Frozen Dinner Rolls | Homemade Rhodes Rolls Recipe (2024)

Published: Aug 1, 2014 · Updated: Sep 16, 2022 by Carole Jones · 29 Comments

Frozen dinner rolls make having fresh, hot bread every night for dinner a reality! This recipe for homemade Rhodes rolls come together quickly and last for months in your freezer. Plus, this recipe turns out even better than the expensive packages at your store 🙂

Last month, I was psychotically busy preparing to be the camp cook for our church’s girls camp. I was alone in my assignment to cook for 90 mouths so I really can’t put into words the amount of time, stress and craziness that was my life over those weeks. To keep myself from going completely insane, I kept the week’s menu very simple and I hope no one was disappointed. I’m sure everyone was thinking they would be eating a ton of homemade goodies and treats since a food blogger was doing all the food. Oh well 🙂

My inner foodie couldn’t be completely ignored however so I decided to treat the campers and make 240 homemade rolls for dinner the first night. Yes, it was ambitious with everything else I had to prepare so I knew the only way I could make it work was to break out my technique for DIY Frozen Rhodes Dinner Rolls. It is a huge time saver!
To make frozen dinner rolls, first mix up a batch of your favorite dinner roll recipe. (Don’t have one? Click here for my rockstar dinner roll recipe that people just can’t get enough of!) Allow your dough to raise until double while it is covered. After it has risen once, shape your rolls as desired on a lightly greased cookie sheet then cover lightly. I like to use my favorite heavy duty half sheet pan in the freezer for this job.
You don’t want your rolls to raise completely at this stage. In fact, you just want them to begin to puff up a little bit. Compare my first picture to this second picture to see what I mean by just beginning to puff up. Once they hit this stage, put the whole pan into the freezer, uncovered, until they are frozen solid. This take between 8-12 hours.
Once your rolls are completely frozen, just toss them into a large freezer bag and put them back into the freezer until you need them. They will stay good in the freezer for about a month.When it comes time to turn your frozen dough into amazingly delicious rolls like these ones here, just place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet and cover them lightly. Let them rise until doubled in size. Since they are frozen, this can take anywhere from 5-7 hours depending on how warm your home is. If you need to speed up the process, you can always heat your oven to 150 degrees and let them rise in there, which will cut the rising time in half. Once they are fully risen, bake them according to the original recipe’s instructions.

Frozen Dinner Rolls | Homemade Rhodes Rolls Recipe (7)

About Carole Jones

Carole Jones is an Arizona-based cookbook author & food blogger. She's authored The 30 Minute Cooking From Frozen Cookbook and the self-published Take 5: Chicken e-cookbook. For the past 15 years, Carole has shared her culinary adventures cooking and baking for her six brutally honest children here on My Kitchen Escapades. Hot, crusty bread is Carole's love language, but her two adorable grandchildren are a close second. Yes, second. Don't judge.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Stephanie says
August 02, 2014 at 2:18 pm

I love rolls and I prefer homemade. I’ve wondered how to freeze unbaked rolls. Thanks for the information.
Reply
- Carole says
  August 02, 2014 at 3:03 pm
  
  Glad you found it helpful Stephanie
  Reply
- Rose Pollot says
  September 04, 2021 at 2:24 am
  
  Can I make these out of Rhodes frozen Bread loafs?
  Reply
  - Carole says
    September 04, 2021 at 10:00 am
    
    Hi Rose! Well, I guess you could but the point of the recipe is to make your own dough and turn them into a frozen Rhodes rolls instead of paying someone else to do it for you.
    Reply
Joni says
August 03, 2014 at 8:12 pm

Love the recipe! Looking forward to trying it, though I must admit, I always feel inadequate in the roll forming department. I feel like I’m going to squish all of the air out of it… How do you manage to be gentle with it but still get anything accomplished?
Reply
- Carole says
  August 03, 2014 at 8:43 pm
  
  Joni- great question! I am not cautious at all when I form my rolls. In fact, to get them tightly rolled on my counter, I have to push quite hard. No worries though because that won’t kill the yeast and they will rise again
  Reply
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Diana says
August 25, 2014 at 4:17 pm

THANK YOU!!! Yes, I’m yelling, lol, because I LOVE this information! Woot! I will be trying your “rockstar dinner roll” recipe in the very, very near future. 🙂
Reply
- Carole says
  August 25, 2014 at 8:24 pm
  
  Thanks so much Diana! Glad you found a recipe you wanted to try out – Carole
  Reply
linda says
August 29, 2014 at 11:46 am

