Incredibly Delicious Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

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Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away.  Do you want to impress everyone with the most delicious dinner rolls EVER? For many years, I enjoyed these amazing rolls at my in-law’s home during the holidays.  I never asked for the recipe because I imagined they were hard to make.  A few years ago, I finally asked for a copy of the recipe and guess what?  They are not that hard!  These rolls do take time to raise, but trust me….they are so worth it!  They are the perfect rolls for your Thanksgiving feast, but they are also delicious with soups, casseroles, etc…  Soft, fluffy, buttery-you will want to find reasons to make these often.

Update 11/20/2018  I made a video! Now you can see how easy they really are to make! 🙂

Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

3 cups buttermilk at room temperature

3 cups flour

1 Tbsp. dry yeast

3 Tbsp. warm water

In a large mixing bowl, soften the yeast in water.  Mix in flour and buttermilk.  Cover and let stand for 1 hour.  I use my Kitchenaid Mixer with the dough hook. It does a great job mixing the dough in the next step.

When ready, add:

 3 eggs, beaten

1/2 – 3/4 cup melted butter (I use 1 cube)

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup- 3/4 cup sugar

4-5 cups flour (I start with 4 and add as needed)

Mix well.  Cover and let rise for one hour.  Punch down dough.  At this point, you can refrigerate the dough in a big bowl (covered, of course) or you can roll it out.  It will keep for up to a week in the fridge, and you can use it to make different types of rolls.  If you make crescents, it will make 4 dozen rolls.

Making the Rolls

Separate the dough into four balls.  Each ball of dough makes a dozen rolls, so I roll out two and put the other two in the fridge to use later in the week.

Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick.  Using a pizza cutter, cut into quarters.  Then, cut each quarter into thirds.

Brush each piece with melted butter and roll up, starting at the wide end. Place on baking sheet and brush the top of each roll with butter.

Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise for about 2 1/2 hours before baking. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until golden.  Brush finished rolls with butter if desired. Buttery, golden deliciousness….

Additional Tips

Now, if there are only one or two in your household, you are probably thinking:  Um, 48 rolls is A LOT of rolls for one week!!!!  Guess what? These rolls freeze just fine.  There are two options:

#1 Freeze, then Bake: You can roll them out, freeze them on a cookie sheet, and then transfer them to a freezer bag.  When you need rolls, pull out what you need, let rise for a few hours (4-5 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is) and then bake at 375 for 10 minutes.  You can also let them rise for a few hours first and then freeze them.  Then just pull them out when you need them, allow them to defrost and then bake.

#2 Bake, then Freeze:  Roll out all rolls (or part one day and part the next) and bake according to directions.  When cooled, place in gallon size freezer bags and place in freezer.  When you need rolls, pull them out a few hours before and defrost.  I have also warmed them up by baking for 3-5 minutes in the oven at 350.

I have tried both options and they work well.  If you want warm rolls with your meal, do option #1.  Don’t have time to let them raise or cook, then try option #2.

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