Make Ahead Dinner Rolls

Amethyst · November 16, 2025, 6:44pm

Make Ahead Dinner Rolls

Prep Time: 1 day
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

For Rolls:

2 and 1/4 tsp active dry yeast 1 package
1 and 1/4 cups lukewarm water, not hot water - about 105 degrees F
4-4.5 cups All-Purpose Flour 480-510 grams
1/4 cup of honey can be substituted for granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted. Can substitute vegetable oil.
1 egg
1 tsp salt

For topping:

1 egg
2 TBSP melted butter

Directions:

In the bowl of a mixer, add the lukewarm water, yeast, and honey. Whisk together and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Yeast should foam up and appear active.

Add about 1 and 1/2 cups (180 grams) of the flour, the melted butter, the egg, and the salt. Beat on low for 1 minute, scraping the bowl as needed.

Add the rest of the flour, just until you have a soft dough. Dough should start pulling away from the sides of the bowl, but it will be sticky.

Grease a large bowl and add the dough ball, turning it to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for about one hour, until doubled in size.

Gently detangle the dough, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Grease a 13x9 pan and set aside.

Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place it into the prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to bake, remove rolls from the fridge and let them sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk together the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the egg mixture over the rolls.

Bake the rolls for 20 -25 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter if desired.

Notes:

Instant yeast can be substituted. Just skip the first step of “proofing” the yeast in the water and honey; just add the yeast, water, and honey in with the second step.

Don’t make these common mistakes!

When baking with yeast, there are a few things that can cause problems – avoid these things and get fluffy dinner rolls every time!

Using expired yeast – You may have had some yeast in the back of your fridge or in a drawer forever. Proofing the yeast like we do in Step One will show you if your yeast is alive and kicking or if you need to start over. After 5 minutes in lukewarm water mixed with the honey, the yeast should be foaming and bubbling. IF the mixture hasn’t changed since you mixed it, try again with new yeast.

Using HOT water instead of warm water – using water that is too hot will kill your yeast. Conversely, using cold water will make it hard for your yeast to “wake up” and activate. Use warm water, about 105 degrees (think warm bath water). I use my ThermaPen to ensure my water is at a good temperature.

Adding too much flour – this is a sticky dough, so you may be tempted to add more flour to make it easier to work with. Don’t do that! Adding more flour will make the rolls hard and dense. Using a stand mixer to knead these makes it easier, and use a light touch when handling the dough.

Over Proofing – Over proofing means the dough was allowed to rise for too long. The dough inflates, and then as the yeast runs out of food, they don’t produce any more carbon dioxide. The gluten breaks down, and the gas escapes. This means when you bake the rolls, they will deflate, and they won’t rise in the oven. Avoid overproofing by setting a timer and keeping an eye on the dough. It should double in size but not be allowed to rise much more than that.

Nutritional Facts:

Recipe courtesy of Fox and Briar.com