What do I love about these dinner rolls? Oh let me count the ways . . . they’re quick, they’re super delicious, they’re easy and they make me look like a SOO-PUH STAH! I normally don’t bake any type of breads but when the Professor and I had company for Sunday supper a couple weeks back, I needed a dinner roll for the meal and these herby gems were the perfect, and I do mean perfect addition to the table.
As I said, I don’t really bake breads simply because until now, I thought it took time, and lots of it – combining the ingredients, kneading, rising, punching down the dough and letting it rise again – all of which required me to hang around the kitchen lest, oh I don’t know, the bread burgler should break in and steal my dough . . . But Saturday evening, I mixed my ingredients together, placed the dough ball in a bowl and tossed the whole thing into the refrigerator. About an hour before supper the next day, I removed the dough, made my rolls, placed them in my pan and set them aside for about 30 minutes to rise, then into the oven they went. Do you have any idea what baking rolls smell like??? What fresh, hot, yeasty rolls right out of the oven, taste like??? Ones that have been shamelessly dipped in butter and topped with chopped rosemary and flaked sea salt . . . do you???
Our little 4-year old guest, Chloe, watched as I pulled them out of the oven and she said, ‘mmmmm’! But then again, rolls and ice cream with chocolate chips cookies all in the same meal . . . well, that makes life pretty sweet, don’t yuh think?!
What’s your ‘go-to’ recipe for bread or rolls?
HERBED DINNER ROLLS – Makes approximately 24 rolls
Adapted from: Art Smith, Back to the Table, Oprah.com, February 2008
Ingredients:
2 cups warm (105 degree to 115 degree F) water
2 packages 1/4-ounce active dry yeast (1/2 ounce if using a scale)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs , lightly beaten
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter for tops of rolls, melted and split between 2 pans of rolls
Maldon Sea Salt or Fleur de Sel
Fresh Rosemary, rough chop
Directions: Pour water into a large bowl and sprinkle in yeast. Let stand until yeast softens, about 5 minutes. Add sugar, eggs, 3 tablespoons melted butter and salt and stir to dissolve yeast. Stir in flour to make dough soft (you may have to use your hands to work in last additions). Work dough in bowl to make a smooth ball.
Lightly brush top of dough with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour OR place in refrigerator overnight.
The original recipe calls for you to brush two 9 or 10-inch round cake pans lightly with melted butter; I melted 1-1/2 Tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet and then turned off heat – the butter should be melted and warm but the skillet should NOT be hot.
NOTE: you will have dough left over so you can freeze the remainder up to one month OR you can use an additional pan. Punch down dough and cut into 24 pieces. Form each piece of dough into a ball, dip the top of dough ball into melted butter that’s in the bottom of the skillet and arrange, buttered side up, in each pan – you should have 12 pieces in each pan or the amount your pan will allow. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until almost doubled in volume, about 30-35 minutes.
Meanwhile, position oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle rolls with sea salt and chopped herbs – I used rosemary but feel free to use any herb you like.
Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let rolls stand in pan for 5 minutes. Remove rolls from pan and break apart. Serve rolls hot or warm.
NOTE: The dough can be put together and kept in the refrigerator overnight to rise; when you’re ready to bake, simply remove the dough, cut (or pinch) into balls, place in the pans you’re using and proceed with the recipe above. Serve with anything and everything – and I betcha can’t eat just one!
You might also enjoy:
Buttermilk Rolls – Fresh Loaf (this recipe was listed in Saveur Magazine as one of the 52 recipes you can’t live without)
Buttered Rosemary Rolls – Pioneer Woman
Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls – Gluten Free Girl (for my baby sis and anyone else who has Celiac Disease)
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These are the Professor’s favs! Good thing they’re easy-peasy!
oh man, these look delicious! I can almost smell them.