Why isn’t there an app to print ? Usually when you can print recipe there is a little typewriter icon.
I looked all over but couldn’t find something like that.
Reply
- Carole says
  August 29, 2014 at 4:17 pm
  
  Linda – I didn’t create a recipe using Ziplist like I normally do, which is why there isn’t a print button like normal. I apologize -Carole
  Reply
Patricia Harrison says
September 15, 2014 at 4:00 pm

Another good way to speed up the rising time is to put them in your car. Works great!!!
Reply
- Carole says
  September 16, 2014 at 11:50 am
  
  That is a great idea Patricia…unless you live in MN in the winter time 🙂 -Carole
  Reply
Donna P says
September 17, 2014 at 11:36 am

The link for the Rockstar Dinner Rolls actually goes to Amish Potato Rolls. Are they the same thing?
Reply
- Carole says
  September 17, 2014 at 12:56 pm
  
  They are the same!
  Reply
  See Also
  Crustless Pumpkin Pie - Low Carb/Keto Recipe | That's Low Carb?!
Mrs. Cliff says
September 24, 2014 at 5:21 am

can’t find the recipe for these rolls, Thepicture shows a lot of rolls on the pan, the Amish recipe shows that it makes 16. Can you share where the recipe is.
Reply
- Carole says
  September 24, 2014 at 5:34 am
  
  It is the Amish Potato Rolls recipe, but I make a lot of the recipe all at once to freeze them!
  Reply
Olga says
July 25, 2015 at 9:57 pm

where recipes find ?
Reply
- Carole says
  July 26, 2015 at 6:33 am
  
  Olga- in the directions above, there is a link to the actual recipe for the rolls I used. It is after the second picture and says click here
  Reply
Nessie says
October 21, 2015 at 8:32 am

Unfortunately, my freezer drawers are not large enough that I could put a whole baking sheet into them. 🙁
Reply
- Carole says
  October 21, 2015 at 12:39 pm
  
  Bummer Nessie! You could certainly use a few smaller sheets
  Reply
amanda says
November 17, 2015 at 8:33 pm

sooo yummy! i have made these 4 times now and each time they taste better and better!! thank you!!
Reply
- Carole says
  November 18, 2015 at 8:36 am
  
  You are very welcome Amanda!
  Reply
Kate Dunbar says
November 18, 2015 at 1:00 am

So doubling or even tripling the recipe is all right?
Reply
- Carole says
  November 18, 2015 at 8:36 am
  
  Absolutely Kate! Depending on your mixer though, a triple batch may not fit!
  Reply
  - Kate Dunbar says
    November 18, 2015 at 11:36 am
    
    Thank you! I have a Hobart it will fit 🙂
    Reply
Virginia says
January 09, 2018 at 2:18 pm

I have been looking for a good roll recipe. Am excited about trying this roll recipe. Thankd
Reply
- Carole says
  January 10, 2018 at 8:46 am
  
  You are welcome Virginia!
  Reply
Lisa says
November 29, 2021 at 6:50 pm

Hello! My great grandma had a sticky bun recipe that uses Rhodes frozen bread dough. Is this dough pretty much the same thing? I live in a country that doesn’t have any type of frozen bread dough. Thank you for your time!
Reply
- Carole says
  December 02, 2021 at 1:57 pm
  
  Hi Lisa! I think it is better than Rhodes dough 🙂
  Reply

Frozen Dinner Rolls | Homemade Rhodes Rolls Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook Rhodes frozen dinner rolls? ›

BAKING DIRECTIONS

Place frozen rolls evenly on pan and cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray to keep from sticking to rolls while rising. BAKE – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Carefully remove plastic wrap. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Learn More Now ›

Do you have to thaw Rhodes rolls before baking? ›

For the best baking success, use the Rhodes Refrigerator Thaw Method to let your dough thaw and start to rise. Extending the thaw time in your refrigerator allows the flavor of the dough to become more complex and robust.

Get More Info Here ›

Why won t my frozen dinner rolls rise? ›

Sometimes dough has been allowed to thaw and refreeze, which can deactivate the yeast. Also make sure the dough has does not have ice crystals or is close to the expiration date.

Discover More Details ›

What are the directions for baking Rhodes frozen bread? ›

BAKE – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Carefully remove plastic wrap. Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Can you cook frozen rolls without letting them rise? ›

While it is possible to bake frozen dinner rolls without letting them rise, it is not recommended. Allowing the rolls to rise before baking will result in a lighter and fluffier texture. If you're short on time, you can try using rapid-rise yeast or a warm environment to speed up the rising process.