Overnight Holiday Dinner Buns

We don’t have a tradition of holiday dinner buns in my family, but I could definitely start one with these Honey-Potato Buns from Donna Currie’s book, Make Ahead Bread. Their slightly crunchy crust and soft inside take the concept of buns or rolls with dinner to a whole new level. And best of all, you mix the dough and form the buns the day before, refrigerate them overnight, and all you do the next day is pop them in the oven.

Donna is a genius when it comes to bread (and many other things.) Every recipe in Make Ahead Bread can be mixed on one day, refrigerated overnight, and baked the next (or in a few cases, two days later.) That makes all the recipes fabulous when time is at a premium and yet you want fresh bread, buns, or rolls for a holiday meal. For your own copy of this incredible resource for novice and experienced bakers alike, head over to Donna’s blog, Cookistry (book link in the right column), or if you’re reading this while my giveaway of a copy is still on, you can enter it here. 

This recipe ingredients are simple, but two of them struck me as unusual for bread: instant mashed potato flakes and non-fat dried milk. The combination of those, with a bit of semolina flour and honey gave these dinner buns texture and taste far beyond what I might have expected just from looking at the rounded buns as they came out of the oven. 

Although I call them dinner buns, don’t be fooled. These little lovelies would be perfect anytime of day. I’m dreaming of my weekend fried eggs with a bun or two, and they would be perfect for small sandwiches or sliders. 

A few of the ingredients may not be in your pantry (instant mashed potatoes and nonfat dried milk were the two I didn’t have on hand), but the result is well worth the trip to the store. 

I have a stand mixer, so the process of putting together the rolls was simple. If you don’t have one, Donna advises that you can mix the ingredients by hand and knead the dough.

Once the dough was mixed, it rested for a short time, and was ready to be formed into buns, I cut the pieces with a knife – first in half, then each half into quarters (eight pieces in total), then each of those eight into thirds to end up with 24 buns. When the tray of buns goes into the refrigerator overnight, make sure it is well wrapped, though you don’t need to use as much plastic wrap as I did. Donna’s sensible suggestion is to use a clean plastic bag tied shut.

When you bake them the next day, the buns are pillowy before baking. Don’t worry if they have creases; those don’t seem nearly as obvious once they come out of the oven.

Donna advises checking for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. That’s a good idea, but if you don’t have one, you can always try a bun to “test” it:)

This recipe from Make Ahead Bread is provided with the permission of Donna Currie.

Print Recipe

Holiday Dinner Buns Yum

Small buns with a golden, slightly crunchy crust and a soft inside. Perfect for serving with a holiday dinner. Called Honey-Potato Buns in Make Ahead Bread.

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups room temperature water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast (about 1/2 packet)
• 3 cups bread flour plus more as needed, (13 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup semolina flour (3 ounces)
• 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
• 1/4 cup instant potato flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• White rice flour optional

Prep Time 30 minutes Cook Time 25 minutes Servings Ingredients 1 1/2 cups room temperature water 2 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon instant yeast (about 1/2 packet) 3 cups bread flour plus more as needed, (13 1/2 ounces) 1/2 cup semolina flour (3 ounces) 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk 1/4 cup instant potato flakes 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature White rice flour optional

Instructions

Day 1

1. Combine the water, honey, yeast, bread flour, semolina flour, dry milk, and potato flakes in a stand mixer fitter with the dough hook. Knead the mixture until it forms elastic dough.
2. Add the salt and butter and continue kneading until those ingredients are incorporated and the dough is even more elastic. It will also become smoother and slightly shiny.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside in a warm location without drafts for 45 minutes.
4. LIne a rimmed, half-sheet baking pan with parchment paper.
5. After the dough has rested, dump it onto a well-floured work surface and divide it into 24 pieces. roll each piece into a ball and dust it with rice, bread, or all-purpose flour before putting each doughball on the parchment.
6. Wrap the baking pan well with plastic wrap or put it in a clean plastic bag that you tie shut. Refrigerate the covered pan overnight or up to 24 hours.

Day 2

1. Take the pan out of the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Remove the plastic (wrap or bag) from the pan and bake the buns for about 25 minutes, until the tops are golden. To test with an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should be 195 degrees F.
3. Cool the buns on a wire rack.

Recipe Notes

Note that the yeast is instant, not "regular."
For the 45 minute "rest," I put the covered bowl in an unheated oven.
I cut the dough with a knife - in half, then each half into quarters and each quarter into thirds to get 24 pieces.
The total time does not count the overnight rise in the refrigerator.
The baked rolls are small - about 2 - 2 1/2 inches round, so count on 2-3 per person.

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