The Best Dinner Rolls

This is my new go-to recipe for dinner rolls. One of my sisters said they remind her of the rolls at our elementary school, another said they were worth the carbs, and even my father-in-law loved them. They have even replaced these on our Thanksgiving table this year.
Total time was about 3 1/2 hours and the recipe makes about 40 rolls. If this is more than you need, make the full batch. Let any leftovers cool, wrap tightly in foil and freeze. Thaw at room temperature and reheat in a 350 degree oven.

*2 pkg. active dry yeast (1 1/2 tsp)
*Pinch of sugar
*2 c. warm water
*2 eggs beaten
*1/2 c. sugar
*1/2 c. canola or corn oil
*2 tsp. salt
*6-7 c. all-purpose flour

Proof the yeast with sugar in water for 5-10 minutes until it 'blooms' and bubbles.Whisk eggs, 1/2 c. sugar, oil and salt together in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture, whisk to combine.
Stir 3 c. flour into the egg mixture using a wooden spoon. Add more flour, 1/2 c. at a time; you may not need it all. When dough becomes to stiff to stir, turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead by hand.
Knead until dough is smooth but still soft, adding flour a little at a time if dough is too sticky. Place dough in a bowl coated with non-stick spray. Cover dough with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until it's doubled in size, 1 - 1 1/2 hours.Punch down dough and gather into a ball. With floured hands, shape pieces of dough into balls (mine were 2 oz. and slightly bigger than golf ball size).Arrange rolls about 1/2 inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover rolls with a towel and let rise again until they're doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Bake rolls 25-30 minutes, until golden. Brush with about 1/2 cube of melted butter and sprinkle with finely chopped fresh rosemary (or Parmesan cheese, or sea salt, or fresh herbs of your choice).
Sorry I couldn't find the picture of the final rolls...

Crazy for Coconut - Chicken, Rice, and Rolls

I know I have some coconut-loving family members, so this post is for them. I decided to do an entirely coconut-themed dinner the other night and we were all (even my picky 2-year old) pleasantly surprised with the results. I made Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers, Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice, and Samoan Coconut Rolls.

The websites I pulled these recipes from (www.ourbestbites.com and www.rhodesbread.com) all have fantastic pictures and instructions, so it seemed a little redundant for me to post them again. Just click on the links above to find the recipes.

I will say that the chicken turned out so good that Kory had to remove himself from the table to avoid eating all the leftovers I purposely made. The texture and taste were both perfect. I originally assumed these would be sweet since you coat them in sweetened coconut, but they were definitely more savory because of the panko breading, curry powder, and other spices. I skewered one for my daughter and she just kept saying "num num," which nearly brought tears to my eyes.

The rice was also very tasty. Don't go light on the green onions though. I know it sounds weird to mix sugar, green onions, and coconut milk together, but the green onions really do give it a fantastic flavor.

And as for the rolls, they were really good as well. My only advice would be to cut the amount of the coconut/sugar mixture you put on them by at least half. I halved the recipe in the first place (since there's no way we could ever eat 18 rolls) and still didn't use all the mixture that it called for. Even still the bottoms ended up a tiny bit soggy from the excess coconut milk that accumulated at the bottom of the pan during cooking, so maybe just brush the tops and sides of the rolls with the coconut milk/sugar mixture to ensure that they don't end up soggy. Since I had extra coconut milk/sugar mixture, I poured it into small cups and stuck popsicle sticks inside. I then popped them into the freezer and we had a very tasty treat the next day.

This was a fantastic meal and will be added to my future menus for sure.

Note: I know I have a few family members who are not big fans of coconut. I will say that the chicken and rice did not have powerful coconut flavors to them. They were both just really good. It might be worth a try even if you don't love coconut.

