Frozen bread dough is one of those convenience products that’s easily forgotten, but boy is it ever worth its weight in gold. Buy a 3-loaf package and just see where it takes you—way beyond a basic loaf of bread.
All of these recipes start with 1 or 2 loaves of thawed dough. Overnight thawing in the refrigerator is my preferred method, but the package lists instructions for a quicker thaw at room temperature. Keep in mind that the “quicker” version still involves hours of thawing. I like to place a frozen loaf in a greased loaf pan, cover it loosely with a greased piece of plastic wrap, and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
You can be sure that your bread is baked for any of these recipes when it reads 190-200ºF on an instant-read thermometer. I can’t remember meat readiness temps, but I took a bread class years ago, and that stuck with me. It’s always a good way to check if you’re in doubt.
1 - Cloverleaf Rolls
Let’s start with what is maybe the most obvious: rolls. Cloverleaf rolls seem so fancy, don’t they? I love busting these out at a regular weeknight dinner and seeing if I can stop at two. (I can’t.)
To make these, grease a 12-cup muffin tin. Cut the thawed dough into 12 even pieces. Cut each of those pieces into three. Roll into balls and place into the greased tin. Cover with a dish towel or greased plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours. Brush with melted butter and bake for about 15–20 minutes, or until done.
2 - Pizza Monkey Bread
You’ve all heard of sweet monkey bread which, of course, you can make with bread dough. But have you ever tried savory monkey bread? Our son is home from college and said this recipe is “the best thing I’ve eaten in months!” How’s that for an endorsem*nt?
To make this, melt 1/2 cup salted butter with 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon garlic salt. Let cool but don’t let it solidify. Stir in 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan. Grease a large bundt pan with shortening. Cut 8 ounces of block mozzarella into 64 pieces, and cut two thawed loaves into 24-30 pieces each.
Fold each ball of dough around a piece of cheese. Pinch and roll to seal, roll in the butter mixture, and place into the greased bundt pan. Scatter quartered pepperoni slices in as you go, if desired. Top with any of the remaining butter mixture. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 hours. Bake at 350ºF for about 40–45 minutes, tenting with foil after 30 minutes if needed to prevent over-browning.
Let the monkey bread rest for 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter and an additional 5 before serving. Tear off chunks and dip into warmed marinara sauce.
3 - Cinnamon Rolls
Here’s another no-brainer. Instead of making your own dough for cinnamon rolls, use thawed bread dough. For most recipes making 12 cinnamon rolls, one loaf of thawed dough will do the trick. Roll, fill, rise, and bake per the recipe instructions. Don’t forget the icing!
4 - Kolaches
In our area of Texas, kolaches are sold in almost every donut shop. They’re bread dough filled with meat and/or cheese and served for breakfast. Traditionally, kolaches are sweet, and the savory versions are called klobasnek. I’m sticking with our local definition; please address all complaints to the state of Texas.
To make them, divide the thawed dough into 8 even pieces. Roll each piece into an oblong shape. Place a pre-cooked breakfast sausage link in the center. Add cheese if desired—pepper jack is particularly delicious. Wrap the dough around and place seam-side-down on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Cover with a dish towel or greased plastic wrap. Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours. Brush with milk, and bake at 350ºF for about 20 minutes, or until lightly golden.
5 - Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread
This bread is life-changing in the best way! These thin layers of buttery, cinnamon-sugar goodness bake up into a masterpiece that’s a cinch to make. Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan. Melt 1/2 stick of salted butter, set aside. Divide thawed dough into 8 equal pieces, then cut each of those into three pieces.
Roll each piece of bread (use a bit of flour if sticky) into about a 3-inch rough circle/oval. No need to be precise. Brush the tops with melted butter. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar (more on that later). Repeat, stacking the bread into a “tower” of sorts. Once finished, place the stack sideways into the prepared loaf pan.
Cover with a greased piece of plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours. Don’t worry if your stack doesn’t cover the entire loaf pan at first—it will as it rises. Bake at 350ºF for 35–45 minutes, tenting with foil after about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a knife along the edges and remove. Let cool for another 5 minutes before pulling apart the layers.
If you don’t have cinnamon-sugar on hand, make it by stirring together 3/4 cup granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons cinnamon.
(Pssst. This is such a great treat to take to your neighbor!)
Bread = love. Using frozen bread dough is no exception. How do you love to use it?
