Homemade brown and serve rolls are the perfect premade dinner rolls; make them in advance, freeze them, and bake them in minutes when you're ready to serve! They're soft, fluffy, and savory with a subtle sweetness that makes them a yummy appetizer or side for dinner parties and holiday meals.
Ready for more dinner roll recipes? Try Rosemary Dinner Rolls with Garlic Butter and Brioche Dinner Rolls next.
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You've probably seen brown and serve rolls in the freezer aisle at the grocery store. The kind you pop in the oven for about 10 minutes and then melt butter all over that beautiful golden brown top? That's exactly what this recipe is but they're fresher and tastier!
You get the taste of fresh homemade bread and the convenience of frozen bread. This is perfect for hosted dinners during the holidays. It's one less thing to worry about on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas!
Why You'll Love This Brown and Serve Rolls Recipe
- Great for Beginners! If you're new to baking your own bread, this brown and serve rolls recipe is a great introduction. Learn how to make dough from scratch with easy-to-follow instructions.
- So Tasty! Rich, buttery, delicious rolls fresh out of the oven smell amazing and are totally irresistible. Place a basket on the table and watch how quickly they disappear!
- A Versatile Appetizer! Brown and serve rolls go with just about anything you have planned for dinner. Add them to any meal.
- Ideal make-ahead dish for thanksgiving dinner! You've got the convenience of store-bought rolls but the taste of homemade!
Brown and Serve Rolls Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Whole Milk - This liquid adds fat, which yields a more tender crumb.
- Active Dry Yeast -This helps the dough rise.
- Sugar - This adds a hint of sweetness and activates the yeast.
- All Purpose Flour - This is an essential ingredient.
- Kosher salt - This enhances the overall flavor.
- Egg & Egg Yolks - Eggs enrich the dough and add moisture. Egg yolks in particular, provide a pillowy softness and fluffy texture.
- Salted butter - Use room temperature so it's easier to mix.
- Melted butter - Use this to brush the tops of the rolls.
Substitutions & Variations
- Bread Flour: You can use bread flour instead of all purpose. It has more protein which helps the rolls get taller as they bake. It's also great if you want a more chewy brown and serve roll.
- Fresh Herbs: Add up to 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs (like rosemary or thyme) to the dough for herby bread rolls.
- No Mixer: If you don't have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand or use a bread machine until it's smooth. It takes some elbow grease and about 20 minutes.
Pro Tips
- Check the expiration date on the yeast. If it is expired, the dough won't rise. If it does not begin to bubble within 5 minutes, use a new packet.
- Measure the flour correctly for exact portions. This ensures the rolls have the proper consistency. Here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to properly measure flour. I recommend using a digital kitchen scale for accuracy.
- Avoid using too much flour. This dough is enriched with milk, butter, and sugar so it will be a bit sticky. Don't try to mitigate this by adding more flour or you'll end up with dense rolls.
- Do not underbake the rolls the first time you put them in the oven. Bake the rolls until they are no longer doughy (about 25 minutes). If the rolls are underbaked the first time, they will shrivel once cooled.
- Remember to defrost the dinner rolls before baking them. Allow the frozen rolls to thaw in the fridge overnight for the best results.
How to Make Brown and Serve Rolls
- Warm whole milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds - milk should be lukewarm, about 105 degrees F. Combine milk, active dry yeast and 1 tbsp of sugar. Gently whisk and set aside for 10 minutes to bloom. Mixture should become foamy.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment - flour, 1 tbsps of sugar, and kosher salt. Pour in milk/yeast mixture and add eggs and mix together for 4-5 minutes. Start on low speed and gradually increase to medium-low speed as the dough begins to form.
- Begin to add butter, one tablespoon at a time. Dough may break apart but it will come back together, just continue to mix together. Once all of the butter is added, continue to mix on medium high speed for an additional 8-10 minutes, until a soft dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray and place the dough into the bowl. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until it's doubled in size, about 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick baking spray.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and add a small amount of flour onto work surface. Divide dough into 12 equal portions and roll into a smooth ball. Place into the baking pan and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the rolls to rise again for 30-45 minutes, until puffy.
- Brush the tops of the rolls with 2 tbsps of melted butter. Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes, until they are set and no longer doughy. Allow them to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove them from the pan and allow them to cool to room temperature. Wrap the par-baked rolls in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag or resealable plastic bags. You can freeze for up to three months.
- When you're ready to bake, allow the rolls to thaw in the refrigerator overnight for the final bake. Then preheat the oven to 400 degrees f. Place rolls in a greased pan (or line with parchment paper) and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Serve hot rolls with warm butter and top with a sprinkle of flaky salt.
What to Serve with Brown and Serve Rolls
I meant it when I said these buttery, savory rolls go with everything! Add them to a hearty Thanksgiving plate filled with Maple Glazed Ham, Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese, Slow Cooker Collard Greens, and Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes.
FAQ
You can purchase brown and serve rolls at grocery stores like Aldi, Vons, and Kroger. They're also available at Walmart.
You can freeze brown and serve rolls before or after baking them. For this recipe, bake, cool, and then wrap them with plastic wrap and a freezer bag, and then freeze them for up to 3 months.
The bread is fully cooked after the first bake. However, it's initially cooked at a lower temperature so the rolls don't brown.
If you choose to not bake the brown and serve rolls, they will last for one week in the fridge and up to 1 month in the freezer.
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Brown and Serve Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 2 ¼ tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 2 tbsps Sugar
- 4 cups AP Flour
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 4 tbsps salted butter room temperature
- Additional 2 tbsps of melted butter for brushing the tops of the rolls
Directions
- Warm whole milk in the microwave for about 30 seconds - milk should be lukewarm, about 105 degrees F. Then mix in active dry yeast and 1 tbsp of sugar. Gently whisk and set aside for 10 minutes to bloom. Mixture should become foamy.
- Add flour, 1 tbsps of sugar, and kosher salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Pour in milk/yeast mixture and add eggs and mix together for 4-5 minutes.
- Begin to add butter, one tablespoon at a time. Dough may break apart but it will come back together, just continue to mix together. Once all of the butter is added, continue to mix on medium high speed for an additional 8-10 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the bowl and is soft and stretchy. (add an additional 1-2 tbsps of flour if dough is sticking to the bowl)
- Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray and place the dough into the bowl. Cover and let the dough rise until it's doubled in size, about 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick baking spray.
- Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured work surface. Cut the dough into 12 equal size portions and roll into a ball. Place into the baking pan and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the rolls to rise again for 30-45 minutes, until puffy.
- Brush the tops of the rolls with 2 tbsps of melted butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until they are set and no longer doughy. (They will be very pale) Allow them to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove them from the pan and allow them to cool to room temperature. Wrap the rolls in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. You can freeze for up to three months.
- When you're ready to bake, allow the rolls to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then preheat the oven to 400 degrees f and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Brush with additional melted butter and flaky sea salt and enjoy!
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