Wheat Dough (Rolls, Breads)

In my next life I'd really like to open a bakery and do nothing but bake breads and rolls all day long. I'm sure this stems from a long-time love affair with all things carbohydrate, but recently I can't seem to make enough with dough. Here is my favorite wheat recipe, which I use for bread and rolls.
*2 1/2 c. warm water
*2 TBSP. yeast
*2/3 c. brown sugar
*5 1/2 c. wheat flour
*1/2 c. gluten
*2 tsp. salt
*4 TBSP dry milk (if you use the instant kind, double this)
*2 TBSP. butter
*2 TBSP. vinegar
*1/2 c. potato FLAKES (not buds, pearls, etc.)

In the bowl of a mixer, dissolve yeast in water. Add remaining ingredients and knead (with a dough hook) for 12-15 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides of bowl. Pull out dough hook, leave dough in bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise about one hour until double. You will know the dough is ready if you stick your finger in the dough and it leaves an imprint.
Punch the dough down and shape.If you are making bread this will make 2 loaves. Spray pans with cooking spray. Divide dough in half and on a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a rectangle that is the width of your pan by about 15-18". Starting from the short end, roll tightly like a cinnamon roll. When you get to the end of the roll, pinch the bottom edge/seam down and round off the side edges and place seam-side down in the pan. Cover and let rise to double for about 30 minutes. Bake at 375 until good and golden brown for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool about 5 minutes in pan and remove to cooling racks to finish cooling.
If you are making rolls this will make about 36 rolls. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide dough into 2 oz. portions (about the size of a golf ball). Shape the rolls by pulling the 'sides' of the dough ball down and under to form a ball. Place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Cover with a towel and let rise about 30 minutes. Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes.

Turkey, Bacon Roll-ups

I learned a good lesson this week-if you have a can of refrigerated crescent rolls in your car on a very hot day for about 20 minutes, the can will open all by itself? Sometimes this can be a problem, but this week it resulted in a new and tasty dinner. My grocery store had crescent rolls on sale this week so I grabbed a few cans vaguely remembering a recipe I had recently seen using them. Of course, I couldn't remember what the recipe was, or the other ingredients, but I picked up the dough and headed home. When I got home to put the food away I realized one of the cans had exploded so I needed to use them right away. Taking quick inventory of the fridge here's what I came up with:

*1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
*spreadable cream cheese (I probably used about 2 oz-ish)
*1/2-3/4 c. cooked turkey, chopped into small pieces
*6 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled

Spread dough out into individual rolls (big flat triangle). Spread each with a light layer of cream cheese. Cover each with turkey and top with crumbled bacon. Roll up and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake according to package instructions (mine was 375 for 12 minutes).
These were good enough that I'll likely make them again. Next time I'd add some finely chopped sun-dried or regular tomatoes. I'd figure one can would feed 2 adults and 2-3-ish kids.

Rabbit Rolls

A few years ago my MIL gave me a fun cookbook, Taste of Home Celebrations Cookbook. It is great because it does a full menu for each season/holiday throughout the year and includes fun theme treats that kids seem to love. This particular recipe has become a favorite this time of year and I wanted to post it early so if anyone wanted to make them for an Easter gathering, you could. These take about 2-2.5 hrs. start to eat, but they don't need to be served warm, so you could make them in the morning and eat them for dinner if you like (which is what I did today for book club tonight).
*4-4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
*1/2 c. sugar
*1 1/2 TBSP. yeast (2 pkgs.)
*1 1/2 tsp. salt
*1 c. plus 1/2 tsp. water, divided
*6 TBSP. butter, cubed
*1 egg, separated
*1 egg

