This post may contain affiliate links. See my privacy policy for details.
Old-Fashioned Southern Honey Butter Rolls
A recipe for Old-Fashioned Southern Honey Butter Rolls recently caught my eye on Facebook. “Honey Butter Rolls?” I mused, scrolling to find the link to the recipe ” Now what on earth are those?” How could I not investigate this further, with the words honey and butter trilling through my head like a sweet siren’s song?
Lo and behold, when reading the recipe for the rolls I realized that Southern Honey Butter Rolls are really close to my family’s recipe for Babka, the eggy Easter bread that Ukrainians traditionally bake – and eat loaf upon loaf of for a week straight it seems. This melding of food in cultures never ceases to amaze me, how closely it all is intertwined.
I based this off of my family’s recipe for Babka, knowing that a couple of extra egg yolks in a dough take the final product over the top. And like all things Ukrainian – or Southern for that matter! – this recipe makes two dozen buns, just in case we are feeding an army.
These were beyond a hit.
You’ll need two 9×13-ish sized pans (I say “ish” because my Pyrex pans are a little bigger) and a few hours of your time. The key to these is to let them rise fully and completely, which takes at least 50 minutes and I would err on the side of caution and make sure they are allowed an hour at each rising.
Take a peek at the bun below, then take a look ay the finished product. These buns need to rise, and they need to rise a lot in order to be the best buns out there.
Look at how much they rose and baked up to fill the spaces in the pan!
An hour each rising folks, no less. You will not experience Old-Fashioned Southern Honey Butter Rolls bliss if you don’t let them rise long enough! Be patient!
Is there anything more dreamy than a pan of homemade buns? Especially these Old-Fashioned Southern Honey Butter Rolls?
I don’t think there is.
If you don’t want to make two dozen buns, freeze half of the dough after the first rise. Punch the dough down, divide it in half and place half into a freezer safe bag. To use, simply defrost, form into buns as directed and let rise for the second time.
The honey butter combo is really what makes these so special. Taking a pastry brush and swirling golden dabs of sweet goodness over the top of these beauties sets them apart from your ordinary dinner roll. The best part is that you are going to have leftover honey butter and to be frank it’s simply amazing when slathered on half of a fresh from the oven roll.
I think I have found my holiday go-to bun recipe in these Old-Fashioned Southern Honey Butter Rolls and this is definitely the recipe I’ll use for when I host large family dinners. The kids happily took buns to school for their lunches the following few days and I loved that this recipe was a sanity saver in more ways than one!
Happy Baking everyone!
Love,
Karlynn
PIN THIS RECIPE to your BAKING RECIPES Boards and Remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
Thanks to ads on this website, readers of The Kitchen Magpie are now sponsoring 2 families a month through the Edmonton Food Bank. Learn how you can help here.
Learn to cook like the Kitchen Magpie
A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook
Cookies, Candies, Cakes & More: Vintage Baking to Celebrate the Festive Season!
Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky
A Modern Baker’s Guide to Old-Fashioned Desserts
The Prairie Table
Suppers, Potlucks & Socials: Crowd-Pleasing Recipes to Bring People Together
Subscribe to The Kitchen Magpie on YouTube
One click and you'll get notified of new videos added to our YouTube account!
Subscribe on YouTube
Old Fashioned Southern Honey Butter Rolls
- Prep Time
- 2 hours
- Cook Time
- 15 minutes
- Total Time
- 2 hours 15 minutes
- Course
- bread
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 24
- Calories
- 239
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup warm water 100° to 110°
- 2 1/4 teaspoons traditional yeast
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 3/4 cups milk
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 eggs yolks
- 1/3 cup honey melted
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Grease (2) 9x13 baking pans and set aside.
- Combine first 3 ingredients in the bowl attached to a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and let stand until mixture bubbles.
- Place milk in a large microwave safe mixing up and heat until foamy. Remove and place butter in the milk ,swirling until it's melted into the milk.
- Cool the milk mixture to around 100°F . Beat the eggs and egg yolks together until light and creamy, then mix into the milk. Stir in the honey and salt until the salt has dissolved. Add to the yeast mixture.
- Slowly add the 6 1/2 cups of flour, continuously mixing with the dough hook on medium speed. Combine completely, then let the dough hook knead the dough for an extra 4-5 minutes. Remove and place into large well oiled bowl . Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Punch down dough. Turn dough out on a well-floured surface. Divide into two equal parts. Divide each of those pieces into 12 balls and roll until smooth in shape. Place 12 dough balls into each 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Pre-heat your oven to 400°F.
- Mix together the 1/2 cup softened butter and 1/4 cup honey until completely incorporated.
- Bake rolls for 14-15 minutes until very golden brown and the tops sound hollow when tapped. Remove from the oven and brush the tops with a fair amount of honey butter.
