5 Best Ways to Shape Bread Rolls | Handle The Heat
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5 Ways to Shape Bread Rolls

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March 12th, 2018

I’m showing you 5 ways to shape bread rolls that are surprisingly easy and beautiful, perfect for any special occasion. Bonus: you can use these techniques with just about any recipe! Step-by-step video included below.

This post is sponsored by Red Star Yeast. All opinions provided are my own. Thanks for supporting me in working with brands I love to bring you new videos!

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Working with bread dough is one of my favorite things in the world. It used to intimidate me, but once I learned some basics I now find it to be so satisfying and relaxing.

5 ways to shape bread rolls (use any recipe) for picture-perfect restaurant quality rolls!

Basics like understanding that dough recipes are really a set a guidelines. You have to adapt any yeast bread to work in your kitchen environment.

If it’s a cold day, your dough may take longer to rise. If it’s been a humid summer, you may need to add extra flour because of that extra moisture in the air. To me, that’s the beauty of working with yeast-raised dough!

5 techniques for shaping yeast bread dough to make beautiful rolls!

Last year I partnered up with Red Star Yeast to create my Ultimate Simple Dough Recipe. That recipe was a huge hit! You can use it to make just about anything your heart desires:

  • Pizza
  • Cinnamon Rolls
  • Sandwich Bread
  • Bread Rolls

The list could go on and on. This dough isn’t only versatile; it’s super fun to work with. Tons of you guys got creative experimenting with this recipe when we did a baking challenge on it last year.

Click here to see get the Ultimate Simple Dough Recipe + variations. This recipe is the dough I use in the video below to shape and demonstrate these bread roll designs.

You don’t even need a stand mixer to make this dough. See my instructions for kneading dough by hand here.

Check out the video below to learn these 5 ways to shape bread rolls. I also give some tips and tricks for forming beautiful rolls, no matter what shape you choose.


One trick is to use a kitchen scale to portion out your pieces of dough perfectly. This will give you completely uniform rolls that look totally professional.

However, no worries if you don’t have a scale. You can simply take your ball of dough and cut it in half, then cut each half in halves. Then cut each piece down to three pieces, for a total of twelve. That’ll work wonderfully for the Ultimate Simple Dough Recipe.

5 EASY ways to shape bread rolls to make them beautiful for any special occasion or holiday!

These pretty roll shapes are perfect for any special family dinner, holiday, or any time you want feel like creating something with your hands.

The shaped rolls would actually be particularly perfect for Easter, which is coming up so soon!

By the way, be sure to take advantage of this BOGO coupon from Red Star Yeast so you can stock up on your bread baking supplies. I just love their platinum yeast because it yields rolls and loaves that are ultra fluffy, tall, and beautiful.

So what do you think? Which shape is your favorite? Let me know!

Tessa Arias
Author: Tessa Arias

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)

Tessa Arias

About Tessa...

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)

Find Tessa on  

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  1. #
    Meghan Mc Laughlin — July 17, 2020 at 5:00 am

    i am doing a course on catering NVQ level 2 and i want to know how to make different shapes with the dough
    can you tell me

  2. #
    techlogcs — January 25, 2020 at 5:32 am

    This turned into a top notch and exciting article to study. I even have definitely loved all of this very cool facts

  3. #
    Maya Tiwana — November 19, 2019 at 1:45 pm

    I made the swirl one for my food tech class and it was great I even added some olives to make a porucpine out of it 🙂

  4. #
    gin rummy free — May 26, 2019 at 11:51 pm

    nice post seen something different:–

  5. #
    helix jump — May 3, 2019 at 1:46 am

    Yes, those are my goals. I like to keep things simple.

  6. #
    John — November 26, 2018 at 1:47 pm

    You’re hot lol

  7. #
    devast io — October 4, 2018 at 2:01 am

    Food with many lively shapes, the formula you shared helped me a lot in processing this dish.

  8. #
    Jennifer — July 20, 2018 at 2:45 pm

    I volunteered to make bread for a charity event. I watched your video the day I was baking and made the twisted rolls, loaf size braids, garlic knots and a larger version of the twisted roll. Thank you thank thank you. I knew the bread was delicious but the presentation was so spectacular. The process was a little more time consuming but very worth it and not difficult at all.

  9. #
    geometry dash — May 2, 2018 at 9:46 pm

    These look so good – cannot wait to try this recipe!

  10. #
    Christine — March 17, 2018 at 2:14 am

    I love the twisted spirals! We’ve made this recipe and can’t wait to try these shapes!

    • #
      Tessa — March 19, 2018 at 11:57 am

      Thanks so much, Christine! That makes me very happy to hear 🙂

  11. #
    Erica Lea | Buttered Side Up — March 15, 2018 at 12:01 pm

    These are all so cute, Tessa! I’ll have to come back to this post when I want to impress with my bread rolls. ❤

    • #
      Tessa — March 19, 2018 at 11:57 am

      Thank you, Erica!! xo

  12. #
    Sabrina — March 14, 2018 at 5:03 pm

    had never thought of shaping these, had always left these clever twists and curls to professionals, so thank you for the inspiration!

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