Fluffy Yogurt Pull Apart Bread Rolls

Get ready to fill your home with the irresistible aroma of freshly baked bread! This recipe for Fluffy Yogurt Pull-Apart Bread Rolls is a weekend project that pays off all week long. If you’re dreaming of a bread that is incredibly soft, wonderfully fluffy, and has a delightful pull-apart texture, look no further. This is it. The secret ingredient? Yogurt! It lends a subtle tang and an unbelievable moistness that keeps these rolls fresh for days. Despite a total time of a few hours, most of that is hands-off resting time, making the process surprisingly simple and perfect for bakers of all levels. The result is a batch of sweet, fragrant, bite-sized buns that are perfect for breakfast, snacks, or packing in lunchboxes. They are so light and tender, they feel like little edible clouds.

Before you begin your baking adventure, let’s get your ingredients in order. The magic of this recipe lies in its simple, accessible pantry staples. Precision is key in baking, so I highly recommend using a kitchen scale for the best results.

For the Dough:

• Bread Flour: 150g (about 1 ¼ cups). Bread flour, also known as high-gluten flour, is essential for achieving that classic chewy, stretchy texture. All-purpose flour can work in a pinch, but the result will be slightly less structured.
• Plain Yogurt: 110g (about ½ cup). Full-fat or low-fat plain yogurt both work well. Opt for a style that isn’t overly thick, like a standard stirred yogurt rather than Greek yogurt.
• Granulated Sugar: 20g (about 1 ½ tablespoons). Caster sugar is also a great choice.
• Large Egg: 20g (about half a large egg, lightly beaten). You’ll use the other half for the egg wash later.
• Neutral Oil: 15g (about 1 tablespoon). Corn oil is used in the original recipe, but any neutral-flavored oil like canola, sunflower, or avocado oil is a perfect substitute. You could also use melted unsalted butter for a richer flavor.
• Instant Yeast: 2g (about ½ teaspoon).
• Salt: 1g (a pinch).

For the Topping:

• Egg Wash: The remaining beaten egg from the dough ingredients.
• Shredded Coconut: A few tablespoons, for sprinkling. Unsweetened or sweetened both work, depending on your preference.

Here comes the fun part—bringing it all together! Following these steps will guide you to a perfect batch of fluffy rolls. This recipe can be made using a bread machine, a stand mixer with a dough hook, or entirely by hand.

1. First, gather and weigh all your ingredients for easy access. This baking practice, known as ‘mise en place’, makes the process smooth and stress-free.
2. In the bowl of your bread machine or stand mixer, combine the wet ingredients: yogurt, the 20g of beaten egg, oil, and sugar.
3. Next, add the dry ingredients on top of the wet. Pour in the bread flour, then add the yeast on one side of the bowl and the salt on the opposite side. Keeping them separate initially prevents the salt from inhibiting the yeast.
4. If using a bread machine, select the dough or kneading cycle. If using a stand mixer, knead with the dough hook on low-medium speed. If kneading by hand, mix everything into a shaggy dough, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
5. Knead the dough for about 15-20 minutes with a mixer or 25-35 minutes by hand. You’re looking for a dough that is very smooth, soft, and elastic. To check if it’s ready, perform the “windowpane test”: take a small piece of dough and gently stretch it between your fingers. It should stretch thin enough to be translucent without tearing. This indicates the gluten is well-developed.
6. Form the dough into a smooth ball. On a clean surface, divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
7. Take each portion and divide it again into 8 smaller, equal pieces. You should now have 32 mini dough balls in total.
8. Roll each tiny piece into a smooth, tight ball. This helps create an even rise and a beautiful final shape.
9. Lightly grease an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan. A chiffon pan with a central tube, as shown in the photo, is also perfect. Arrange the small dough balls in the pan. They don’t have to be perfectly spaced, as they will expand to fill the gaps.
10. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let it rest in a warm, draft-free spot for about 1.5 hours, or until the buns have risen significantly and are puffy.
11. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C). Once the buns have risen, gently brush their tops with the remaining beaten egg.
12. Sprinkle generously with shredded coconut.
13. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the tops are a beautiful golden brown and the buns sound hollow when tapped.
14. Remove from the oven and let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes before carefully turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. To keep them soft, store the cooled buns in an airtight bag or container. They will stay fresh at room temperature for up to three days.

The moment you pull these golden beauties from the oven, you’ll know it was all worth it. The aroma of sweet, yeasty bread with a hint of toasted coconut is pure heaven. These little “pearl” buns are unbelievably soft and light, and pulling them apart is so satisfying. Each bite is a tender, slightly sweet delight that melts in your mouth. They are the perfect size for little hands, making them a fantastic and wholesome treat for kids. Packing them for breakfast-on-the-go or as a lovely addition to an afternoon coffee break feels like a special indulgence. Baking a batch is a wonderful and rewarding way to prepare for the week ahead. I truly hope you give this recipe a try. Let me know in the comments how they turned out for you