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 c. flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a saucepan, over medium, heat 1 c. water and butter to 120-130 degrees (if you don't have a thermometer, warm water for most recipes is about 110 degrees, so go a bit warmer than that, it should not be boiling!). Add butter mix to dry ingredients; beat for 2 minutes. Separate egg, cover and refrigerate white to be used later. Add egg yolk, egg and 1 c. flour to the yeast mixture; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. (If you are only making one batch, just do the kneading in your mixer. Replace paddle with a dough hook and knead on low for 5-6 minutes, until it pulls away from sides and is smooth and elastic.
This dough is very heavy so I wouldn't try doubling the batch in a mixer unless you've got a Bosch.) Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 20 pieces (about 1.75oz. each or just bigger than the size of a golf ball). Shape 18 pieces into 10-in-long ropes. Fold in half; twist top half twice to form ears. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Shape remaining dough into 18 balls. Place one on the loop end of each roll to form the tail; press into the dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Whisk the reserved egg white with remaining water; brush over rolls. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. This makes 18 rolls. They look really cute if you serve them from an Easter basket.

Cheese Rolls

We just got back from vacation and are seriously missing the beyond-amazing food, served way too often. I will not step on the scale for at least a week. That said, we weren't ready to only eat raw veggies for the next week, and the 3-yr-old wanted macaroni and cheese. So, the girls got some macaroni, I pulled these from the freezer to fry for the adults in the family and we made these for a little more comfort-food-goodness. Here's the recipe for how I made them tonight.
*1/3 c. butter, melted
*2 TBSP. grated Parmesan
*1 TBSP. dried basil
*1 tsp. garlic powder

*1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
*1/3 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

*1 pkg. refrigerator biscuits (I had the homestyle variety on hand, she used the Grands buttermilk kind, so I think you could use just about anything here)

In a (cereal-size) bowl, combine melted butter, Parmesan cheese, dried basil, and garlic powder. Mix shredded cheeses in a separate bowl. Remove biscuits from can and separate into individual biscuits. Flatten each biscuit slightly (I rolled them out to about 1/4" thick) and put some cheese in the center of each biscuit. Fold the dough around the cheese to form a ball pinching the dough together to seal the cheese inside. Roll each ball of dough in the melted butter mixture and place on a baking sheet. If there is any left over butter mixture, spoon it on top of the rolls on the baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes until rolls are golden brown. Makes as many rolls as there are biscuits in the can.

These were really good, very easy, and I love that they didn't leave the 'refrigerator biscuit' taste in my mouth. A couple versions of this I have tried involve the refrigerator crescent rolls. I often make them like this: Open can and unroll rolls. Spread with a thin layer of cream cheese and sprinkle with lightly with garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Roll and bake as directed.
My friend, Chandi, makes them like this: Open can and unroll rolls. Spread with prepared pesto sauce, roll and bake as directed.
I love things that are simple to do and make things just a little less out-of-a-can. Enjoy.

Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

My sister sent me this recipe a few months back when pumpkins were seasonal. Unfortunately, I forgot about it until browsing my recipe books for something to take to book club. These were quite easy to make and were very good, with a savory/sweet flavor.
*1/2 c. sugar
*1/4 c. warm water
*1 c. warm milk
*2 TBSP. butter, softened
*1 c. cooked and mashed or canned pumpkin (I went with the can)
*1 tsp. salt
*1/4 c. wheat germ (could use flour instead, I used 2 T. germ and 2 T. ground flax seed)
*5-6 c. all-purpose flour (I used 2 c. wheat flour and 4 c. white)
*3 1/2 tsp. yeast

In a large mixing bowl (I used the Kitchen Aid), combine sugar, water, milk, butter, pumpkin, and salt. Mix well. Add wheat germ, 4 c. flour, and yeast. Mix, and then continue adding flour and kneading until dough is elastic and not sticky. (I used about 5 3/4 c. and kneaded for about 5-7 minutes).Place dough in a greased bowl; roll dough to coat top with oil as well. Cover with a towel and set in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour). Gently press to remove air and divide into about 24 pieces. I made mine 2 oz. each and got 22 rolls. Gently shape into ball shape by tucking the sides under to the bottom. Place on greased or parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover and let rise until almost doubled (about 30 minutes). Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes (mine took 18), until the tops are golden. Brush with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven (I just hold the stick of cold butter and smear it over the tops). The recipe had a note that they look dry when they first come out of the oven, but look and taste better after about 15 minutes, and I found that to be the case as well.
This took about 2 1/2 hours start to finish, but I had a 3-yr-old helper who insisted on measuring ingredients, so it could be done in less. I was able to bake both trays at once, so 2 1/2 is probably about right.

