Resurrection Rolls

Resurrection rolls (aka Empty Tomb Rolls) are such a fun and special way to teach children about the Easter holiday. Use my easy recipe, along with a printable story, and make this a yummy Easter tradition for your family. You can also split this dough in half and make Skillet Dinner Rolls too!

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Prep Time: 2

Cook Time: 18

Servings: rolls

Equipment

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Roll Dough

¼ cup warm water 85°F
1 cup buttermilk room temperature
1 Tablespoon instant yeast
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs room temperature
4 cups bread flour plus up to 1/2 cup (60g) as needed

Filling

24 large marshmallows
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

Make the dough

To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water, buttermilk, yeast, 4 T melted butter, 1/4 cup sugar, fine sea salt, eggs, and half the flour. Mix with dough hook until all ingredients are combined, about 2 minutes.
On low speed, gradually add the remaining flour, about 1/4 cup at a time. Add enough flour so that the dough is soft and slightly tacky. You may or may not need to add an additional few Tablespoons of flour to reach a dough with the right consistency. Knead dough for 8 minutes on low speed.

Proof the dough

Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Place dough in bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.

Assemble the Rolls

In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. Set aside. Spray 2 muffin tins with nonstick spray and set aside.
Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a floured work surface. Divide the dough in half and work with one half at a time. Each half will make 12 rolls - you can use one half for Resurrection Rolls and the other half for dinner rolls if you like.
Roll the dough to a 12x18-inch rectangle. With a pizza cutter, divide the dough into 6 equal sections. Then cut each section in half diagonally, making 12 triangles.
Dip each marshmallow in the melted butter, roll in the cinnamon sugar, and place the marshmallow on the dough triangle. Wrap it up tightly, making sure the dough is completely sealed around the marshmallow. Place the wrapped marshmallows in the muffin tin.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 375°F while the rolls rest and puff up slightly, about 20 minutes.
Bake on center rack of oven for 16-18 minutes, or until the rolls are golden on top.
Allow the rolls to cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Be careful not to burn your fingers - the hot marshmallow syrup can sometimes come out the bottom of the roll.
Once the rolls are cooled, cut open with a knife and see the magic of the disappearing marshmallow. The inside should be hollow, and will have a yummy cinnamon sugar syrup inside where the marshmallow melted.

Notes

This recipe uses the same dough from my Skillet Dinner Rolls recipe. You can easily use half to make 12 Resurrection Rolls and the other half to make 12 Skillet Dinner Rolls. Link for Skillet Dinner Rolls: https://thatbreadlady.com/skillet-dinner-rolls/
You can make the dough the night before and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.
Resurrection Rolls are best when enjoyed freshly baked, but you can store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
See recipe post for the printable Easter story that talks about the symbolism of the Resurrections Rolls.

Nutrition