Homemade Dinner Rolls from Scratch for Thanksgiving
What's inside
Get the yeast and flour right
Most failed first batches come down to two things: milk that's too hot and too much flour. Warm the milk and water to about 110°F (43°C). It should feel warm, not hot, on your wrist, and anything over 130°F (54°C) can kill the yeast. Weigh the flour at 500 g if you have a scale. If you don't, spoon it into the cup and level it off instead of scooping, because scooping packs in up to 20% extra flour and gives you dense rolls.
The finished dough should feel slightly tacky, like the back of a sticky note, and it should still clear the sides of the bowl. If you add flour, go 1 tbsp at a time and stop at 1/4 cup extra. A dough that feels soft and a little sticky now bakes into soft rolls later.
Read the dough, not the clock
Rise times assume a kitchen around 72–75°F (22–24°C). A cold November kitchen can double them. For the first rise, wait until the dough has doubled, which usually takes 60–90 minutes. A straight-sided container marked with tape makes this easy to see.
The second rise in the pan usually takes 30–45 minutes, until the balls look puffy and touch each other. Check it with the poke test. Press a floured finger in about 1/2 inch (1 cm). If the dent springs back slowly and leaves a small mark, bake now. If it springs back instantly, give it 15 more minutes. If it collapses, it went too long, so bake right away anyway.
The quickest warm spot is the oven turned off with only the light on. Remember to take the dough out before you preheat.
Fit the rolls around the turkey
Experienced bakers almost never make rolls start to finish on Thanksgiving Day. Here are three shortcuts:
- Overnight: Shape the rolls the night before, cover the pan tightly, and refrigerate. On the day, let them sit at room temperature for 1.5–2 hours until they pass the poke test, then bake.
- During the turkey's rest: The bird needs to rest 30–45 minutes after it comes out. Start the second rise when the turkey has about 1 hour left. Turn the oven up to 375°F (190°C) the moment the bird comes out, and the rolls will bake in the time it rests.
- Days ahead: Bake the rolls fully, cool them, and freeze them in a zip-top bag for up to a month. Reheat them wrapped in foil at 350°F (175°C), about 10 minutes if thawed or 15–20 minutes straight from the freezer.
How to tell they're done
The tops should be deep golden brown, and the rolls in the center should no longer look pale or doughy where they touch. An instant-read thermometer pushed into a center roll should read 190°F (88°C). Pale tops usually mean gummy middles, so trust color and temperature over the timer. Brush with melted butter the moment they come out so the crust stays soft.
- When the dough hasn't visibly grown after 60 minutes of the first rise→Move the bowl into the turned-off oven with only the light on and check every 15 minutes, giving it up to 2 hours total before suspecting the yeast.
- When the dough still sticks to your hands after 8 minutes of kneading→Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 1/4 cup (30 g) total, then use lightly oiled hands rather than adding more.
- When the turkey is taking longer than planned and the rolls are fully risen→Slide the covered pan into the fridge to slow the rise for up to 1 hour, then bake as soon as the oven frees up.
- • All-purpose flour — 4 1/4 cups (530 g)
- • Whole milk — 1 cup (240 ml)
- • Water — 1/4 cup (60 ml)
- • Granulated sugar — 1/4 cup (50 g)
- • Instant yeast — 2 1/4 tsp (7 g)
- • Large egg — 1 pcs
- • Unsalted butter — 7 tbsp (100 g)
- • Fine salt — 1 1/2 tsp (9 g)
- • Flaky sea salt (optional) — 1/2 tsp
- • 9x13-inch baking pan — 1 pcs
- • Stand mixer with dough hook or large mixing bowl — 1 pcs
- • Kitchen scale — 1 pcs
- • Instant-read thermometer — 1 pcs
- • Bench scraper or sharp knife — 1 pcs
- • Pastry brush — 1 pcs
- • Plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel — 1 roll
- 01Warm the liquid and mix the doughHeat the milk and water to 110°F (43°C), whisk in the sugar, yeast, egg and softened butter, then stir in the flour and salt until no dry streaks remain, which takes about 10 minutes.⏱ 10 min
- 02Knead until smooth and elasticKnead 8–10 minutes on medium-low in a mixer, or 10–12 by hand, until a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through without tearing, then cover it in a lightly greased bowl for the first rise.⏱ 11 min
- 03Divide and shape 16 rollsOnce the dough has doubled, press it out, weigh it, cut it into 16 equal pieces of about 2 oz (60 g), roll each under a cupped palm on an unfloured counter into a tight ball, set them in 4 rows of 4 in the greased pan, and cover for the second rise.⏱ 18 min
- 04Bake until deep goldenPreheat to 375°F (190°C) during the last 20 minutes of the second rise (take the pan out first if it's rising in the oven), then bake 20–25 minutes, rotating halfway, until the tops are deep golden and a center roll reads 190°F (88°C).⏱ 25 min
- 05Brush with butter and cool brieflyBrush the 2 tbsp melted butter over the hot rolls right away, sprinkle with flaky salt if you like, and let them cool in the pan 5–10 minutes so they set before pulling apart.⏱ 6 min