The verdict: I loved them, the girls at club seemed to like them, and I'm glad I've got a few left to enjoy today. In the world of breads, these are on the healthy side (a hidden veggie...). I'll be making these again, for sure.

Sunday Dinner Rolls

I helped make some rolls for a church meeting tonight and got this recipe from a neighbor. I love that they take less than 2 hours start to finish. This is a super easy recipe and requires no kneading (for those who may be phobic of flour). I imagine the rolls will freeze well if you didn't eat all 24.

*1 TBSP. yeast
*1 c. warm water
*1/4 c. sugar
*1 tsp. salt
*1 egg
*1/4 c. shortening
*3 c. flour
*2-4 TBSP. butter, melted

Dissolve yeast in water. Add sugar and salt and stir to combine. Mix in egg and shortening. Slowly add 1 c. flour at a time, until the dough is smooth and sticky.
Set aside and cover. Let rise until double in bulk (about 1 hour). Divide dough into 2 balls and roll each into 12-inch circles. Spread dough circle with melted butter and use a pizza cutter to cut each circle into 12 wedges. Start at the large end and roll up. Place on a greased (or parchment-lined) jellyroll pan and let rise for 20-30 minutes. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes. Rolls will be golden brown, don't overcook.
I lightly brushed the tops with butter when I took them from the oven.

Garlic Parmesan Rolls

When I decided to make the gnocchi, I went looking through my recipes for a new bread recipe to serve alongside. I had to laugh when I realized I have 4 different recipes for 'Garlic Parmesan Rolls'. I settled on one from an Italian Bakery in Seattle by the name of Geppettos.
Rolls:
*1 1/2 TBSP. active dry yeast
*1 TBSP. sugar
*2 c. warm water (110 degrees)
*3 c. bread flour, divided
*1 TBSP. salt
*3 c. all-purpose flour
Topping:
*2/3 c. pure olive oil
*2 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
*1/2 c. diced garlic (yes, you read that right)
*1/2 tsp. oregano

SPrinkle yeast and sugar over water in a large bowl. Stir until combined and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Add 2 c. bread flour and salt. Whisk vigorously until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Stir in remaining bread and AP flour, 1/2 c. at a time, using a wooden spoon. The dough will form a shaggy mass, but pull clean from sides of bowl.
Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead about 5 minutes, adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time, as necessary, until the dough is soft, silky and resilient. It should not be sticky.
Place in a greased bowl and turn once to grease top.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until tripled in bulk, 1.5-2 hours. (At this point, dough can be punched down and placed in the refrigerator to rise again overnight.)
Portion dough into 2-ounce rolls (bigger than golf ball size) and place on a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet.
(You could also shape the dough into three 16-ounce loaves if desired.) Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, 30-40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400.
To prepare topping, combine olive oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic and oregano in a bowl until blended. Remove plastic warp from rolls and spoon topping over each roll. (I tried to smear this all around the rolls, but whatever wasn't on the top fell off, so I ended up leaving little mounds of goodness on each roll.)
Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Makes 24 big rolls. You could easily make them more of the golf-ball size and half the recipe. These were very good and reminded me of a fun treat called a cheese bap my brother and I found while bumming through Bath.

