolls. Simplicity is the name of the game most of the time! I saw a recipe for no-knead onion rolls in a recent issue of Real Simple and immediately got to work on making the recipe vegan with a touch more holiday flare.
Sweet potato purée replaces eggs in this rich dough. The little flecks of orange are so pretty and I like the hint of natural sweetness. I also loaded these no-knead dinner rolls up with the flavors of traditional stuffing: sage, thyme, rosemary, celery seed, garlic powder, and dehydrated onion flakes. The end result is deeply savory and flavorful.
Beyond the add-ins, you simply need active dry yeast (double check the expiration date on yours!), all purpose flour, salt, vegan butter, and unsweetened soy milk. I use the salted vegan butter by Nuts For Cheese.
When I say no-knead, I really mean it. After activating the yeast in warm soy milk with a touch of sugar, you simply stir the dough together before covering for the first 1-hour rise. Once the dough rises, press it down and shape into 16 cute little balls. Let the balls rise in a 9×13 baking dish for another 30 minutes before baking, and you’re done! I have make-ahead instructions in the recipe notes for you as well.
Enjoy these on their own or with a swoop of butter. They’re also excellent for mopping up vegan mushroom gravy. Enjoy!
Savory No-Knead Dinner Rolls with Sweet Potato & Herbs
Enjoy these buttery and savory no-knead dinner rolls with sweet potato and herbs. Make-ahead instructions are included with this vegan recipe
Servings 16 rolls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened soy milk
- 1 teaspoon cane sugar
- 4 ½ teaspoons (14 grams) active dry yeast
- ⅓ cup cooked sweet potato purée
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) melted vegan butter, divided
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon celery seed
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons dehydrated minced onion
- 5 cups (600 grams) all purpose flour
- olive oil spray
- flaky salt for sprinkling on top
Notes
- This recipe is based on one from Real Simple Magazine.
- Do make sure that your yeast is fresh before starting!
- I really must insist on soy milk here. I tried versions with oat milk and nut milk, and I was not as happy with the results. The protein content of soy makes it superior for performance in this recipe.
- Here in Canada, yeast is sold in 8 gram packets. In the US, the packets contain 7 grams. For this recipe, you’ll need 14 grams of active dry yeast total–or 4 ½ teaspoons.
- This dough is quite sticky and a little fussy to work with in the shaping stage. If you need to repeatedly flour your fingers, go right ahead.
- In the fall and winter, you can sometimes find a “stuffing mix” of fresh herbs at grocery stores that contains sage, thyme, and rosemary. This is perfect for this recipe!
- To prep and shape the rolls ahead of time: Assemble the dough as described in step 1 and the first step of the “First Rise” section. Let the dough rise for only 30 minutes during the first rise. Then, shape the rolls as described in steps 2 & 3 of the “First Rise” section. Do not do the second rise! Cover the rolls and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours. Let the rolls stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking as outlined in the “Bake” section.
Instructions
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Heat the soy milk to 110°F (either in the microwave or on the stovetop). Transfer the warm soy milk to a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the top and mix it in a bit. Set aside until the top is foamy and active looking, about 5-10 minutes.
First Rise
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To the soy milk mixture, add the sweet potato, 4 tablespoons of the vegan butter, salt, celery seed, garlic powder, thyme, sage, rosemary, and dehydrated minced onion. Give this mixture a good whisk to break up the sweet potato. Add the flour. Stir until a sticky and shaggy dough forms. Spray the surface of the dough with olive oil and cover. Set the dough in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
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The dough should have doubled in size after 1 hour. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with olive oil. Punch/press down the dough and divide it into 16 even pieces (about 70 grams each).
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Shape the dough portions. Take one piece of dough and press down with your fingers. Then, use your fingers to gather the edges into a ball, creating surface tension. Flip the piece of dough over on the counter, still holding the edges and keeping the tension. Cupping your hand in a loose “claw”, roll the dough on the counter briefly to form a ball (dusting your fingers with flour if necessary) and then place it in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.
Bake
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush the tops of the rolls with remaining 2 tablespoons of vegan butter and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake until golden brown and internal temperature is 200 degrees F, about 18-20 minutes.
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Let the rolls cool slightly before enjoying.