Rhodes rolls are the best frozen dinner rolls to use when you want to make homemade rolls without the work!
Why use Rhodes rolls?
When we would go to Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas supper my aunt would always have the fluffiest, flakiest, perfect pull-apart dinner rolls. I thought for sure she would never share her secret recipe but she did! I was shocked that my ‘make everything from scratch’ aunt took some help from frozen Rhodes rolls.
For when you are cooking a big meal such as a Thanksgiving feast, you don’t always have the time or space to roll out your own yeast dinner rolls. Having a bag of Rhodes in the freezer has saved me more times than I would like to admit.
Plus, you can make as little or as many as you like! No calculating or hoping you have enough bread dough to make rolls.
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Recommended baking pan for rolls:
- 9” x 13” Baking Pan – 20 pull-apart rolls
- 8” Baking Pan– 9 pull-apart rolls
- Muffin Tin– 2 rolls per cup
- 11″ x 17″ Baking Sheet– 35 pull-apart rolls
How to make Rhodes Rolls
There are three different methods of making Rhodes rolls. The regular thaw method, refrigerator thaw method and the speed thaw method. A thawing method if you have a few hours or overnight to bake off your rolls.
- Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place frozen rolls in pan, and cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray to keep the wrap from sticking to rolls while rising.
- Let rise 3 to 5 hours in a warm, draft-free place, until rolls double in size.
- Carefully remove plastic wrap.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Immediately remove rolls from pan and place rolls on a wire rack to cool. Brush tops with melted butter, if desired.
The Refrigerator Thaw Method
This is my preferred method for making Rhodes rolls. I place them on a pan and cover them, placing them in the refrigerator before I go to bed.
- Spray your chosen pan with cooking spray.
- Place frozen dough on your pan. Lightly spray the top of the rolls with nonstick spray and cover with plastic wrap to keep from sticking to dough while rising.
- Place your pan in the refrigerator overnight or all day long if you are making rolls for dinner. Make sure dough is double in size.
- When ready to bake the rolls, remove them from the refrigerator and allow them to further proof 1-2 hours on the counter.
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Remove the plastic wrap and bake until golden brown, 13-17 minutes.
Speed Thaw Method
- Spray your chosen pan with cooking spray.
- Place frozen dough on your pan. Lightly spray the top of the rolls with nonstick spray and cover with plastic wrap to keep from sticking to dough while rising.
- Preheat the oven to 200 F and turn off once heated.
- While the oven is preheating, bring 2 quarts to a boil and pour into a pan on the lowest rack in the oven.
- Place rolls in the oven and allow them to double in size.
- Remove the pan of water and carefully remove the plastic wrap.
- With the rolls still in the oven, reheat the oven to 350.
- Once heated, bake until golden brown. source
Cautions with using the speed thaw method:
- Only use this method when you are super crunched for time.
- It is common for some discoloration to occur when using the speed method.
- Out of all of the baking methods, this method is most likely to have rolls fall.
Bonus tip for getting frozen Rhodes rolls to rise:
- Turn on your oven light, place the rolls inside the oven. Then take a shallow baking dish and add warm water. Place this on the rack just under the rolls. Cover the rolls with a cloth dish towel (preferably cotton cloth) so they don’t try out while they are rising.
- The light provides just a little heat, and the water some humidity. The oven is free from drafts.
What to serve with Rhodes Rolls
How to serve Rhodes Rolls
- I melt 1/4 cup of salted butter and add a teaspoon of fresh chopped parsley, stirring to combine.
- Brush over warm rolls and serve.
By spraying rolls with non stick spray the plastic wrap will easily remove from the risen rolls. If you don’t you risk the plastic wrap sticking and pulling at the dough. The roll will fall when baking.
Rhodes rolls take about 10 – 12 hours to thaw in the refrigerator. Before I go to bed at night, I will pull out my rolls and place them in a baking dish that had been sprayed with pan spray and then covered with plastic wrap.
Allow enough time for the thawed rolls to rise. 1-2 hours, is needed for the rolls to rise until rolls double in size. See the thawing methods below.
Bake for 3 minutes at 350˚F. or reheat roll in microwave for 15 seconds on high.
Rhodes Rolls
Ingredients
- 36 Rhodes Rolls
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped
Instructions
- Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place frozen rolls in pan, and cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray to keep the wrap from sticking to rolls while rising.
- Let rise 3 to 5 hours in a warm, draft-free place, until rolls double in size.
- Carefully remove plastic wrap.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Immediately remove rolls from pan and place rolls on a wire rack to cool. Brush tops with melted butter, if desired.
Notes
- Turn on your oven light, place the rolls inside the oven. Then take a shallow baking dish and add warm water. Place this on the rack just under the rolls. Cover the rolls with a cloth dish towel (preferably cotton cloth) so they don’t try out while they are rising.
- The light provides just a little heat, and the water some humidity. The oven is free from drafts.
Nutrition
Sarah Mock
CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 12 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
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