(Cinnamon) Bread-Variations on a Theme

I love bread. I've said it before, but had to say it again. A couple months ago my sister told me she had 'the recipe' for bread/rolls, etc. Evidently there is some buzz among those in the Beehive state that using this recipe with some bread flour milled in Perry, would create a dough capable of admitting the baker straight into Heaven. So, I got a copy and have made it a few times now, and I will admit it is darn good bread. The texture is good, flavor is good, and some of the variations are great, and although I'm not counting on a free pass through the pearly gates, your house will smell like you're already there after making this. It is actually a very easy recipe for those who haven't made bread, and for those with a phobia of touching flour, this doesn't require kneading by hand. I have been experimenting with freezing the dough and some variations, so I'll add some notes at the end. (Also, sorry the pictures are a bit dark, but thanks to a 3-yr. old who decided to wake up WAY early, we were making this bread before 6:00am)

*10 1/2 c. bread flour
*1/2 c. sugar
*1 TBSP. salt
*3 rounded TBSP. quick rise yeast
**3 TBSP. soy lecithan (looks like honey, mine came from Kitchen Kneads)
*4 c. hot tap water
In a mixer with dough hook (if you have the small KitchenAid, you'll have to do this by hand or spend the next week cleaning dough out of the mixer housing), combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
Add water and soy lecithan (note, the soy is as sticky as super glue, so try not to spill on anything you like). Knead in mixer for 5 minutes (you can add a little water or flour in the first minute if needed). I generally add about 1/8 c. flour at this point, but when I have kneaded by hand it takes nearly 1/3 c. extra flour. Dough is done when it pulls away from the bowl.
If doing by hand, knead for 7-10 minutes. This actually makes a fairly heavy dough when compared to breadsticks or such. According to my scale it will weigh in just shy of 6 lbs. Divide into 4 equal portions if using regular loaf pans. I like a titch smaller loaves so I use the 3.5x7.5 size and can get 6 of those (each dough will weigh 15.5 oz.).
At this point roll out into a rectangle the width of your pan. Start rolling from short edge and place in greased pan, seamside down. Cover and let rise for 25 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until tops are golden brown. Let cool a few minutes in pans and then finish cooling on racks.
*To freeze, wait until cool, wrap tightly in foil, enclose in a plastic bag and freeze. I would guess this will keep for 3 months or so, I have eaten it after 1 month and it tastes fresh-baked.

Rolls:
Once dough is kneaded, roll into a large rectangle (1/4 inch thick for crescent rolls, 1/2 -3/4 inch thick for folded). Coat with melted butter. Cut into long triangles for for crescent and 4x2 inch strips for folded. Roll the crescents starting from wide end and ending with point, place point-down on parchment paper, let rise 25 minutes and bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. For folded, fold in half to make a square and place in a greased 9x13 pan, let rise and bake. I rolled a bunch of crescent rolls, put on parchment, covered with plastic wrap and put in the freezer. Once firm, I removed them to a zip-bag and returned to freezer. When needed, I pulled a few, put on parchment tray to thaw and rise, and baked as normal. They tasted good and were much easier than making rolls every time I needed a half-dozen. I have not tried this recipe in the muffin pans, but am sure it would work and be very similar to Maddox rolls. Take two small pieces of dough, roll into balls, place 2 balls (side by side) in greased muffin tins, rise and bake.

Cinnamon Bread:
Ok, this Great Harvest copycat is now a staple in our home. I saw the idea on another cooking blog a couple months ago, but didn't print it and when I went to track it down, couldn't find it. I used this dough with the general idea from the other blog. Take dough and divide as you would for regular bread. Roll into a long rectangle (6ish x18ish x 1/3in.). Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon chips (mine are the small variety from Kitchen Kneads). Start with small end and roll tightly. My rectangles always seem to have one end that is a bit pointed, just start rolling with this end. Place seam-side down in greased pan.
Let rise 25 minutes and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Slather with butter, eat plain, toast, whatever, you'll love this!


Cinnamon Rolls:
Prepare dough and roll into a large rectangle. Coat liberally with melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Start with long end and roll tightly. Cut into 1 inch segments. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and let rise. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Let cool slightly and smear with cream cheese frosting.

I'm sure you could do so many other things with this dough, and if you do, please leave a comment so we can try it to.