10 Freshly Baked Roll Recipes for Christmas
It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without turkey and Aunt Grace's Famous Cornbread Dressing, but a Christmas dinner can take all sorts of forms. Beef is the most traditional main course in the South, but some hosts serve ham, lamb, pork loin—or even a roasted duck. And the sides are even more unpredictable. While some sort of starch is a must (dressing, mashed potatoes, spoonbread, or scalloped potatoes), Christmas dinner can include all sorts of vegetables, casseroles, and relishes. The more, the merrier!
But there is one dish that should have a spot on every Christmas table, and that's freshly baked rolls. The rolls don't have to be made from scratch (who can turn down a buttery, flaky crescent roll, even if it's made with canned dough?) but they do need to be freshly baked and served hot, preferably with pats of butter on the side.
Yeast Rolls Recipe
Recipe: Yeast Rolls Recipe
These buttery, tender rolls include a touch of honey to sweeten up your holiday table. Make the dough the night before your guests arrive so it has time to rise. Then roll ropes of dough into spirals and tuck into a muffin tin for baking.
Potato Rolls
Recipe: Potato Rolls
Potato rolls incorporate a riced russet potato to create a moist, ultra-soft dough. Bake in a cakepan, gently tear apart with your fingers, and serve these pillowy rolls to soak up any juices on your plate. This dinnertime staple is certain to please a crowd.
Sweet Potato Rolls Recipe
Recipe: Sweet Potato Rolls Recipe
Have a surplus of sweet potatoes? Why not make use of them with a delectable sweet potato rolls recipe that only requires an hour of rising time. Between the harvest gold color and a drizzle of sparkling honey, these will brighten your table and your guests' faces.
Overnight Yeast Rolls
Recipe: Overnight Yeast Rolls
This classic recipe is best prepared a night in advance, but only requires around 20 minutes of hands-on work. The shortening creates a fluffy, moist roll that can be served with any dish. To get the cloverleaf shape, roll three small balls of dough and press them into a muffin tin.
Hurry-Up Crescent Rolls
Recipe: Hurry-Up Crescent Rolls
Out of time? Never fear: You can shorten the rising time for rolls with a pre-made baking mix like Bisquick combined with a few pantry staples. Fashion the dough into crescents and add a few sprinkles of parmesan or Italian herbs after baking, and this humble recipe becomes downright fancy.
Carey Hynes' Parker House Rolls
Recipe: Carey Hynes' Parker House Rolls
Miami restaurant owner Carey Hynes says her parker house rolls often steal the limelight. The soft, buttery rolls are sweetened with brown sugar. Dust with sea salt and poppy seeds and make them the star of your holiday table as well.
Buttery Yeast Rolls
Recipe: Buttery Yeast Rolls
These rolls use butter, eggs, and buttermilk for richness. Plus, the recipe only requires about two hours of rising time. Shape into knots or twists and top with herbs or seasoning for an extra festive flavor.
Make-Ahead Yeast Rolls Recipe
Recipe: Make-Ahead Yeast Rolls Recipe
This recipe from reader Carole Miller Radford is dependable, easy, and delicious. She recommends making the dough the previous day and then allowing it to rise again before baking. The dough can be shaped into balls for standard rolls, but is supple enough to form any shape.
Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe: Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls
Nothing says Christmas brunch like a tray of cinnamon-scented red velvet rolls. You can even play with the filling, trying a sumptous hazelnut spread instead. The cream cheese icing adds a tanginess that pairs perfectly with your cup of coffee.
Christmas Sweet Roll Wreath
This recipe from Cassandra King reflects her Swiss heritage and Christmas traditions. The sweet dough is formed into a ring; filled with cranberries, pecans, orange, and dark brown sugar; and cut with kitchen shears to create the wreath shape. Whether you serve it for breakfast or dessert, this roll will make a gorgeous centerpiece for your table.
