When to Freeze

• Do not freeze the dough as soon as you have mixed the ingredients together. Instead, allow it to rise once. Only after the dough has risen for the amount of time your recipe suggests should you form it into rolls. You do not need to allow the dough to rise for the second time before you bake it; it will go through its second rise when you thaw it later.

How to Freeze

• Form the dough into rolls before you freeze it. Instead of throwing the formed rolls into a freezer bag -- resulting in them being mashed together -- place them onto a baking sheet. Freeze the baking sheet, then transfer the frozen dough rolls into a freezer-safe container. This will allow the rolls to keep their shape, making it easier to thaw and bake them later on.

Thawing

• Don't place your frozen bread rolls directly into a hot oven. Instead, allow plenty of time for your dough to thaw. This might take several hours at room temperature, so remove the dough from the freezer well before you wish to bake it. As the dough thaws, it will go through its second rise. Place the rolls directly onto a baking sheet to let them thaw. This way, you will not need to handle the delicate thawed dough in order to transfer it onto a baking sheet.

Baking

• Preheat your oven to the temperature dictated by your recipe. You do not need to modify the temperature when baking frozen and thawed bread rolls. Feel free to bake the dough as soon as it has thawed completely, even if it has not doubled in size as your recipe may suggest it should. The thawed dough will finish rising in the oven, leaving your bread rolls as light and fluffy as if they were completely fresh.