Lunch Lady Cafeteria Rolls (2024)

January 15, 2014 287 Comments

I saw thisrecipe for Lunch Lady Cafeteria Rolls on Pinterest last week and just had to try it. There wasn’t a whole lot I loved about school lunch, but I do remember liking the rolls.

I was so happy with the way these rolls turned out. I made two small changes. One wasn’t even on purpose, but it simplified the process. That is what I call a happy accident!

I made the Lunch Lady Cafeteria Rolls again today and took a picture of each step. If you are an old pro at making rolls, just skip down to the bottom for the entire recipe.Otherwise, follow me. Once you see the steps, you will be a pro!

Serving Turkey for Thanksgiving this year?

Click here for simple tips to make it awesome!

P.S. When I made these rolls last time,I used half of the dough to make cinnamon rolls!!! TURNED OUT AMAZING!!!!!!

step-by-step instructions for how to make lunch lady cafeteria Rolls

• Add yeast and 1 Tbsp sugar to warm water and let sit for 3-5 minutes.

• Melt butter in microwave, and then add the milk to help the butter cool down. (If you add the butter to the yeast while it is still hot, it could kill the yeast.) **The original recipe says to add the melted butter after dough has risen for the first time and to knead it into the dough. That just seems like it would be a mess. I accidentally put it in with the yeast mixture the first time I made them, and they turned out so great! I don’t think it is worth the mess of adding it later after the dough has risen, but you can try it, if you want.

• Slightly beat the eggs.

• Add melted butter (cooled), milk, eggs and salt to yeast mixture. Stir until it is well combined.(Original recipe calls for 1 Tbsp of salt. I thought it needed just a little more, so I threw in another 1/4 tsp.) The mixture will look something like the picture above.

• In a large bowl combine flour and sugar. Stir until combined.

• Add shortening to mixture.

• Using your hand, crumble shortening into flour until it is barely noticeable.

• Search for lumps until you get them all.

• Pour liquid yeast mixture into flour mixture.

• Using a large wooden spoon, stir until well combined.

• When dough starts to come together, ditch the spoon.

• Using your hand, knead the dough for approx. 2 minutes. Add a little more flour, if dough is too sticky to work with.

• It will come together into a nice ball. Cover dough and place in a warm area for up to two hours or until dough doubles in size.(I put mine in my oven. While I mix the dough, I heat the oven to 195 degrees. Then, I turn the oven off right before I put the covered dough in it. This step cuts back on time dramatically. Dough will be doubled in 20-30 minutes.)

• Dough will look something like the picture above. (I forgot about mine, and it rose for about 1 1/2 hours.) It was fine. You can let it rise for up to 2 hours, if you want to.

• After dough has doubled in size, punch it down and knead with your hands one more time for 2 minutes. If dough is a bit sticky, sprinkle it with flour as needed. At this point, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

• After the 2 minutes of kneading are up, you are ready to form the dough into rolls. The original recipe says you can roll it out and cut it into 2×1 rectangles and form them into balls. TOO MUCH EFFORT! Just rip off a piece the size of a large apricot, and follow the above steps 1-4 to form it into a perfect ball. Dip your fingers in flour occasionally to keep dough from sticking to your hands.
  • • • • Step 1: Begin as if you are turning the dough inside out.
        • Step 2: Using your other hand, come down around the dough, pushing it into a ball-like shape.
        • Step 3: Turn over and pinch bottom to finish making it into a ball.
        • Step 4: Place seam side down in a greased 9×13 pan.

• When dough is formed into rolls and placed on pans, cover and allow to rise until almost doubled again. I put my pans on top of the oven while it is preheating, and this step usually only takes 15-20 minutes. Bake rolls at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

Not so bad, right?! Great job! Enjoy your yummy rolls!

More Homemade Rolls Recipes

• Mom’s Best Dinner Rolls
• Lion House Rolls
• Ninety Minute Rolls
• One Hour Dinner Rolls
• Easy Homemade Hard Rolls
• Crescent Shaped Rolls

These rolls can be frozen in dough form. Roll them into balls and freeze them individually on a cookie sheet before putting them in a freezer-safe container. When ready to use, take out of freezer and give them time to rise as they thaw out. They can also be frozen after they are cooked and cooled. So handy to be able to pull out of the freezer on busy days!

***Remember: If you want to, you can use this dough for great cinnamon rolls. Click here for the recipe.

Tips for making Lunch Lady Cafeteria Rolls

• Make sure the melted butter has cooled before adding it to the yeast mixture. The heat can kill the yeast.
• Mix shortening into flour until it is barely noticeable.
• For a faster first rise of the dough, 1) Heat oven to 195 degrees while mixing the dough; 2) Turn off oven right before putting covered dough in it. Dough doubles in 20-30 minutes.
• Follow the four steps in the numbered collage picture above to shape the dough into balls.
• While the oven is preheating to 400 degrees, place covered pans with rolled dough balls on top of the stove/oven for a quicker rise before baking.

baker’s tools:

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Large Wooden Spoon
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Baking Sheet
• 9×13 Dish

Don’t forget to pin this awesome recipe to your favorite pinterest board!