Fluffy Make Ahead Dinner Rolls – Soft and tender dinner rolls made with mashed potato flakes for softness. These buns can be prepared the day before. Put in the fridge and bake the day of.
I’ve always loved dinner rolls. I don’t know what it is about them. They are definitely best when warm and you slap a little butter on there. You see it steaming and then melting as you pop a piece into your mouth. Yum!
To me a Thanksgiving meal can’t be complete without dinner rolls. Up until 2 years ago it was always a grab and go from the grocery store. That was until I decided to conquer breads making at home. I’ve been baking ever since. It’s not always been without mistakes but it definitely has been fun.
Mondays are typically my bread baking day. But a change in the schedule this fall doesn’t allow me to be home every Monday. So I feel like I’m missing out on my routine. But I try to squeeze different breads in here and there.
This particular recipe I adapted from a local Amish cookbook I have. It used shortening which I tend to avoid. But butter was easily included. I also swapped out mashed potatoes for the potato flakes which I don’t just have sitting around typically.
If you don’t have a favorite dinner roll recipe give it a try. If you’ve never made homemade dinner rolls before what’s stopping you? It’s not difficult at all especially if you have a mixer to do the kneading for you. Let me know if you try it for the first time and what your thoughts are.
Love and blessings,
Melanie
Fluffy Make Ahead Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup milk + 1-2 additional tablespoons if needed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup mashed potato flakes
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 1/2 - 4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon instant yeast
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine milk, butter, mashed potato flakes, egg, sugar, salt, 3 1/2 cups flour and yeast. Fitted with dough hook mix just until combined.
- Switch to paddle attachment and knead for 6-8 minutes or until smooth and soft without being too sticky. Dough should clear sides of bowl while sticking slightly to the bottom. Add additional flour one tablespoon at a time if too wet. Add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a a time if too dry. This is a tougher dough. Remove from bowl. Using heel of your hand knead briefly until it forms a nice round ball.
- Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise until doubled.
- Separate dough into 16 equal pieces. Using the heel of your quickly and firmly roll each piece around in circles until it forms a tight little ball. Arrange rolls in 4 rows of 4 each in a greased 9 x 13 pan.
*To make ahead: Cover immediately with plastic and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature 3-4 hours to rise before baking. Bake as directed below.
*To make immediately: Let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.
Adapted from a recipe in a local Amish cookbook.
Featured on What’s Cooking With Ruthie Super Saturday
Join the newsletter
Get your FREE copy of Irresistible Bread Recipes when you sign up to receive our emails.
Oh my gosh, these dinner rolls look amazing! I love them too, especially when we’re cleaning up after hosting…someone always seems to steal one and dunk it something else that’s left over. Simple things like that make me happy…not sure why, but I’ll take it. 🙂
Thanks Tina! They make me happy too. Rolls and bread make me do happy dances. 🙂
I’m totally making these, they look so yummy!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
You go, dough girl. 🙂 Let me know how they turn out!
I love dinner rolls! My name is Katie and I host Fall Into the Holidays, now open. All entries get pinned. I would love to have you link up!
Your rolls look so so good! They look so soft and so fluffy!!!! They must be so good right out of the oven with some butter!!!!!
Thanks Maria! That’s right. Gotta have some butter. Yum.
My boys think the same thing when it comes to having fresh, hot dinner rolls on Thanksgiving. I’ve always ran out of time and just made the Rhodes frozen kind…they never knew. And, last year I made the bad decision to assign the rolls to someone and they brought store bought (cold) rolls. So…I’m actually going to try these tonight and go for them on turkey day. I’ll be back to let you know! Printing and pinning. (=
Awesome Gloria! I’d be happy to hear how they turn out for you. I still get nervous posting yeast recipes. Because yeast can act so quirky depending on weather, humidity, temperature etc. Hope they turn out great for you!
I know exactly what you mean with the weather. I’ve become more comfortable with yeast recipes for the last couple years now. I wanted to let you know that I made these rolls last night…and they were PERFECT! The family devoured them! I’ll be making these for Turkey day this week. Have a happy Thanksgiving, Melanie! (=
Gloria thanks so much for coming back and giving your feedback. So glad that they turned out well for you!
I can’t wait to taste these tomorrow, sister!
Me too! Ready for some baked corn too? http://carmelmoments.com/creamy-baked-corn-with-parmesan/ 🙂
I am baking mine right now! I used active dry yeast instead of instant. 1/2 cup warm water and 1Tbs of active yeast. I added about 1/2 cup extra flour to make up for the added liquid. Seems to be baking up to perfection! Thanks!
Awesome! Thanks for coming back and letting me know. I’m sure others will enjoy the pointers.
I just talked my friend through the process of using active dry yeast instead of instant for this recipe. I’ll have to give some updates for those who want to use active dry. I’ve got some in the fridge right now for the big day tomorrow too. Can’t wait!
What do you think about freezing the rolls before baking? Then thawing and letting rise then baking? I’ve got a small wedding in December I’m cooking for and would like to make these for that.
I have tried this before. But it’s been quite a while so I can’t give you specifics but I would suggest freezing immediately after shaped into the rolls. Freeze doubled wrapped to avoid freezer burn.
However, the BEST method is to partially bake them and then freeze them. View this guide for more tips from Red Star Yeast.
Hope they turn out well!
great recipe Melanie!! i have them in the oven warming for when kids get home from school. They love bread. i couldn’t resist having one with butter and already inhaled one. thanks!
Yay, friend! So glad for the great review. Glad they turned out well. Appreciate your friendship!
I made these rolls today and they were very good. I do have one comment about the recipe instructions, to combine the ingredients use the paddle and knead with the dough hook. The dough is much too dense to do it the other way around.