Thanksgiving dinner roll ideas
Get ready for Thanksgiving with this roundup of my most popular recipes for soft dinner rolls! This post will help you decide which roll you should serve for your dinner. You’ll also find tips to make them ahead of time, making your Thanksgiving less stressful!
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving side dish? It’s nearly impossible to choose! For me, it’s no surprise! It always comes down to my mom’s famous Thanksgiving Dressing and the homemade dinner rolls!
Since I’m That Bread Lady, it’s only fitting for me to help YOU make the very best dinner rolls for Thanksgiving that your family has ever tasted! Read on for my favorite dinner roll recipes, best tips and make ahead options to make this the most delicious Thanksgiving yet!
Post outline
Click on any of these links to go directly to the section.
- How I’ve discovered the perfect dinner roll
- How to choose the right dinner roll recipe
- All about Crescent Dinner Rolls
- All about Parker House Rolls
- All about Skillet Dinner Rolls
- All about Super Fluffy Whole grain Dinner Rolls
- Make-ahead options
- How to serve warm rolls
- Recipe links
The time I made 15,600 dinner rolls for Thanksgiving
If you’re familiar with my backstory, then you know that when I ran my home bakery, Thanksgiving week was a crazy one for me! The last four years of my business were particularly busy during Thanksgiving week, when my staff and I would bake over 1,300 DOZEN rolls! Yes! You read that correctly! If you’re curious, that’s 15,600, individual dinner rolls baked in my home kitchen over the course of only three days!
Back then, I wish I had taken more pictures to document the volume and work that we did, but here’s a few treasured memories from that time.
It really was a group effort, not only for my staff, but also for my family. They would help me get all of my ingredients organized and ready for the big week! They were good sports throughout all of the organized chaos! It was a time I will never forget.
Needless to say, making that many rolls for years and years makes me quite confident in declaring that I’ve mastered making the perfect dinner roll! I’m sharing all of my knowledge, tips and tricks to help YOU be the baking hero this holiday!
What kind of roll recipe is best for Thanksgiving
Whether you’re making dinner rolls for a special holiday or just a weeknight meal, it’s important to pick the right roll to compliment what you’re serving. We all want soft dinner rolls that are buttery and delicious! There’s a few things to keep in mind when deciding what recipe to use and how to shape your rolls:
- What do I want my roll to taste like? This can seem like a no brainer, right? But not all dinner rolls are created equal. Some are more sweet. Some are hearty and wholegrain. Some taste more buttery. It’s important to keep in mind what you’re serving it with and how you want the bread to compliment your meal. If you are serving a dish that’s got sweeter flavors to it, you’ll want to choose a roll that’s lighter on the sweetness to balance out the flavors. If you enjoy a hearty, filling roll, you’ll want to choose a recipe that’s made with whole grains. Think about all the flavors and how they’ll go together when you decide what dinner roll recipe to make.
- How do I want my rolls to look? Are you going for a fancy crescent shape, which looks gorgeous in a bread basket? Do you want to serve bun-shaped rolls in a casserole dish you inherited from your grandma? Do you want to top them with sea salt flakes and herbs? Visualize your dinner table, how each item will be presented, and choose the best option for your vision.
- What function do I want my rolls to serve? Is the presentation or functionality the most important factor to you? Do you want a roll that can easily split apart for leftover turkey sandwiches? Do you want a crescent roll that’s fun to peel apart at dinner, layer by layer? Or do you want a simple bun roll that’s perfect for dipping into turkey gravy? Decide your favorite way you and your family like to enjoy homemade rolls – the shape you choose isn’t a huge issue, but can make your bread more useful, especially for leftovers!
These might seem like trivial things to be thinking about when it comes to dinner rolls, but are important things to keep in mind. Everyone has their favorites, whether they be whole wheat, crescent or buttery. I usually make one type of white dinner roll and another whole grain dinner roll, to appease everyone’s taste buds.
Thanksgiving dinner roll recipes
Make Thanksgiving dinner rolls from scratch with one or more of these recipes and you’ll be the hero of the day! These four recipes are my readers’ favorites!
Crescent Dinner Rolls
These beautiful rolls are near and dear to me – this is the recipe I made for my bakery orders. Yes, all 15,600 dinner rolls were carefully rolled up into beautiful crescent shapes. This recipe is much-loved by thousands of you and here’s why:
- fluffy
- sweet
- beautiful presentation
- stays fresh for up to 5 days
These are a classic roll you can’t go wrong with. It’s important to note, they are on the sweeter side. I use my Master Roll Dough to make these, which is also the same dough used for my Homemade Cinnamon Rolls too. It’s such a versatile dough! Even though they are slightly sweet, they go really well with a savory meal like Thanksgiving dinner.
Crescent Dinner rolls take a bit of extra time to roll out and shape, but are well worth it!
My PRO TIP for Crescent Dinner Rolls: Let them proof 5-10 minutes longer than you think you should. They need to be nice and puffy before they go into the oven!
I also have a virtual baking class if you’re wanting to master this recipe. Go HERE for my Crescent Dinner Roll class.
