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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
    These rolls are perfect, so easy and foolproof, thank you so much! I successfully halved the recipe, have used it many times. This time I added garlic and salt to the butter layer smeared before folding and it is great too! These rolls freeze very well after baked, they taste like fresh after warming in the oven.

  2. 5 stars
    I commented earlier how delicious they were the day of, but I made an extra pan for the next day left over. At what step do you place them in the fridge/freezer for future use? I cut them into the 12 squares, let them rise again per the directions, then I placed in the fridge. They were flat when I pulled them out. I did preheat the oven while they sat on the counter. Can you help me please. I plan on making these again! They were delicious!

    1. Hey Sally,
      Thanks so much for trying the recipe. If you want to pop in the fridge you would do this at step 5 and then you need to pull them out before baking to allow them to warm. I hope this helps! xTieghan

  3. 5 stars
    Made these rolls for Thanksgiving yesterday and they are by far the best rolls I’ve ever made! Thank you !!! I made an extra pan so that I could have leftovers for today with all the other leftover food 🙂 love your Instagram posts too . That is where I first saw these !!

  4. 5 stars
    Made last night for thanksgiving and seriously the best dinner rolls ever! They’re so light and airy and flavorful at the same time. My family loved them, thanks Teighan!

  5. 5 stars
    Just made these at thanksgiving and it was the one thing on the table my 4 yr old would eat and LOVED. She called all her relatives on FaceTime to rave about these rolls. Grown ups enjoyed them too!

  6. 4 stars
    these were delicious, and pretty easy to make! mine ended up a lot puffier, though. your layers look a bit more defined. any thoughts on what might make the difference? my ingredients were measured right and I used around 3.75 cups of flour to get the dough to fully come together.

    thanks for the recipe! I tested it this weekend for thanksgiving and will take your tip on the salted butter for sure!

    1. Hey Michelle,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am glad you enjoyed! Hmmm I’m not sure what would have caused that, but the puffier the better:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  7. 5 stars
    These were amazing!

    I did use exactly 4 cups which is what you had suggested in the recipe, but as for the butter, I accidentally mixed in all 6 tablespoons of butter into the dough. I’m used to seeing butter listed in the ingredient deck as something like, 6 tablespoons, divided… but anyways, that’s my fault! Since I had added it all in at once, I shaped the rolls as regular rolls instead of folding them and adding even more butter.

    They turned out great!!! We are definitely making these again. Thank you for the recipe!

    1. Hi Thien! I am sorry for the confusion! I am really glad these turned out so well for you still! Thank you! xTieghan

  8. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious buttery rolls that really pull apart easily, not dense at all.. I halved the recipe, used a little over 1.5 cups of flour and half of all other ingredients and made 8 rolls. Followed the recipe, rolled out to 1/4 inch rectangle. second- proved and baked in a 9″ round cake pan. Will make this again and again. Thank you”

  9. 5 stars
    These were fantastic rolls. Light and airy. Instead of folding mine I flattened out the dough. Smeared on butter and tightly rolled them up. I cut off pieces of dough and rolled them into balls. Everyone raved over how great they were. Next time I will make smaller balls, because mine became monster rolls. I think these would be good made into hamburger buns.

  10. 5 stars
    Hello Tieghan! This was my first time on your site. I was looking for a recipe similar to some rolls that my mom used to buy from a local bakery when I was a child. They were so buttery flaky and delicious. The presentation was different in your photos but the reviews convinced me that they would be similar – and they turned out fantastic!! Like other commenters, I also needed just over 3-3/4 cup flour.
    I did change the presentation because, to me, just folding them over as in your photos didn’t do it justice. I used your recipe and followed a design I found on Foodiva for Happy Bread that made it look like a masterpiece! It was the biggest hit at our Thanksgiving feast and the rolls just flew off the plate in moments. People were impressed by the look and the taste. Wish I could add a photo. I will definitely make them again and again! Thanks for your testing and expertise!!

    1. It should work great as is! I am almost at your elevation, so I think you will be good! I hope you love it! xTieghan

    1. Hi April, up to 2 days in the fridge! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! xTieghan

    1. Hey Katie! That will work great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

  11. 5 stars
    Can this dough be made in advance and freezes until ready? Wondering if there are any changes in the process. Thanks!

    1. Hi Karia! Yes, you can certainly freeze the syrup, then thaw. That will work so well! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

    2. Hi Karia! Yes, you can make the dough and freeze. Just shap the rolls, arrange in a pan, and freeze. Then thaw over night in the fridge and allow the dough to rise on the counter before baking. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan