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No Thanksgiving table would be complete without rolls, and these Easy Flaky Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls are my go-to this year.

Easy Flaky Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

If there’s one thing that absolutely has to be on every holiday table, it’s got to be rolls. Or at least that’s the case in my house (ok a few of the brothers would definitely say turkey over rolls). However, not one family member, not even the pickiest, would ever decline a roll. In fact, the rolls are probably the very first item to completely disappear.

Everyone loves them.

Over the years, I’ve made a few different varieties of dinner rolls. My favorites are these easier homemade crescent rolls, but I always love making those for Christmas dinner. For Thanksgiving, I love something a little more doughy. Enter these super easy, super flakey, extra buttery dinner rolls.

Oh man, does my family love these. Even after having been served these rolls about four times over the last month (they took a bit of testing to get just right). Each time they were gone in minutes…seriously my family loves rolls.

Easy Flaky Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Easy Flaky Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Here’s the thing, I know bread baking intimidates a lot of people, and I get it. When you read a recipe that requires kneading the dough for ten minutes, has a rising time of four hours, and a crazy complicated rolling/shaping process, that’s not only scary, but daunting too.

Whenever I set out to bake bread, I always try to find the easiest and simplest way. Bread does not have to be hard to be delicious, and this recipe is an example of that.

The dough is made up of a few simple ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen right now. Mix up the ingredients in one bowl, let the dough rise, roll it out, spread on some butter, cut into squares, let it rise one more time and then bake. Nothing fancy or complicated, and the best part?

These rolls are delicious.

Again, soft, buttery, and extra flakey. Aka, what every dinner roll should aspire to be.

Easy Flaky Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Easy Flaky Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

So what’s the secret that makes these rolls so good?

Umm? Can you guess?

A layer of butter…

Obviously.

When working on this recipe, I first baked up a roll that was more dense than I wanted. I’m not real big on dense rolls and what I really wanted with these rolls was more of that flakey layer, like what you get from the Pillsbury canned biscuits. Yes, I did just write Pillsbury canned biscuits. My mom used to buy them for family parties and even though I have not had them since I was probably ten or twelve, I remember them being delicious. Come on, you know you loved them too.

So, I did some thinking and ended up using my favorite technique from my crescent recipe and smeared a layer of butter (salted, because it’s my favorite) over the dough, then folded it up like a letter and cut into squares. The layer of butter ripples through the rolls creating three flakey, doughy layers. It’s what makes these pull-apart rolls better than any other.

Because let’s be real, who does not lover, buttery, doughy layers?!

They are the best.

Easy Flaky Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

And now you guys see why you need these rolls in your life. Especially come Thanksgiving Day.

They are the perfect rolls for soaking up all that gravy and then eating for breakfast the next morning. Trust me on this, you have to give these rolls a try. There’s nothing not to love.

And guys? Speaking of rolls, my mom and I are in NYC this week and I really want to take her to a great bakery for croissants and pastries since they are her all time favorite. From your guys recommendations so far, I need to go to Levin Bakery, any other hidden secrets I need to know about? Let us know!

In the meantime, start plotting out your Thanksgiving rolls and then give these a testing this week…

Easy Flaky Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Easy Flaky Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Easy Flaky Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
resting time 2 hours
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 12 rolls
Calories Per Serving: 240 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, yeast, honey, eggs, flour, and salt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter and mix until combined, about 2-3 minutes more. 
    2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
    3. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter. 
    4. Punch the dough down and roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle that’s about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the remaining 4 tablespoons of softened butter all over dough, being careful not to break through the dough with butter.
    5. Fold one half of the rectangle towards the center and fold the other half over the top of the first layer so you have three dough layers. Cut the dough into 12 equal squares. Arrange in the prepared baking dish. Cover the pan, and let the rolls rise for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they're puffy. Alternately, you can place the pan in the fridge to rise overnight. 
    6. reheat the oven to 350. Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're golden brown on top.
    7. Remove them from the oven, and brush with the melted butter, sprinkle with salt, of desired. Pull them apart to serve warm.
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Easy Flaky Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

All good cooks test their recipes before Thanksgiving day. Just sayin’

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Yum! Made these tonight. Will definitely make again. Thinking about making a Parmesan/garlic for next batch! Thanks for the recipe!

  2. This looks delicious! Do you know if it’s possible to substitute instant yeast for active dry yeast? Cant wait to try!

    1. Hi Taryn,
      You bet! Just mix with a wooden spoon and knead by hand until you have a smooth dough ball. I hope you love this recipe! xT