Make-Ahead Dinner Rolls Recipe

There’s hardly anything better than freshly-baked homemade make-ahead dinner rolls.

When the holidays roll around, people are usually looking forward to the turkeys and ham. But my guests have set their hearts on something different — warm dinner rolls. Who could blame them, though, when they’re as fluffy and buttery as I make them? They’re so irresistible that they will have no less than two rolls each time.

This easy dinner roll recipe has been my go-to for years. It always yields the most perfectly soft, fluffy, buttery rolls even when I make them ahead. I also love how the ingredients are easy-to-find, the rise times are minimal, and you can pull everything together in an hour or so.

Everyone who has had their share of my dinner rolls has asked about a make-ahead version. So, I’ve made this post with instructions on how to make dinner rolls ahead of time plus tips on how to freeze and heat them. These are super helpful on busy days and holidays.

For this homemade dinner roll recipe, I am using instant potato flakes to make the rolls extra tender. It’s also what makes them fluffier than other bread. This recipe also calls for instant yeast for a quicker rising time. Make sure your yeast has not expired, and that you are using a quality brand, to give your rolls the best rise.Unlike sourdough or bagels that are crustier and chewier, dinner rolls have rich dough. It means they have high amounts of fat derived from milk, butter, oil, and eggs which make them softer and richer.

The dough for these make-ahead rolls for Thanksgiving contains flour, instant potato flakes, yeast, sugar, and salt. They’re then combined with eggs and milk in a mixer. Make sure all of these are at room temperature prior to mixing! Eventually, you’ll need to knead the dough by hand, although it requires a bit of arm muscle.

The dough becomes softer and fluffier as it rises, which helps achieve the texture we are aiming for. So do not skip on the first rising time of 1½ hours to 2 hours. And the second rising time of 1 hour after shaping the dough into balls.

You can bake the dough immediately after rising for 20 minutes in the oven. Feel free to serve them as is, or freeze the baked rolls for later consumption. Make sure to wrap the rolls in foil, and store them in freezer bags prior to freezing! Then, just thaw and bake them in a 300 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes. Brush with melted butter afterwards for shine and added flavor.

Alternatively, you can make the dough, shape them into rolls, place them in a pan, and freeze them for later baking. The dough for these make-ahead dinner rolls will stay fresh for 3-5 days in the fridge and up to a month in the freezer. The day you want to serve them, take out the rolls, place them in a pan, and let them thaw and rise for 4 to 5 hours or so before baking as normal.