How to Delay the Baking of Homemade Rolls

The fresh smell of homemade rolls, wafting out of the oven is a delight, morning or night. However, waking up early in the morning or scheduling a portion of the day to mix, knead, and let rise twice before baking is potentially problematic. One way to get around doing both preparation work and baking at once is to delay the baking part, allowing for prep work to be done up to 48 hours before baking.

Things You'll Need

  • Flour
  • Prepared bread roll dough
  • Cookie sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Plastic wrap
  • Refrigerator

Instructions

  1. Ensure your hands are cleaned, as is your work space. Lightly cover your hands and the work space with flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Shape the bread roll dough into the desired size, generally the size of a golf ball for smaller buns and a tennis ball for larger ones.

  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Clear the top rack of your fridge for placing the baking sheet on. This ensures that nothing falls on the dough while it is being chilled.

  3. Place the prepared dough balls onto the baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. This allows them to have room to rise without sticking to each other when removed from the refrigerator.

  4. Cover the prepared dough with plastic wrap. Sealing it around the edges of the baking sheet to ensure that nothing gets into the dough. Chill between 4 to 48 hours before baking to delay the rising process.

  5. Remove the baking sheet 2 hours before baking according to the recipe. Remove the plastic wrap and discard it. Cover the rolls with a lightly damp kitchen towel and place in a warm spot in the kitchen. When doubled in size, bake according to the recipe's instructions in the preheated oven.