Turkey and stuffing aside, a basket of warm, soft, buttery bread is always the kick of a Thanksgiving nap. Rolls go with any side dish (especially gravy) and are a leftover staple—because what's the day after Thanksgiving without a sandwich? You can't go wrong with any homemade bread, but if you need some inspiration, here are our 16 best roll recipes. Test your styling skills before the big day and watch our video below how to shape dinner rolls while you're at it.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
1) Pepe Clover Cacio Rolls
Pecorino and black pepper are the key to delicious, spicy cacio and pepe pasta, and they're also what transform these unique dinner rolls from good to irresistible. Cheese and pepper are mixed into the dough, and after baking, the rolls get an extra layer of grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper. (These bake beautifully with ours too Gluten-free bread flour.)
Get the recipe: Cacio e Pepe Clover Rolls (or Cacio and Pepe Clover Gluten Free Rolls)
Buy the recipe: Muffin pan
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
2) Japanese Milk Bread Rolls
Not surprisingly, the plush, feathery crumb of a milk loaf translates well to dinner roll form. Tangzhong it makes this bread super soft and increases its shelf life. In other words, you can bake these a few days before Thanksgiving and, after a brief reheat in the oven, they'll taste just as fresh as the day they were made.
Get the recipe: Japanese Milk Bread Rolls
Buy the recipe: Baker's Special Milk Powder
Photography by John Sherman; food styling by Liz Neily
3) Quick dinner rolls in large batches
It's all in the title: two dozen reels, ready for just over an hour and a half. Yes you can you have it all. A 2 1/2 tbsp yeast go through the proofing and gluing stages quickly, so these are an excellent candidate for last-minute baking.
Get the prescription: Quick dinner rolls in large groups
Buy the recipe: SAF Red Instant Tip
Food photography and styling by Tieghan Gerard
4) Parker House Rolls
Perhaps the most iconic dinner party out there, the Parker House Roll has been beloved since its invention over 150 years ago. These are pillow soft thanks potato flour and ultra-butter from the bath of melted butter they take after baking.
Get the prescription: Parker House Rolls
Buy the recipe: Potato flour
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
5) Amish Dinner Rolls
You can bet this recipe will be a hit at your Thanksgiving—it has nearly 500 five-star reviews to back it up. Mashed potatoes keep these buttery, golden rolls moist, which also means you can make them a few days before Thanksgiving and reheat them to serve.
Get the recipe: Amish Dinner Rolls
Buy the recipe: 9″ x 13″ pan.
John Sherman
6) Hawaiian Buns
King's Hawaiian rolls have made their way from the Big Island to most grocery stores on the mainland, but they're even better when made from scratch. Pineapple juice gives these rolls a hint of tropical sweetness and bakes them in one 9″ x 13″ pan. recreates the experience of ripping through stores.
Get the recipe: Hawaiian buns
Buy the recipe: Potato flour
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
7) European style hard crusted rolls
Plan accordingly, as these rolls require an overnight starter and a few breaks, but it's worth it. The key to their crispy, crunchy top crust is a final rest in the fridge after shaping and proofing, plus an egg wash before baking. And beneath that irresistibly shiny crust, these rolls are incredibly light and airy. (For an even crispier crust, you can add steam to your oven with a preheated cast iron skillet.)
Get the prescription: European style hard crusted rolls
Buy the recipe: All purpose flour
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
8) Pretzel buns
If you want the salty, salty flavors of baked pretzels in your bread basket, but don't want to work too hard for it, turn to these pretzel buns. Instead of twisting and shaping, you simply roll the dough into balls and add a decorative cross cut on top. A sprinkling of coarse pretzel salt is the finishing touch.
Get the prescription: Pretzel bun
Buy the recipe: Baker's Special Milk Powder
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
9) Dough dinner rolls
Split your starter for these buttery rolls. This recipe calls for commercial yeast to do most of the heavy lifting—rather than being a natural leavening agent, the starter provides a tangy flavor and chewiness. Dinner rolls are baked in two 8″ pan.providing a perfect attractive structure.
Get the recipe: Dough Dinner Rolls
Buy the recipe: Sourdough starter
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
10) Dark and soft restaurant dinner rolls
A familiar sight in steakhouses, these slightly sweet rolls (the secret is honey and molasses) are even better when recreated at home. A nib of cacao gives them their distinctive color, but not enough cacao to impart any chocolate flavor – these are perfect noodles for a delicious food spread.
Get the recipe: Dinner rolls in dark and soft restaurant
Buy the recipe: White whole wheat flour
Liz Neily
11) Buns with onions
The simple addition of dried onion improves the humble bun. Onions take two forms in this recipe: Onion powder is mixed directly into the batter, while a dry onion topping is tossed into the spiral.
Get the prescription: Onion buns
Buy the recipe: Rolling mat
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
12) Sourdough rolls
Instead of being soft and fluffy, these dinner rolls are chewy and hearty. They absolutely belong on your Thanksgiving table (and leftovers!), and if you need convincing, this reviewer who made smoked turkey and mayo sandwiches on these rolls can sway you, “I can say just this about that sandwich, 'I laughed, I cried, it moved me'”.
Get the recipe: Sourdough rolls
Buy the recipe: Everything Topping with Bagel
Mark Weinberg
13) Golden Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
whether pumpkin pie is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert, these beautiful knotty rolls deserve a place on your dinner table. These rolls, like pumpkin pie, contain both pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spicefor a delicious taste of the seasonal favorite.
Get the recipe: Golden Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Buy the recipe: Pumpkin Pie Spice
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
14) Herb and onion rolls
Herbs of Provence and dried onion will fill your kitchen – and these rolls – with a delicious aroma. This dough is incredibly versatile, so you can shape them into classic dinner rolls, clover leaf rolls, or bake them in a muffin pan for extra height.
Get the prescription: Rolls with herbs and onions
Buy the recipe: Herbs of Provence
John Sherman
15) Sweet potato rolls
These rolls can be adapted to whatever you have on hand: baked sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash or mashed potatoes will give these rolls a wonderfully soft texture. Make these for Thanksgiving, or make them on the day AFTER Thanksgiving using some of your leftover mash.
Get the prescription: Sweet Potato Rolls
Buy the recipe: All purpose flour
Food photography and styling by Liz Neily
16) Sour cream and potato bread with chickpeas or rolls
Yogurt and chickpeas are a classic combination with baked potatoes, but they really shine in these potato rolls. The recipe makes two dozen dinner rolls, which practically guarantees you'll have enough for the next few days. Squirrel leave for sandwiches!
Get the prescription: Yoghurt and potato bread with chickpeas
Buy the recipe: 9″ x 13″ pan.
Cover photo and food styling (Japanese Milk Bread Rolls) by Liz Neily.
Ready to start preparing for Thanksgiving? Make sure you are familiar with these 4 Tips for Waterproof Pie Dough.
