Can I let rolls rise overnight?

Sourdough rolls yes! But normal rolls with traditional yeast will "over proof" if you let them rise that long at room temperature. The yeast will exhaust itself and then the rolls will fall when baking and be flat. The key is to let the dough chill overnight in the refrigerator and then shape the rolls and bake them the next day.

Can you make dinner roll dough the night before?

Yes with this recipe! That overnight chill in the fridge is what allows you to get perfect rolls the next day and it saves a lot of time on busy cooking day.

Can I use other types of yeast in this recipe?

Yes, you can use rapid, instant, or active dry yeast for this recipe. This isn't a recipe for natural yeast or sourdough though.

Overnight Dinner Rolls — Bless this Mess

Description

Soft and fluffy overnight dinner rolls that come out perfect each time. Make the dough the night before and finish making them before your meal. Doing a few of the steps ahead of time makes meal day even easier!

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Ingredients

Scale

1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 1/4 cups warm water (around 105 degrees F.)
4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
additional 4 tablespoons melted butter

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Instructions

In a large bowl add the yeast and warm water and stir to combine.
Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour, sugar, the 1/3 cup melted butter, egg, and salt and stir well to combine.
Mix together for 1 minute (you can make these by hand or use a stand mixer).
Add enough of the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time and stirring well after each addition, until it forms a soft and slightly sticky dough that starts to pull away from the side of the bowl.
Place the dough in a well greased 3 quart container and flip it over once so that the top of the dough is also greased.
Cover the container tightly and place it in the fridge overnight.
When you are ready to make your rolls the next day, take the dough out of the fridge, remove it from the container onto a lightly floured surface and cut the two into two pieces. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
Prepare 2 rimmed baking sheets by greasing them well or lining them with a baking mat.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough ball into a 10 inch circle.
Brush each circle with melted butter (use about half of the remaining 4 tablespoons, you'll use the other half when they come out of the oven).
Cut each circle into 12 wedges (I like to use a pizza cutter for this step).
To shape the rolls, start at the widest part of the wedge and roll it up to the point.
Place them with the point of the wedge down on the prepared baking sheets 3 or so inches apart.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until the rolls nearly double in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bake the rolls when they are done rising, one pan at a time, for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Brush them with additional melted butter on the tops and serve warm.

Notes

Recipe from The Better Homed and Gardens Cookbook (17th edition)
I've played with the timing of this dough a little and I've had good luck with letting it stay in the fridge for up to 18 hours. It started to not rise as well when baked the farther from 18 hours I got. The rolls after 24 hours in the fridge were fine but they were better with shorter chilling times.
Store leftovers in an air-tight containers.

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Category: side
Method: bake
Cuisine: American

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