Easter Bunny Rolls

A bunny-shaped bread roll on a napkin set on a plate.

4.94 from 29 votes

These Easter Bunny Rolls are so easy to make and perfect for brunch or dinner! Made from fool-proof homemade yeast dough, these cute bunny-shaped rolls are buttery, fluffy, and so cute with their salty tails.

Prep Time1 10

Cook Time20

Total Time1 30

Course: Brunch, Side Dish

Cuisine: Holiday

Servings:

Author: Julia Foerster

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp Instant dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter melted

Instructions

Pour lukewarm water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add yeast, sugar, salt, oil, and flour.
Knead on low-medium speed for about 4 minutes, until a smooth, elastic dough forms. The dough should be thick, yet soft and only slightly sticky. When it pulls away from the sides of the bowl it's ready.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn the dough over to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm environment to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Once doubled in size, punch the dough down to release any air bubbles. Remove dough from the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.
Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper, a silicone baking mat or lightly grease the cookie sheet.
Roll each ball of dough into a rope about 14 inches long. Cut a 1/2-inch piece off the end, and roll into a ball for the tail. Fold the dough rope in half, and loosely twist twice to form the body of the bunny. Place on cookie sheet and press down the overlapping ear a little bit to prevent it from rising too high. To make the bunny tail press ball of dough into folded end of the twist. Repeat with remaining dough to make 6 bunnies. Let the bunnies rise for 5-10 minutes.
Brush the tails with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Bake the bunnies for 23-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the edges look cooked. Remove the rolls from the oven when they are done and brush butter onto each warm bunny.

Video

Notes

The right type of yeast: Make sure to use instant dry yeast and check the date before adding it to the mixture.

Ingredients: When making yeast dough, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. Warm ingredients will help activate the yeast and make the dough rise faster.

Kneading: Kneading the dough helps develop the gluten in the dough, which creates a chewy texture. Use a stand mixer with the dough hook or knead by hand for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Let the dough rise: After kneading, let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size. This can take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the temperature in your house and how yeast-friendly it is.

Don't overwork the dough: Once the dough has risen, don't overwork it. Gently punch it down with your hands and shape it before letting it rise again.

Baking: Make sure not to overbake the bunnies. Bake them until the tops are golden brown and the edges look cooked. Baking time might vary depending on your oven.

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