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Originally Posted On: https://www.goodcook.com/recipes/make-ahead-butterflake-rolls

This easy make-ahead butter roll recipe bends soft, buttery homemade dinner rolls for your holiday dinner. Assemble the butter roll dough in advance, freeze, and bake the rolls on the day you plan to serve them. Whether you need butter rolls for Thanksgiving dinner or a weekend feast, this time-saving dinner roll recipe is a keeper!

Fill your bread basket with these soft, pillowy, crowd-pleasing rolls. The dough comes together quickly and bakes into the most delicious dinner rolls. You’ll need a sizeable GoodCook mixing bowl, a GoodCook Silicone Spatula, a GoodCook Silicone Pastry Brush, and a GoodCook Wooden Rolling Pin. GoodCook makes professional quality kitchen gadgets and specialty tools to help you make perfect baked goods and bread in the comfort of your kitchen.

Our secret to perfectly baked dinner rolls is to bake them on a GoodCook nonstick sheet pan. The GoodCook Sheetpan features durable aluminized steel and a nonstick surface for easy cleaning. Bonus – your baked goods will release quickly and won’t stick to the pan!

The key to extra buttery rolls is to brush melted butter on the dough before baking, then finish the baked rolls with another brush of melted butter right before serving. Your guests will be delighted with these freshly baked buttery rolls!

Follow the steps below to make these foolproof make-ahead butter rolls:

How to make make-ahead butter rolls

1. Whisk together the water, milk powder, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. Once foamy, the yeast is bloomed and ready to bake.
2. Add the butter and egg, then mix the flour and salt with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured cutting board or piece of parchment and knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough turns elastic.
4. Rinse out the bowl and coat it with a thin layer of olive oil. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in bulk, about 1 hour.
5. Place the dough on a clean, floured work surface or large wooden cutting board and roll it into a large flat rectangle (about 1/4” thick).
6. Coat the dough with a brushing of melted butter. Roll the dough rectangle up tightly, like a cinnamon roll, and cut it into 2” pieces, then cut 3-4 small thin slits across the top of each roll.
7. Place the dough rolls on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze until frozen, then transfer to a GoodCook food storage container. Freeze dough rolls for up to 3 weeks.
8. To bake, place the frozen dough rolls on a sheet pan and thaw for 3-5 hours or until the rolls double in bulk.
9. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and bake the rolls for 18-20 minutes or until light brown. Brush with melted butter, if desired, before serving. Enjoy warm!

How to customize your homemade dinner rolls

• Make an egg wash with 1 egg and 1 Tbsp of water for a shiny top. Brush the top of each roll right before baking.
• For flavor variations- sprinkle the tops of the dough with your favorite herbs like garlic powder, crushed rosemary, dried basil, dried parsley, and/or flaky sea salt before baking.
• For cheese lovers- add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan to the dough before kneading.

How to reheat/warm dinner rolls

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF, wrap the dinner rolls in foil, then place them on a GoodCook Sheet pan. Bake until warmed through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• To microwave them, wrap the dinner rolls in lightly moistened paper towels and place them on a plate. Microwave on low power for 10-20 seconds. Check if the rolls are warm, and repeat if necessary.

With the GoodCook line of bakeware and kitchen accessories, you can easily prepare and freeze several batches of make-ahead butter rolls for the holidays. Assemble the rolls with the help of a sizeable GoodCook mixing bowl, a GoodCook Silicone Spatula, a GoodCook Silicone Pastry Brush, and a GoodCook Wooden Rolling Pin. A GoodCook nonstick sheet pan is perfect for baking the rolls. Are you ready to get started on these tasty make-ahead dinner rolls?

Happy Make-Ahead Butter Roll baking! If you try this recipe at home, we’d love to see a photo! Snap a picture and upload it to Instagram. Don’t forget to tag us @goodcook.com #goodcookcom

• Serves: 12
• Difficulty: Medium
• Prep: 30 minutes
• Type: Bread
• Total time: 2 hours

Bookmark itPrint recipeIngredients

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 1/2 cup dry milk powder
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar divided
• 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 large egg
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Directions

1. Whisk together water, milk powder, sugar,, and yeast in a large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes; once foamy, the yeast is bloomed and ready to bake.
2. Add butter and egg, then mix flour and salt with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured cutting board or piece of parchment, and knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough turns elastic.
4. Rinse out bowl until clean, coat with a thin layer of olive oil, then place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and place in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
5. Turn the dough out, and roll it into a large flat rectangle (about 1/4” thick). Coat with a brushing of melted butter. Then roll the rectangle of dough up tightly, as you would a cinnamon roll. Cut into 2” pieces, then cut 3-4 small thin slits across the top of each roll.
6. Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze until frozen through, then transfer the morning after to a GoodCook food storage container and freeze the dough for up to 3 weeks.
7. To bake, place frozen dough on a sheet pan. Allow thawing for 3-5 hours or until doubled in bulk.
8. Bake at 350ºF for 18-20 minutes or until light brown. Brush with melted butter, if desired, before serving. Enjoy warm!

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