When you think about Thanksgiving, an image of roasted turkey and a sprawling buffet table of side dishes springs to mind. But the unsung star, often nestled in a basket and swaddled in a warm towel, is the selection of fresh bread.
If you're intimidated by the idea of homemade bread, don't be! "I never want to feel overwhelmed on Thanksgiving," Ree Drummond says. "To me, that defeats the purpose of the holiday, which is supposed to be about spending time with family and friends. Remember: the more steps you can remove from the big day, the calmer a cook you'll be!"
How do you do that? When you're planning a big feast, make-ahead recipes and shortcuts are key. The Pioneer Woman team created bread recipes that call for convenience items and flexible rising techniques, so you can choose ones that suit your cooking timeline—and your taste. Try a no-knead herb focaccia dough that rises slowly in the fridge for up to three days, or whip up olive oil drop biscuits in less than 30 minutes. Serve a batch of warm angel biscuits with ranch butter or try a fun new twist on breadsticks, made with apple butter and cheese. Whether you choose one type of bread or all of them, you'll be thrilled that you decided to make this part of the meal yourself!
Buttermilk Ranch Angel Biscuits
Ah, angel biscuits—they're pure heaven! These are flavored with a homemade ranch seasoning mix and slathered in ranch butter. Choose your timing: You can roll out and cut the biscuits and refrigerate them overnight, or cut them and let them rise early on Thanksgiving morning.
Apple Butter Twists
These apple-butter cheese twists are a new take on the classic breadstick, and they're super easy: You just need store-bought puff pastry and a handful of other ingredients. You can assemble and freeze these up to a month in advance, then bake them on the big day. Be sure to snag one before they disappear!
This fluffy herb focaccia is the ideal Thanksgiving side: It feeds a crowd, and it might also be the easiest yeasted bread ever: no kneading, shaping or babysitting required! Mix the dough up to three days in advance and store it in the refrigerator, then, place it in a well-oiled baking pan and forget all about it while it rises!
Move over, turkey! This pumpkin-shaped challah is ready to claim its rightful place at the center of your Thanksgiving table. This loaf takes on a deep golden color thanks to pumpkin puree and eggs, and it's shaped into a gourd with a few lengths of butcher's twine. A cinnamon stick "stem" is the finishing touch.
What Thanksgiving would be complete without bacon? Frozen white bread dough (a short-cut borrowed from Ree's buttered rosemary rolls) is the secret to this simple recipe: Layers of maple butter and finely chopped bacon elevate the dough. These rolls are just as great for dinner as they are for breakfast the next morning. Make a second batch and thank yourself over a cup of coffee later.
Cornbread is essential on a Southern Thanksgiving table, and this one is a standout for its sweetness and tender texture. The secret: All the ingredients are combined in a blender! You just whirl everything together, pour it into a baking pan and slip it in the oven. Then slather it with butter or top with a dusting of powdered sugar if you have a sweet tooth.
Drop biscuits might be the easiest bread you can make. Just scoop this dough onto a tray and toss the biscuits in the oven while the turkey rests: They'll be done in minutes. Flavorful olive oil creates a rich-tasting biscuit, no butter required! (Don't worry, you can still slather some on after they're baked.)