Parker House Rolls
Parker House Rolls are the kind of rolls I grew up on, and I know I’m not the only one! Many of my readers have also commented that these are the rolls their moms or grandmothers made. You’ll love them too and here’s why:
- easy to make & shape
- light and fluffy
- buttery tasting
- the folded over shape makes them perfect for sandwiches
- fit all 24 rolls in one pan
The technique I use in this recipe makes these so easy to shape! You can easily make a large quantity of these for a big family dinner!
These rolls will stay fresh for 4-5 days in an airtight container.
My PRO TIP for Parker House Rolls: Make sure your work surface is floured when you roll out the dough to shape – this will keep the dough from sticking, making the tops of your rolls smooth and beautiful.
Skillet Dinner Rolls
Don’t these dinner rolls look glorious? I love these rolls for so many reasons:
- easy-to-mix dough
- easy to shape
- the buttermilk in this recipe makes them extra tender and fluffy
- sprinkle a little sea salt flakes on top for a little salty flavor
- add your favorite herbs on top like rosemary or dill
- easily serve them straight from your well-seasoned cast iron skillet – this low key presentation is understated and beautiful
My Skillet Dinner Rolls are a perfect bun roll for dipping into turkey gravy and mashed potatoes. They are easy to slice in half with a knife and slather on the butter.
These rolls have a bit of a shorter shelf life of 2-3 days. They’re best enjoyed the same day.
My PRO TIP for Skillet Dinner Rolls: Make sure the bottoms are browned. When checking the rolls in the oven for doneness, use a fork to lift up on one of the outer rolls. Check to see if the bottoms have browned – if not, they need more time to bake. If the tops of the rolls are getting too dark, lightly place a piece of foil to cover them while continuing to bake.
Super Fluffy Whole Grain Dinner Rolls
These are the perfect dinner roll for the “wheat” lovers at your Thanksgiving dinner! They’re the whole grain version of my Skillet Dinner Rolls. The hot cereal mix used in this recipe gives these such a hearty flavor, but does not dry them out!
What you’ll love about these rolls:
- hearty, wholegrain flavor
- soft and fluffy
- easy to make and shape
Just like my Skillet Dinner Rolls, these are best served the same day, but will stay fresh for up to 2-3 days stored in an airtight container.
These are such a yummy option for those that like flavor & health benefits of wheat dinner rolls!
My PRO TIP for Whole Grain Dinner Rolls: Make sure you add boiling water to the cereal grain mix. This will ensure the mix gets fully hydrated and incorporated well into your recipe.
Make ahead options
If you want to make quick dinner rolls, these options might be good for you. Really good bread takes time. It’s just a fact you can’t deny. However, in my years of baking so many dinner rolls, there are techniques I’ve used to help me break the process up into smaller time segments.
Each of my recipe posts have directions on how you can do this, but here is a general breakdown of ways you can serve homemade rolls without having to start from scratch on the day of.
- Make ahead option 1: Make the dough the night before. Place it in a large bowl and cover. Refrigerate the dough over night. Remove the dough about 2 hours before you want to serve the rolls. Shape them and let them rise. Bake and enjoy!
- Make ahead option 2: (updated) The night before, mix the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes. Roll out and shape the rolls (skipping the first rise). Place on baking sheet, spray plastic wrap with nonstick spray and loosely cover the rolls. Place in the refrigerator for no longer than 8 hours. The rolls will continue to rise in the refrigerator, but at a slower rate. Remove the pan from the refrigerator. Let the rolls rise while the oven preheats. Rolls should be puffy. Bake, serve and enjoy!
- Make ahead option 3: Shape the rolls and place on a baking sheet. Immediately after shaping, place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze rolls for 24 hours. Remove frozen rolls from the baking sheet and store in a zip top freezer bag. Keep frozen rolls in the freezer for up to 4 to 6 weeks. About 4-5 hours before you want to serve them, remove the rolls from the freezer and place on a prepared baking sheet. Cover and let them rise until puffy. Bake as directed in the recipe.
The best way to serve warm dinner rolls
If you’ve baked your homemade rolls and they’ve had time to cool down completely, I’ve got a super simple way for you to still serve them warm!
Right before you’re ready to call everyone to the table, do this:
- Place the rolls in a bread bag or gallon ziplock bag.
- Keep the bag open and microwave the bagged rolls for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the warm rolls out of the bag and into a linen lined basket. Cover with another linen or clean kitchen towel.
- Enjoy!
I prefer this method over reheating them in the oven, as that can possibly dry them out.
Conclusion
You really can’t go wrong with any one of these recipes! Each is delicious in their own right, but hopefully my review helps you narrow down your decision and pick the recipe that fits your needs best.
If you’re trying out a new recipe, practice before Thanksgiving and get familiar with the process first. That way, you’ll be all ready to make the best dinner rolls for Thanksgiving!
Recipe Links
One more time, here’s a list of the recipe links. Give them a try and enjoy the yumminess of homemade bread!
Super Fluffy Whole Grain Dinner Rolls
Active Dry Yeast vs. Instant Yeast (a helpful article for baking with yeast)
Share and follow along!
I love to see how you are enjoying my recipes! Please leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out for you! Follow me on Instagram @thatbreadlady, Facebook and YouTube for more baking tips and videos! Be sure to tag me #thatbreadlady when you try one of my recipes. I’d love to see your baking successes!
I think there’s a step missing in Bake Ahead Option #2… Otherwise I can’t wait to try your bread recipes!
Oh thank you! I just updated it.