A basket of pull apart garlic dinner rolls with a grey napkin on a wooden table.

Big Batch Pull Apart Dinner Rolls

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This Recipe pull apart dinner rolls is perfect for a family or friend get together because it makes a lot, about 36 dinner rolls.

The dinner rolls are so super soft and buttery. to make them pull apart, I brush butter between the layers of dough. I have done this with plain butter and garlic butter, both were amazing!

The rolls are baked in muffin tins to hold their shape, and makes them the perfect size for everyone to have at lease one pull apart dinner roll.

Can I make pull apart dinner rolls dough in advance?

Pull apart dinner roll dough can be made the day before. Roll them out, butter, stack, and cut into portions. Place them in their muffin tins to have their final rise in the refrigerator. The cold temperature slows down the time needed for the bread to rise. You may only need an hour or two for them to double in size at room temperature. If you make your pull apart dinner rolls, and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight, you can take them out and bake them the next day!

Similarly, If you want to assemble them the day of. Let the dough rise 1 hour, punch it down and fold it, then cover and let rise overnight. In the morning you can roll out, butter, and form the pull apart rolls.

Can I freeze the dough for future use?

Yes you can!

To freeze pull apart dinner roll dough– Freeze the dough after you have shaped the dinner rolls but before the final rise. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze them for a few hours. Once frozen transfer to a freezer bag. Leave in the freezer until you need them. When you are ready to use the dough, place each roll in muffin tins. Leave it out, at room temperature. It will take about 5 hours to defrost and double in bulk, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

Methods to make the dough

Pull apart dinner rolls with a stand mixer -A stand mixer and dough hook attachment, is the simplest way to make this big batch pull apart dinner rolls. Add the ingredients in the order listed. Using the dough hook attachment, turn it on the lowest setting and let the mixer do the work of kneading it to a smooth dough. It should take between 5-8 minutes.

Pull apart dinner rolls by hand – You can make these by hand, with just a bowl and some arm muscle! Mix all of the ingredients, in the order listed, in the bowl. When it comes together, tip the dough out onto the counter and knead for about 8-10 minutes. I knead my dough by folding it over on itself, then pressing down and away from myself, with the heal of my hand. Rotate the dough, fold and press again. Repeat until the dough is smooth and elastic. This may be a little bit more work on your part, but no special equipment is required!

Pull apart dinner rolls using a bread machine – Place the ingredients in the pan of your bread machine and turn it onto the dough setting. When the cycle is done, you will be at the step of rolling out the dough. Follow the same big batch pull apart dinner roll recipe instructions after that.

What is enriched dough?

What makes these big batch pull apart dinner rolls different? They are made with an enriched dough. This makes bread soft and pillowy!

If you think of a French baguette, it is made with water, flour, yeast, and salt. This is not an enriched dough. There is no added fat. It is a tough, crusty, chewy bread. Which is perfect for a baguette!

An enriched dough, like in this recipe, is made with milk, eggs, and butter added in. These added fats make a soft, tender, pillowy bread. Which is what you want in a pull apart dinner roll!

Yeast mixture in a white and gold cup being stored by a small fork
A beaten egg in a white and yellow flowered cup, with a metal fork.
Pouring flour into a metal bowl with a milk mixture.
A bread dough mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment
Pull apart dinner roll dough in the bowl of a stand mixer.

How to form the pull apart dinner rolls

Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about ½-in. thick. Cut the dough into 12 strips. Brush the top of the dough with melted butter. Stack the strips on top of each other in groups of 4 and then cut each strip into individual portions. Place each portion into muffin cups. Make sure not to cut them to big and over fill the muffin cups, as they will still need to rise before baking.

A brown porcelain bowl with risen pull apart dinner roll dough puffing up our of it.
A sauce pot with melted butter mixture. A red silicone brush inside.
Woman brushing strips of dough with a garlic butter mixture.

How to check for doneness

You know your pull apart dinner rolls are done when they are golden brown on the top. When you tap on the top, they will sound light and hollow. The internal temperature should be between 190-210 degrees F.

A stack of 4 strips of dough with garlic butter brushed in between the strips.
Woman holding strips of dough with garlic butter spread in between.
A long strip of dough cut into portions and being placed into a muffin tin.
A muffin tin with pull apart bread dough and garlic butter brushed in between the layers.

