Homemade Rolls
Family lore relates that when visiting my grandparents at the age of 8, I requested that Granny make her fabulous yeast rolls. Granny replied that she was too tired to make them that year. Ever the empathic pragmatist, I responded, "How about you take a nap, and then make them?"
The recipe for these yeast rolls is a hybrid of Granny's recipe, Sharon's Stickier buns from the cookbook Butter Sugar Flour Eggs, and Deb Perelman's cheddar cheese swirl buns from Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. My recipe is published as a science experiment in my first book, Awesome Kitchen Science Experiments. As the book approaches its 4-year birthday (!), I'm finally exercising the part of my author contract that allows me to publish a bit of its contents. However, I've changed the recipe a bit - adding more flour and some ideas for how to have fun with the dough. I hope you find these rolls as delicious and cozy as I do.
Tools:
2-cup heat-proof liquid measuring cup
Microwave
Spoon
Mixing bowl
Stand mixer with paddle and dough hook attachments (optional)
Fork
Clear plastic wrap
Cutting board or clean counter
Ruler
Rolling pin
Table knife
Parchment paper
Cookie sheet
Oven mitts
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups flour, plus ¼ cup for rolling out the dough
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
1 cup milk
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon oil
For crescent rolls:
1. Pour 1 cup of milk into the 2-cup heat-proof liquid measuring cup. Microwave for 1 minute so that the milk is warm but not hot.
2. Add 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) of active dry yeast to the warm milk. Stir with the spoon and set aside. (You may notice a few bubbles appear on the surface of the milk. This means that the yeast are starting their work!)
3. Place 4 tablespoons butter in a heat-proof mug and microwave for 30 seconds so that it melts.
4. Place 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ cup sugar in the mixing bowl and stir with the paddle attachment (or with a spoon) until combined.
5. Pour the yeast mixture and the melted butter into the flour mixture.
6. Crack the egg into the same mug that you used to melt the butter. Whisk the egg for a few moments with a fork to break up the yolk. Add to the mixing bowl.
7. Mix the flour, yeast, butter, and egg mixture with the paddle attachment (or a large spoon) until the dough sticks together in a messy ball.
8. Switch to the dough hook and mix for 6 minutes (or turn the dough onto a floured cutting board or countertop and knead it for 8 minutes).
9. Pour 1 teaspoon oil into a second mixing bowl and use your hands to spread the oil until it coats the inside of the bowl.
10. Set 1 tablespoon of butter out so that it warms up to room temperature.
11. Place your kneaded dough ball into the oiled bowl and cover the bowl with clear plastic wrap. Let the dough rise on the kitchen counter for 2 hours, or in the refrigerator overnight.
12. Place your risen dough on a floured cutting board or countertop. Use the rolling pin to roll it out into a circle. The dough should be between ¼ inch and ½ inch thick.
13. Use the table knife to spread 1 tablespoon of butter evenly over the dough circle.
14. Use the table knife to cut the dough circle into 12 wedges, as though you were cutting a pie into pieces.
15. Roll each dough piece into a crescent shape. Start on the wide edge and roll in.
16. Cover the cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
17. Place the crescent rolls on the parchment paper. Cover the rolls loosely with clear plastic wrap. Leave them on the kitchen counter to double in size (about 2 hours).
18. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes, until they are golden brown and a little but crusty on top. Use the oven mitts when removing the pan of rolls from the oven. Let cool 5-10 minutes before eating. Enjoy!
For cinnamon pecan rolls:
In step 12, instead of rolling the dough into a circle, roll it into a 12-inch by 12-inch rectangle.
For step 13, spread 2 tablespoons of soft butter over the dough, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon ground cardamom.
For steps 14-17, mix 1/3 cup brown sugar with 4 tablespoons melted butter,1 tablespoon water, and 1/4 cup honey. Place 4 pecan halves in each of the 12 cups of a buttered muffin tin (or if some of the folks eating the rolls don't do nuts, leave the pecans out for them), then evenly divide the honey butter between the 12 cups. Roll the dough into a log and slice into 12 rolls. Place each roll over the pecans and honey butter in a cup of the muffin tin. Cover the tin and leave the rolls to rise on the counter 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.
For step 18, bake 25 minutes at 350°F. Turn out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes, then enjoy!
For cheesy rolls:
In step 12, instead of rolling the dough into a circle, roll it into a 12-inch by 12-inch rectangle.
For step 13, spread the dough with 1 cup grated cheddar cheese mized with 1/4 cup grated onion mixd with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 2 teaspoons of any dried herb combination that you like).
For steps 14-17, roll the dough into a log and slice into 12 rolls. Place each a cup of a buttered 12-cup muffin tin. Cover the tin and leave the rolls to rise on the counter 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.
