Festive Dinner Rolls with a Cut Leaf Design

Well friends! It is officially time to start celebrating fall here on Twelve On Main.  I start early, in hopes to gain and give inspiration to my readers and to myself!  So, by the time its truly time to enjoy the fall, we can fully enjoy it, with fun craft ideas, decor ideas, and even some yummy food ideas!  Today I am taking a big leap and sharing something a bit different! Some of my favorite bloggers got together to share a fall leaf project and I decided to share how I made my dinner rolls into fall accessories with a cut leaf design in them.  

Now, you say what?  Yep!  I used my favorite french bread recipe to make the rolls, and then I spent a little bit of time cutting the leaf pattern in them before they went into the oven.

When I was given the challenge of creating a fall leaf project, I went through a ton of ideas, and some of them you will still be seeing here over the next couple months.  But suddenly, while I was baking a loaf of my sourdough dutch oven bread, after I had cut some leaf patterns in it, I decided to try my hand at small dinner rolls with a touch of fall on them!

You can easily use store bought frozen roll dough, or make your own dough to do this! Its a simple way to add some personalization to your meal.  Everyone will be blown away at your hand made dinner rolls! These small details can really up the ante on your dinner parties, or even just a fun family dinner at home.

How did I cut these leaf patterns into my dinner rolls?

First I cut my dough into equal pieces.  I then rolled and pinched them to create a french bread style loaf with narrow ends.

You can see them below.  In my past life I actually used to be a semi-pastry chef at a local restaurant and one of my jobs was to bake the homemade bread for the guests, and this was one of the shapes I used.  You can manipulate dough into so many different shapes, why not try it!

Once I had them rolled into their shape, I used an xacto knife to cut the designs.  I have found this to be the easiest and fastest way to cut through the dough. I like to dip the knife in flour before I begin to help prevent any sticking.  I cut the outside shape of the leaf and then the middle line and last the veins.  

You can wait until they are just about raised to do this, or right after you shape the dough. You will get different results since the dough will rise more in the oven and it can distort the designs.  I would let it rise about half way.

I then popped them in the oven and half way through I coated them with egg wash and let them brown up nice and gorgeous.

They are a but rustic, and imperfect, but that is what I love about them!

They are the perfect addition to a fall table or even just as a piece of decor! 

I love everything about how these turned out.  It only took me about 5 extra minutes to add these simple designs and I think they make these dinner rolls look gorgeous and tasty too!

Rustic fall leaf dinner rolls?  Who would have thought? This is what I love about my job.  It is only limited to my imagination!

Make sure you try these this fall!  People will love them.

Want to see more amazing fall leaf ideas?  Check these out below!

Gold Dipped Leaf Place Cards – Modern Glam

How to Make a Paper Quilt Leaf – Happy Happy Nester

Fall Craft Ideas – Jennifer Maune

DIY Gilded Leaf Pumpkins – Tatertots & Jello

Watercolour Fall Leaf Free Printable Series – The Happy Housie

Fall Craft Ideas for Your Table – My 100 Year Old Home

Pressed Botanical Art – Craftberry Bush

Outdoor Fall Tablescape with Leaves – Hallstrom Home

Fall Wood Bead Garland – Lolly Jane

DIY Leaf Pillow – Thistlewood Farms

Dinner Rolls with a Cut Leaf Design – Twelve On Main

DIY Leaf Trivet – My Sweet Savannah

The Worst Project Made with Leaves Ever – Jennifer Rizzo