Preview: Poppy Seed Bread Rolls from a bread machine are light and airy yeast rolls with a touch of sweetness.
If you are a poppy seed fan, you will want to add these Poppy Seed Yeast Rolls to your repertoire. Try them spread with lemon curd or preserves.
Take the savory route and make hot ham and cheese sliders. Perfect for a party. Whip up these rolls for Easter dinner, and then later, make sandwiches using leftover Easter ham and some honey or Dijon mustard.
Directions for using a bread machine to mix and knead the dough are included. No bread machine? See recipe notes for alternative directions.

You don’t have to have a bread machine to make these but it’s easier if you do. Dump all ingredients into the bread machine pan and run the DOUGH cycle. Wait until the dough has risen to double before removing the dough. This is the way I do all of my bread machine recipes–mix the dough in a bread machine and bake it in my oven.
Next, remove the dough from the pan, form into rolls and let rise again until double. Bake in a conventional oven. Voila! You have just made yeast rolls you’ll have to tie down to keep from floating off like a cloud.

And one more thing: Unlike most homemade bread, these rolls will stay fresh and delicious for 3-4 days. This is important. I don’t feel quite as compelled to eat all the rolls the day I make them.
Ingredients and substitutions:
Using a bread machine to make poppy seed bread rolls:



More posts about bread machines and good recipes for them:
Bread Machine Monkey Bread
A pull-apart, brioche-like yeast bread, mixed and kneaded in a bread machine, then baked in the oven in a bundt pan.
Bread Machine Hawaiian Rolls
A sweet and soft roll in the same style as my favorite Hawaiian bread at the grocery store. Instructions for mixing and kneading in a bread machine, then shaping by hand and baking in a conventional oven.
The Softest Bread Machine Dinner Roll Recipe
These homemade rolls are everything you could want in a dinner roll: light, airy, flavorful, and versatile. Plus, thanks to a Tangzhong-inspired modification, they stay fresh for 2-3 days with no preservatives
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Hope to see you again soon!
Paula
p.s. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can email me privately: paula at saladinajar.com.
Poppy Seed Bread Rolls (Bread Machine Recipe)

Poppyseed Yeast Rolls are light and airy dinner rolls with a touch of sweetness.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of room temperature water (227 gr)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (48 gr)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 gr)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla nut butter extract or butter extract (5 gr)
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (2.5 gr)
- 1 teaspoon salt (6 gr)
- 3 tablespoons sugar (36 gr)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds (9gr)
- 3 cups bread flour (360 gr)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine or instant yeast (7 gr)
Instructions
- Place ingredients in order listed into a bread machine. Select the DOUGH cycle. After 15 minutes, open the lid and check the dough. If too dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. If too wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. When the cycle is finished, remove the dough from the pan to a floured surface.
- Divide dough in half. Cut each half into 16 pieces. Form into balls. See the video for an explanation of how to form dough into balls. Place in 2 8-inch round or a 9-inch square pan sprayed with vegetable oil.
- Cover pans and allow to rise until double in a warm place. This may take from 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Bake in 350˚F oven for 11-14 minutes until brown. Internal temperature should reach 190˚F.
- Let rolls sit on the counter for about 5 minutes. Then turn out onto a towel or plate. Flip upright onto a serving plate or tear apart and pile into a serving basket.
Notes
Alternate Mixing Instructions:
Directions for making bread with a stand mixer or by hand:
- To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer, add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on low to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Using a dough hook, turn speed to 2 or 3 and continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 5-10 minutes). Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
- If making by hand, combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead with your hands until dough becomes smooth and elastic, a process that will likely take 10-20 minutes depending on your experience. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
How to substitute active dry yeast for bread-machine yeast or instant yeast:
If you substitute regular yeast for instant or bread-machine yeast, you must dissolve it first before adding to the dry ingredients. Stir it into about 1/4 cup of the lukewarm liquid called for in the recipe. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Add to other wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients. Proceed as directed to knead and shape the dough.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 rollAmount Per Serving: Calories: 152Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 146mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g
Elaine
Saturday 11th of July 2020
Hi Paula, I made these poppyseed rolls this afternoon and they have come out exactly as in your excellent photos. I'm having so much fun with my bread machine again since finding your lovely site, so thanks once again for another delicious and easy recipe....half of them already eaten, and half in the freezer for another day. x
Paula
Saturday 11th of July 2020
I'm thrilled to hear this Elaine. This is one of my favorite recipes, especially for chicken salad sandwiches.Thanks for writing.
Mimi
Friday 21st of September 2018
Where do I find just vanilla, can I omit it and just put vanilla extract? Also, how can I make this using the oven, since I don’t have a bread maker?
Paula
Friday 21st of September 2018
Hi Mimi, You can definitely bake this bread in an oven. I always do that, even though I use a bread machine to mix and knead it. I added specific instructions for people who don't have a bread machine in the notes of the recipe.
You can use vanilla extract only. However, the vanilla butternut is easy to find at Walmart or you can order it online. It really makes these rolls special.
Downtown Foodie
Saturday 8th of December 2012
Omg, I just made these and they are amazing!! I have made some great bread, but I only tried dinner rolls once (when I was very much a novice), and this is the texture that I have dreamed of achieving. Thank you so much for sharing! I am going to use the basic version of this dinner roll recipe for Christmas. Yuuuuum!!!
Ian
Tuesday 29th of May 2012
Just want to say that these turned out amazingly well! Everyone enjoyed them at the afternoon tea. I liked them so much I'm going to do them again for a church event in two weeks time and I'll probably use this loaf version of this at some point too. They worked fine without the butter extract in the end, thanks for the recipe and the advise.
Ian
Wednesday 16th of May 2012
Hi Paula,
These look great! I'm going to make them for an afternoon tea on Saturday. What was the size and hieght of the square baking tin did you use for the individual rolls?
And will it make too much difference if I replaced the oil and butter extract with 1tbsp butter? (I don't think butter extract/vanilla nut butter is readily available in the UK). Thanks.
Paula
Wednesday 16th of May 2012
Ian, I used 2 8-inch square pans that are 2 inches deep. You could also use round pans. I would replace the butter/vanilla nut extract with just vanilla extract, not butter. That extract gives a very specific flavor and also a bit of yellow color. They won't be quite the same without it but they will still be fabulous. pr