Make-Ahead Dinner Rolls

I have a distinct memory of my Midwestern grandmother Dorothy slathering soft butter all over store-bought “brown and serve” rolls and popping them into the oven right before dinner. The creak of the oven door was a clear indication that dinner was near. The rolls came out of the oven crusty on the outside, pillow soft on the inside, and most important, hot, creating the perfect vessel for a slab of salted butter.

I created this recipe out of nostalgia, but it’s a winning old-fashioned concept for make-ahead cooking. The brown-and-serve approach starts with making the dough, then baking the rolls slowly at a low temperature, causing little to no browning. Then, whenever you’re ready to serve the rolls, you finish them at a high temperature until golden brown. So whether you do the first two steps one day or one month ahead, you can have hot and steamy rolls on the table almost instantly. They’re perfect for your bread basket at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner since you’re able to do most of the work ahead of time.

The dough is simple to prepare. All you need is a little planning: Lining the pan with parchment paper during the first bake allows for easy removal of the rolls. The scissor cut on top of each roll isn’t just for style; it aids in splitting your buns in two to make spreading butter easier.

I’ve included two baking options depending upon your oven circumstances. One standard method for when you’re baking other dishes and need to share oven space, and another that includes a pan of hot water to create more steam for even crunchier exteriors.