overnight wheat rolls

last updated on October 30, 2026

For day 4 of my “12 Days of Christmas Recipes” we are making overnight wheat rolls! These rolls are soft and fluffy and are a breeze to make. And everyone loves homemade rolls, right?

Like the gingersnaps recipe I shared a few days ago, these overnight wheat rolls are also a family recipe! Growing up I loved helping my mom make these rolls. She would usually make the dough the night before, then in the morning I would help her roll them out! My job was usually to dip the rolls in butter and transfer them to the pan. It was a great job and I loved it. As I got older my job expanded and progressed, but I enjoyed it no matter what!

what ingredients do i need for these rolls?

• yeast
• warm water
• butter
• sugar
• eggs
• salt
• all-purpose flour
• wheat flour

These rolls use really simple ingredients! They use a balance of white (all-purpose) flour and wheat flour. The nice thing about this split is that you can adjust the amount of “wheat” in these rolls! If you want extra wheat-y rolls, use more wheat flour and less white flour. If you want them more white, use less wheat flour! You don’t even have to use any wheat flour — if you want normal white rolls, add only all-purpose flour! No matter what ratio you choose, just keep the total amount of flour to 8 cups.

the “overnight” process

One great perk of these rolls is that the process is split up into two days. Here is a breakdown of the process:

• Mix up the dough, then cover it and put in the fridge.
• The next morning or afternoon (depending on when you want to cook these rolls), take the dough out of the fridge and divide it into 4 balls.
• Roll out each dough ball into a 12″ wide circle.
• Use a sharp knife or pizza roller to cut the circle of dough into 8 wedges. Roll each wedge up into a crescent.
• Dip each roll in melted butter and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover all the rolls and let them rise for 3-4 hours.
• Bake and enjoy!

how to make these all in one day

If you don’t want to split the process of these rolls into two days, you can do it all in one day! Make the dough in the morning, then instead of putting it in the fridge, cover it and leave it out on the counter. Let it rise for a couple hours until the dough has doubled in size. From this point, continue on with the recipe as if it was the next day — roll out the dough, let it rise for 3-4 hours, then bake!

how to store these rolls

These rolls make fantastic leftovers! If you make a full batch then you’ll get 48 rolls, so depending on how many people will be at your dinner, you may have leftovers (if you want less rolls, just half the recipe!). Keep any extra rolls in a sealed container and enjoy within 4-5 days.

One of my favorite ways to eat these rolls leftover is to make a breakfast sandwich: Cut a roll in half and warm it up a bit. Add a little mayo to each side. Scramble an egg with a bit of cheddar cheese. Add the egg to the roll and top with avocado, arugula, and a little hot sauce. It is amazing.

other recipes from my 12 days of christmas recipes

• gingersnaps
• whipped feta and hot honey stuffed pears
• wreath cookies

overnight wheat rolls

[category] Side Dish, Snack

[published] December 8, 2021

[PREP] 30 minutes mins

[COOK] 10 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• 2 tbsp instant yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 cups warm water around 110 degrees f
• 1 cup salted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups wheat flour
• 1/2 cup salted butter to dip rolls in

Instructions

1. Add yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, and warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes, until yeast starts to activate.
2. Melt butter and add it to the stand mixer along with the sugar. Crack eggs into a separate bowl and whisk them until combined. Add whisked eggs to the stand mixer.
3. With the dough hook attachment, mix until the ingredients are combined. Add all-purpose flour, wheat flour, and salt. Mix for 4-5 minutes. The dough should be very soft. It may stick to your fingers, this is okay.
4. Cover the dough and transfer to the fridge (*if you want to make these rolls all in one day, see the paragraph in the above post). Leave the dough in the fridge overnight.
5. Take the dough out of the fridge about 5 hours before you want to eat. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal sections.
6. Working with one section at a time, roll the dough into a 12" wide circle. Using a sharp knife or pizza roller, cut the circle into 8 equal wedges. Working with one wedge at a time, roll each wedge into a crescent, starting with the wide end. Repeat with remaining wedges, then with remaining sections.
7. Quickly dip each crescent roll in melted butter and transfer to a baking sheet. These rolls can be placed fairly close together. You can fit about 20-24 rolls on a standard baking sheet.
8. Cover the rolls (either loosely with plastic wrap or with a light kitchen towel) and let them rise for 3-4 hours.
9. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Uncover the rolls and bake for 10-12 minutes, until rolls are golden brown. Enjoy while they're hot!