One Perfect Bite: Keep On Rolling - My Recipe Rotation

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Keep On Rolling - My Recipe Rotation - Buttermilk Yeast Rolls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have a terrible weakness for bread and whenever I bake these rolls I have to fight off my gluttonous instincts. I think it's the color of these rolls that does me in. At any rate, my lack of self-control means I don't bake them anywhere near as often as I'd like, but I can tell you they always appear on my holiday table. If you are at all comfortable making yeast breads, you'll find these are really not difficult to do and once you taste them you'll find they are addictive. Do try them.Here is what I had to say about them when they first appeared on One Perfect Bite.

I'm starting to put together the final menu for our Easter dinner, and wherever I can, I'm baking and freezing courses ahead of time. I decided to make molasses yeast rolls, as well as these buttermilk rolls, to accompany our meal. Both rolls are delicious and just as handsome as they can be, but the buttermilk rolls have a color that makes them the sirens of the bread kingdom. Would that I could, my Easter dinner would be a salad and as many of these rolls as my poor stomach could hold. I also made and froze the soup that I'll be serving as our starter course. That means I have to be more cautious with my make-ahead preparations from this point on, because the freezer is now as crowded as Tokyo subways at rush hour. If I'm really clever and carefully stack, I can squeeze one of the cakes I plan to serve in there as well. More about that tomorrow. These rolls are simple to make and they freeze well. I use poppy seeds for sprinkling because there is an old-world quality about them that I love. If you make and freeze the rolls, bring them to room temperature, wrap them in foil, warm in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes and they'll be as good as new. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. I know your friends and family will love them. Here is how the rolls are made.

Seeded Buttermilk Yeast Rolls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Great Country Breads of the World

Ingredients:
6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tablespoons salt
2-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon lukewarm water
2 cups warm buttermilk
2 tablespoons honey
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water
1 to 2 tablespoons seeds (poppy, sesame) or grains (cracked wheat, wheat bran, rolled oats)

Directions:
1) Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Combine warm water and yeast in a small cup and allow to proof for 10 minutes.
2) Pour yeast, buttermilk, and honey into flour mixture and mix well. If dough is so dry that some of flour won’t stick, add a bit more buttermilk or water. If the dough is too sticky to knead, more like a batter, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until correct consistency is achieved.
3) Knead by machine or hand for approximately 10 minutes. Return dough to bowl, cover, and set aside to rise until dough has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.
4) Divide dough into 16 pieces. Shape each piece into a neat ball and place in a 12-inch round dish or a 12-inch spring-form pan close together. Cover again with plastic wrap or a damp towel and set aside to rise again for 45 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
5) Uncover rolls and brush gently with egg wash. Sprinkle with seeds or grains, if using. Bake for 30 minutes, or until are firm and spring back when tapped. Transfer to a rack and cool for 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Serve warm if possible. Yield: 16 rolls.