Big Batch Pull Apart Dinner Rolls

1 ½ cups milk

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

¼ cup butter

½ cup warm water

2 ¼ teaspoons dry-active yeast

1 egg

5 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

½ teaspoon salt (optional)

1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)

Baked garlic pull apart bread rolls in a muffin tin
woman brushing garlic butter on top of cooked garlic pull apart dinner rolls
Cooked pull apart garlic dinner rolls cooked in a muffin tin

Method

  1. In a small bowl add the warm water 1 tsp of the sugar. Stir to dissolve.
  2. Sprinkle on top the dry-active yeast. Set aside to become foamy, (about 5 minutes).
  3. Scald the milk and add it to the bowl of the stand mixer, (or a large bowl by hand).
  4. Mix in the rest of the sugar, salt, and butter. Stir to melt the butter. Set aside to cool slightly.
  5. Beat the egg and add it to the milk mixture.
  6. When the yeast is ready add it to the mixture.
  7. Add in half of the flour and mix until smooth. Add the rest of the flour, 1 cup at a time, until you have a smooth dough. You may need all or part of the flour. (I used the full amount)
  8. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. (If by hand, tip it out on the counter and knead it for 8 minutes)
  9. Cover and let rise 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
  10. Tip the dough onto a floured counter. Flatten it slightly. Then, fold it over on itself, all the way around the circumference. Tighten it to the counter. Cover and let rise, 1 more hour.
  11. Tip the dough out a floured counter and roll it out into a large rectangle about ½-in. thick.
  12. Cut the dough into 12 equal strips.
  13. Brush evenly on top of each strip the melted butter.
  14. (optional) To make garlic pull apart rolls. To a small bowl add the melted butter, garlic powder, salt, and parsley. Brush this mixture onto the tops of each strip.

To form the pull apart dinner rolls

  1. Stack 4 strips on top of each other, then cut about a 1-1½ inch portion.
  2. Place each portion into muffin tins.
  3. Cover and let rise 30 minutes, or until almost doubled.
  4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  5. Bake the rolls 18-20 minutes, or until golden.
  6. Remove from the oven and brush the tops with the remaining butter (or garlic butter).
  7. Serve warm!
A basket of pull apart garlic dinner rolls with a grey napkin on a wooden table.
A woman holding and pulling apart a garlic pull apart dinner roll. A basket of dinner rolls in the background.
A basket of pull apart garlic dinner rolls with a grey napkin on a wooden table.

Big Batch pull apart dinner rolls

flour and filigree
Soft and pillowy dinner rolls. Peel back all of the delicate layers in this deliciously flavourful bread.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course bread
Cuisine American
Servings 36 rolls
Calories 360 kcal

Equipment

  • muffin tins

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ½ cup warm water
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons dry-active yeast
  • 1 egg
  • 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour

butter spread

  • ⅓ cup melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder optional
  • ½ teaspoon salt optional
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley optional

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl add the warm water 1 tsp of the sugar. Stir to dissolve.
  • Sprinkle the dry-active yeast on top. Set aside to become foamy, (about 5 minutes).
  • Scald the milk and add it to the bowl of the stand mixer, (or a large bowl by hand).
  • Mix in the rest of the sugar, salt, and butter. Stir to melt the butter. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • Beat the egg and add it to the milk mixture.
  • When the yeast is ready add it to the mixture.
  • Add in half of the flour and mix until smooth. Add the rest of the flour, 1 cup at a time, until you have a smooth dough. You may need all or part of the flour. (I used the full amount)
  • Knead the dough for 5 minutes. (If by hand, tip it out on the counter and knead it for 8 minutes)
  • Cover and let rise 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
  • Place the dough onto a floured counter. Flatten it slightly with your fingers. Then, fold it over on itself, all the way around the circumference. Tighten it to the counter. Cover and let rise one more hour.
  • Tip the dough out onto a floured counter and roll it out into a large rectangle, about ½-in. thick.
  • Cut the dough into 12 equal strips.
  • Brush evenly, on top of each strip, the melted butter.
  • (Optional) To make garlic pull apart rolls. To a small bowl add the melted butter, garlic powder, salt, and parsley. Brush this mixture onto the tops of each strip.

To form the pull apart rolls

  • Stack 4 strips on top of each other, then cut about a 1-1½ inch portion.
  • Place each portion into muffin tins.
  • Cover and let rise 30 minutes, or until almost doubled.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 ℉ (190 ℃).
  • Bake the rolls 18-20 minutes, or until golden.
  • Remove from the oven and brush the tops with the remaining butter (or garlic butter).
  • Serve warm!
Keyword bread, christmas, easter, feast, kid-friendly, thanksgiving

Looking for more big family meal ideas? Try one of these! Epic Holiday Turkey Family Favorite Mashed Potato Casserole From-Scratch Herb Stuffing Bread, plus stuffing recipe Homemade Ruby Red Cranberry Sauce

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