- Serve with the remaining honey butter!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Made this recipe?
Share a photo of what you made on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thekitchenmagpie or hashtag it #thekitchenmagpie.
Please rate this recipe in the comments below to help out your fellow cooks!
Mary Rahuba says
Can this dough be refrigerated overnight and then baked the next morning? I read that you could divide after the first rise and freeze. At this point could I put in refrigerator over night and rise and bake in the morning.
Destinee Hart says
I don’t have any traditional yeast, but I do have brewer’s yeast from when I made lactation cookies. Is that ok to use?
Karlynn Johnston says
I’ve never used it, and since it’s more a supplement your results would be different. May
Shanleigh Rice says
Naomi Hinman between the two of us we should have success in making these
Charlene Birston says
Thank You …sharing!
Tammy Michelle says
These are so good and easy to make!
Vicky Carol Ables says
I wish these were in gluten free
Chris Heckman says
also glad to see pyrex
Alana Meisner says
Do you think the dough could be made in a bread maker?
The Kitchen Magpie says
Put the ingredients in the correct order and give it a whirl!
Alana Meisner says
I’ll do it and report back! I planned on doing buns this weekend and I usually use the bread maker out of convenience. Fingers crossed!!
Wendy says
Karlynn, I don’t have real yeast only dried, can I use that?
Karlynn Johnston says
Hi Wendy, traditional yeast is the dried yeast in the jar, it will say traditional instead of quick rise on it!
Stacey LeMoine says
they take delicious to a WHOLE new level!
The Kitchen Magpie says
They are our favorite!
Stacey LeMoine says
they take delicious to a WHOLE new level!
Stacey LeMoine says
I made ’em… totally delicious! And of course, had honey butter on them. I am so looking forward to your cookbook!
The Kitchen Magpie says
I looove these buns!
Wendy says
Karlynn, I don’t have real yeast only dried, can I use that?
Ann Picken says
Well done karlynn !! Thank you
Ann Picken says
I don’t want my sister in law thinking her little buns don’t matter cause they are also awesome ! Maybe one day she might share it with the world right !
Evelyn Pickenxoxo
Thelma Picken
Thelma Picken says
Ann Picken maybe but one day
Cheryl Clyne says
You inspired me! Mine are rising now. For a full hour! Fingers crossed. (But hubby bought buns just in case…)
Don Wiley says
Also inspired. Made half recipe and I probably ended up with 4 C flour. It was climbing the hook but not cleaning the sides. I was afraid that over kneading might affect the crumb.We shall see.
The Kitchen Magpie says
Let me know how they turn out!
Don Wiley says
The Kitchen Magpie Dough was very sticky after first rise. But, I did not let it rest.
Don Wiley says
By the time I had my 19th roll formed, it was handling better. Bake was a bit over 20 min – but that’s my oven. Bottom has a very nice crunch and the crumb is acceptable. A definite keeper.
Cheryl Clyne says
turned out great and everyone loved the honey butter!
Don Wiley says
Sounds like exactly what I have been looking for!
The Kitchen Magpie says
They are our favourite! Hope that you enjoy them!!
Don Wiley says
The Kitchen Magpie Gonna start a half batch right now. I need to get your cookbook.
The Kitchen Magpie says
My first cookbook will be out this fall! Hang in there, it’s coming!!
Jake Klassen says
Amy don’t be chicken bake buns it’s easy
Amy Melby says
Aaaand, I don’t own a mixer, lol
The Kitchen Magpie says
Amy you can do it! Trust me, these are so easy!
Lenni Frame says
These looks sooooo good! Just wondering, in your ingredients list you have 1/3 cup of honey and 4tsp salt, when are these ingredients added to the recipe?
Amy Melby says
I have never tried baking bread or buns (aside from helping my grandma as a kid) and it terrifies me to try, lol.
The Kitchen Magpie says
They are so easy, for real!!!
dougchaz1 says
I just mixed up dough and now its resting but do I add salt and 1/3c honey????
Kimberly J. Stonehouse says
They look awesome I might have to get brave and try it out
The Kitchen Magpie says
Pyrex is amazing for bread! I have another recipe I want to share soon, baked in Pyrex!
Tracy King says
I didn’t know you could do bread in Pyrex!!! Where have I been? I definitely have to try this.
The Kitchen Magpie says
Yes, this is my recipe and photos. I shared a pic last week and everyone wanted the recipe, just had to get it written up!
Tracy King says
Did you bake those buns in your Pyrex?
koolaidpickle says
KitchenMagpie This Southerner approves! \U0001f44d
KitchenMagpie says
koolaidpickle Yay!! I’m so far from a Southerner, hope I did the buns justice 😉