Thanksgiving Bread Recipes: Rolls, Cornbread & More

Bread is the quiet anchor of a Thanksgiving table — the thing everyone reaches for to sop up gravy and the last bite of cranberry sauce. Thanksgiving bread recipes run from quick dinner rolls you can make the morning of to a make-ahead cornbread that holds for days. Here are a few worth baking.

Soft Dinner Rolls

A simple enriched dough — flour, milk, butter, yeast, and a little sugar — shaped into pull-apart rolls and baked until golden is the classic Thanksgiving bread. Mix the dough the night before and let it rise slowly in the fridge, then shape and bake in the morning while the turkey rests. Brush the tops with butter and a flaky salt. They're gone faster than any side.

Skillet Cornbread

A cast-iron skillet cornbread bakes up with a crisp, golden edge and a tender crumb — the perfect base for stuffing or a side for the meal. Whisk cornmeal, flour, buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter, pour into a hot, buttered skillet, and bake. A touch of honey or sugar makes it a little sweet; leave it out for a savory version. Cornbread keeps for days and reheats well.

Make-Ahead Quick Breads

A quick bread — pumpkin, banana, or a savory herb-and-cheddar loaf — needs no yeast and keeps for days, which makes it the most make-ahead-friendly Thanksgiving bread. Bake it the Monday of Thanksgiving week, wrap it well, and slice it for the table or for the morning-of toast. Thanksgiving bread recipes that don't fight the oven schedule are the ones that actually get served.