Homemade Rolls at your Thanksgiving Table

Just thinking about fresh from the oven homemade bread makes my mouth water. It is just so good! Buying frozen dough or rolls from the bakery for your Thanksgiving dinner can be a close substitute, but they just don't quite achieve the taste of homemade. 

Below I will share some tips and a favorite recipe for using your bread machine to make your rolls. Making your own rolls for the big day really is easy, if you have a bread machine. Of course, you can make yeast rolls without a bread machine, but if you don't have a bread machine, and don't want to do all the kneading and waiting by hand, I will share a roll recipe that is a easier than traditional yeast breads. 

If you are making yeast rolls with a machine or without, make your dough up to a week before Thanksgiving. Shape the dough, and place on cookie sheets. Then cover in waxed paper and stack the cookie sheets on top of each other in the freezer. On Thanksgiving morning, or the night before, if you have an early meal, pull the dough out to thaw and rise. Bake the rolls and enjoy them warm with your turkey and dressing.  

One of the best recipes I've tried is Buttery Bread Machine Rolls. I first came across this recipe at Motherload: The Mom Advice Blog. These rolls are light and delicious. Last year, I made three batches of these. The first I made as stated in the recipe. The second batch was made with half wheat flour, and the third with half rye flour. It made for a nice variety and a colorful bread basket on the table. 

For those who do not have a bread machine or do not want the work of yeast rolls made by hand, Spoon Rolls are a good alternative. My sister in law, Delilah, gave me this recipe a few years back. This dough can be made ahead of time, and the rolls can be baked Thanksgiving day. 

Serving fresh homemade bread at your Thanksgiving table adds a delicious touch. Serve your rolls with real butter and homemade jam or apple butter for an extra special treat. Whether you choose yeast rolls, or a quicker version, like Spoon Rolls, the majority of the work can be done in advance, leaving you tend to the other necessary prepartaions Thanksgiving day.

More from scratch Thanksgiving:

Cranberry Sauce

Pumpkin Pie

Stuffing

Photo credit: musicpb