Grandma’s Light Air Buns (Soft Homemade Dinner Rolls)

These light air buns are my grandma’s soft, fluffy homemade dinner rolls, made by hand with butter, eggs and a splash of white vinegar, and they’re the bread basket at every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

Every time I visited my grandma, there were fresh buns. Not sometimes. Every single time, usually sitting next to a pan of her cinnamon rolls or a tin of her jam thumbprint cookies.

Air buns are soft, light yeast dinner rolls, the kind Canadian prairie and Mennonite kitchens have made by the dozen for generations. This recipe makes about 35 buns from all-purpose flour, butter, eggs, sugar, active dry yeast and a splash of white vinegar, and it’s mixed and kneaded completely by hand, with 2.5 to 3 hours of rising time. 

I still make them exactly the way she did, with a big bowl, a spatula and my hands. No stand mixer, and most of the time no thermometer either. I just make sure the water feels warm on my wrist. 

Ingredients for Air Buns

Exact measurements are in the recipe card below.

• Active dry yeast: traditional active dry, not instant. It gets proofed in warm water first so you know it’s alive before it goes in the dough. 
• White sugar: a little feeds the yeast, and the rest goes into the dough for a soft, slightly sweet bun.
• Warm water: warm to the touch, around 115F. Too hot kills the yeast, too cold and it won’t wake up. 
• Butter: melted, for a rich, tender bun. Margarine works too, and you’ll want extra melted butter for brushing the tops. 
• Salt: balances the sugar and gives the buns their golden color. 
• White vinegar: Grandma never skipped it. A splash of acid is a classic air bun trick for a softer, lighter crumb. 
• Eggs: two of them, for richness and structure. This is what sets these apart from most egg-free air bun recipes. 
• All-purpose flour: added a cup at a time. You can swap in some whole wheat flour, but white flour gives you the lightest buns.

How to Make Air Buns

Proof the Yeast

1.  Warm the water until it feels warm on your wrist, around 115F. 
2. Dissolve the sugar in the water in a small bowl, then sprinkle the yeast over the top without stirring. 
3. Set the bowl in the oven with just the light on (no heat) until it’s foamy. If it doesn’t foam, toss it and start again with fresh yeast. 

Make the Dough

1. Add the melted butter, sugar, salt, vinegar and warm water to a large mixing bowl. 5. Once the mixture has cooled to lukewarm, stir in the eggs. If it’s still hot, the eggs will start to cook. 6. Stir in the proofed yeast mixture. 
2. Add the flour one cup at a time, stirring with a spatula. Around 5 cups in, the dough gets too stiff to stir, so switch to your hands. 
3. Knead for about 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and holds together when you lift it instead of falling through your fingers.

Let It Rise

1. Grease a bowl at least 3 times the size of the dough, add the dough, and cover with a clean tea towel.
2. Let it rise in the oven with just the light on for 1.5 to 2 hours, until doubled. 

Shape and Bake

1. Pinch off egg-sized pieces of dough, roll them into balls, and set them about 1 inch apart in a greased pan. 
2. Cover and let them rise for about 1 more hour. 
3. Bake at 400F for 14 to 18 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. 
4. Brush the tops with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven. 

Tips for Light, Fluffy Air Buns

• Keep the dough soft. Add the last cups of flour slowly and stop when the dough is smooth and just a little tacky. Too much flour is the fastest way to dense buns. 
• Watch the dough, not the clock. Kitchens rise at different speeds. The dough is ready when it has doubled and a gentle poke leaves a dent that slowly springs back. 
• Keep them the same size. Egg-sized pieces bake evenly, so no pale buns next to dark ones on the same pan.

Variations

• Soft pull-apart buns: bake them close together in a baking dish so the sides touch and stay soft.
• Crustier buns: space them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet so the heat reaches every side. 
• Partly whole wheat: swap some of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat. They’ll be a little denser, so keep most of it white.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between air buns and dinner rolls? 

They’re the same thing. “Air buns” is what a lot of Canadian and Mennonite families call soft, round yeast rolls, and in the US they’re usually called dinner rolls. The name comes from how light and airy they bake up. 

How do you store and freeze air buns? 

Keep them in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer, wrap them in plastic wrap, put them in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 2 months. Warm them slightly before serving, and while they won’t be quite as good as fresh from the oven, it’s a great way to bake ahead for the holidays. 

Why are my air buns dense? 

The usual causes are too much flour, water that was too hot or too cold for the yeast, or not letting the dough rise until it fully doubled. Keep the dough soft, check that your yeast foams, and give the rises the time they need. 

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Grandma’s Light Air Buns

Grandma's light air buns are soft, fluffy homemade dinner rolls made by hand with butter, eggs and a splash of white vinegar. Makes about 35 buns.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Rise Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 35 buns

Calories: 121kcal

Author: Bailey Campbell

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going to sleep

Ingredients 

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YEAST MIXTURE

• ½ cup warm water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 package traditional active dry yeast

FOR AIR BUN DOUGH

• ½ cup butter or margarine melted. And more for brushing over the buns once they’re fresh out of the oven
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 3 ½ cups warm water
• 2 eggs
• 9 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

ACTIVATE THE YEAST

• Warm the water on the stove or add lukewarm water from the tap. If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast, if it’s too cold it will not activate the yeast. Should be around 115 degrees F, and warm to the touch.
• In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in the water. Then sprinkle the yeast on the top of the water mixture. Do not mix.
• Put the bowl in the oven with the light on (without heat) or in another warm place and let stand till foamy. If it does not foam up, throw away and start again.

BEGIN MAKING THE DOUGH

• Add melted butter to a large mixing bowl. Then add the sugar, salt, white vinegar, and warm water. Once water has cooled slightly, add eggs. You do not want to add the eggs while the water is hot or it could cook the eggs. Then add yeast mixture.
• Begin adding one cup of flour at a time. Once you have added about 5 cups, the dough may be too sticky and tough to mix with a spatula. Switch to mixing with your hands, and begin to knead the dough. Knead for approximately 8 minutes or until the dough looks smooth and doesn’t fall through your fingers while holding it.

LET DOUGH RISE

• Grease a large bowl all around the sides (bowl should be at least 3 times the size of the dough). Put a clean tea towel over the bowl and put in the oven with the oven light on (again, no heat). Let rise for 1.5-2 hours or until doubled in size.

MAKE DOUGH BALLS

• Cut off small pieces of dough, about the size of an egg, and shape them into small balls. Then place them in a greased baking pan. You want each dough ball approx 1 inch apart. Then cover and let rise for another hour or so.

BAKE THE AIR BUNS

• Bake at 400F for 14-18 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Watch closely as temperatures may vary from oven to oven. Remove from oven and brush with more melted butter. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1bun | Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 99mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g

The nutrition information provided is calculated based on industry-standard software and should be used as a general guide only. The information may vary depending on ingredient substitutions, cooking techniques, and individual serving sizes. It is the responsibility of the reader to ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of the nutritional information provided. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized medical or nutritional advice.

Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on @basicswithbails

More of Grandma’s Recipes (and What to Serve Them With)

• Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
• Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread
• Broccoli Cheese Soup (for dunking)

If you make these, leave a star rating and a comment below, and tell me if your family has its own version of air buns. Snap a photo of your bread basket and tag me @basicswithbails on Instagram with #basicswithbails, or save it to your Pinterest holiday dinner board.