For step 18, bake 25 minutes at 350°F. Turn out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes, then enjoy!
The recipe for these yeast rolls is a hybrid of Granny's recipe, Sharon's Stickier buns from the cookbook Butter Sugar Flour Eggs, and Deb Perelman's cheddar cheese swirl buns from Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. My recipe is published as a science experiment in my first book, Awesome Kitchen Science Experiments. As the book approaches its 4-year birthday (!), I'm finally exercising the part of my author contract that allows me to publish a bit of its contents. However, I've changed the recipe a bit - adding more flour and some ideas for how to have fun with the dough. I hope you find these rolls as delicious and cozy as I do.
Tools:
2-cup heat-proof liquid measuring cup
Microwave
Spoon
Mixing bowl
Stand mixer with paddle and dough hook attachments (optional)
Fork
Clear plastic wrap
Cutting board or clean counter
Ruler
Rolling pin
Table knife
Parchment paper
Cookie sheet
Oven mitts
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups flour, plus ¼ cup for rolling out the dough
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
1 cup milk
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon oil
For crescent rolls:
1. Pour 1 cup of milk into the 2-cup heat-proof liquid measuring cup. Microwave for 1 minute so that the milk is warm but not hot.
2. Add 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) of active dry yeast to the warm milk. Stir with the spoon and set aside. (You may notice a few bubbles appear on the surface of the milk. This means that the yeast are starting their work!)
3. Place 4 tablespoons butter in a heat-proof mug and microwave for 30 seconds so that it melts.
4. Place 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ cup sugar in the mixing bowl and stir with the paddle attachment (or with a spoon) until combined.
5. Pour the yeast mixture and the melted butter into the flour mixture.
6. Crack the egg into the same mug that you used to melt the butter. Whisk the egg for a few moments with a fork to break up the yolk. Add to the mixing bowl.
7. Mix the flour, yeast, butter, and egg mixture with the paddle attachment (or a large spoon) until the dough sticks together in a messy ball.
8. Switch to the dough hook and mix for 6 minutes (or turn the dough onto a floured cutting board or countertop and knead it for 8 minutes).
9. Pour 1 teaspoon oil into a second mixing bowl and use your hands to spread the oil until it coats the inside of the bowl.
10. Set 1 tablespoon of butter out so that it warms up to room temperature.
11. Place your kneaded dough ball into the oiled bowl and cover the bowl with clear plastic wrap. Let the dough rise on the kitchen counter for 2 hours, or in the refrigerator overnight.
12. Place your risen dough on a floured cutting board or countertop. Use the rolling pin to roll it out into a circle. The dough should be between ¼ inch and ½ inch thick.
13. Use the table knife to spread 1 tablespoon of butter evenly over the dough circle.
14. Use the table knife to cut the dough circle into 12 wedges, as though you were cutting a pie into pieces.
15. Roll each dough piece into a crescent shape. Start on the wide edge and roll in.
16. Cover the cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
17. Place the crescent rolls on the parchment paper. Cover the rolls loosely with clear plastic wrap. Leave them on the kitchen counter to double in size (about 2 hours).
18. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes, until they are golden brown and a little but crusty on top. Use the oven mitts when removing the pan of rolls from the oven. Let cool 5-10 minutes before eating. Enjoy!
For cinnamon pecan rolls:
In step 12, instead of rolling the dough into a circle, roll it into a 12-inch by 12-inch rectangle.
For step 13, spread 2 tablespoons of soft butter over the dough, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon ground cardamom.
For steps 14-17, mix 1/3 cup brown sugar with 4 tablespoons melted butter,1 tablespoon water, and 1/4 cup honey. Place 4 pecan halves in each of the 12 cups of a buttered muffin tin (or if some of the folks eating the rolls don't do nuts, leave the pecans out for them), then evenly divide the honey butter between the 12 cups. Roll the dough into a log and slice into 12 rolls. Place each roll over the pecans and honey butter in a cup of the muffin tin. Cover the tin and leave the rolls to rise on the counter 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.
For step 18, bake 25 minutes at 350°F. Turn out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes, then enjoy!
For cheesy rolls:
In step 12, instead of rolling the dough into a circle, roll it into a 12-inch by 12-inch rectangle.
For step 13, spread the dough with 1 cup grated cheddar cheese mized with 1/4 cup grated onion mixd with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 2 teaspoons of any dried herb combination that you like).
For steps 14-17, roll the dough into a log and slice into 12 rolls. Place each a cup of a buttered 12-cup muffin tin. Cover the tin and leave the rolls to rise on the counter 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.
For step 18, bake 25 minutes at 350°F. Turn out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes, then enjoy!
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