Bread making is one of the toughest cooking skills to conquer for even the most confident chef, and even experienced bread makers create the occasional doorstops. But there is one roll recipe that is absolutely foolproof, and it’s amazingly versatile and adaptable enough to personalize for accompanying a wide array of dinner menus.
To understand why bread making is so difficult for so many people, you must understand the chemical reactions that take place during the process of making the dough, letting it rise, kneading it, letting it rise again, and then baking the bread. There are dozens of variables to be understood and considered, and deviation from any one of those variables can doom the chef to failure. The yeast must be fresh (the fresher the better); the dough must be mixed to just the right consistency or else the bread may end up too dry, too soft, or too dense; the temperature must be just warm enough but not too warm (or it will kill the yeast); the dough must not rise too much; and the dough must be kneaded just enough but not too much. See how intricate this process can be? It’s enough to intimidate anyone who just wants to make a simple pan of rolls from scratch. But there’s one simple thing that can make the process foolproof for anyone and have dinner guests raving for weeks afterward—a terrific recipe.
Rave Review Rolls (Makes 27 rolls)
1 ½ cups warm water (110º F.)
2 ¼ tsp. dried active yeast
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup dried instant milk powder
1 ¼ tsp. salt
5-6 cups all-purpose flour
Mixing the Dough
1. Dissolve the yeast and 1 tsp. of the sugar in 1/2 cup of the warm water.
2. Pour into a mixing bowl and add the eggs, milk, butter, salt, and 3 cups of flour.
3. Beat for 3 minutes, scraping sides of bowl, until batter is smooth.
4. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a kneadable dough.
5. Knead for a couple of minutes, put into an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the dough.
6. Cover loosely and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
Forming and Cooking the Rolls
Punch the dough down and divide it into three chunks. Separate each chunk into 9 pieces, rolling each piece into a ball and placing into greased pans—18 pieces in one 13" x 9" pan, and 9 pieces in one 9" x 9" pan. Brush the tops of the balls of dough with melted butter. Cover each pan loosely with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk. Bake in a preheated oven at 375º for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush tops with melted butter.
Fun and Tasty Variations
* Use flavored salt or season salt instead of regular salt.
* To the batter you can add any herbs or spices you want—try garlic, onion powder, parsley, basil, chives, rosemary, or even a mixture of your own design.
* After the first rising, knead into the dough whatever grated cheese you fancy—cheddar, parmesan, pepperjack, romano, mozzarella, or even blue cheese.
* After the first rising, knead into the dough some finely chopped salami or pepperoni, or crumbled bacon.
* Try using the dough to make specially shaped rolls, such as knots, twisted crescents, or soft breadsticks.
* After the rolls have risen but before baking, sprinkle the tops with parsley, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic powder, grated parmesan cheese, fresh ground black pepper, or celery seeds. You can brush the tops lightly with melted butter before sprinkling, but take care to use a very light touch and don’t push or pull the dough, or the risen dough might fall.
* To make onion rolls: Add 2 tsp. onion powder to the batter in step 3, then knead 1/2 cup or more of finely minced, sautéed onion into the dough after the first rising.
* To make cinnamon rolls: After the first rising, punch the dough down and roll it out flat on a floured surface into a rectangle approximately 10" x 18". Brush the flattened dough with melted butter, and then sprinkle the buttered dough liberally with cinnamon and sugar. Beginning on one of the widest edges, roll the dough as tightly as possible until you have a long roll. If you have trouble rolling the dough, you can cut the rectangle in half lengthwise to make the rolling easier. After rolling the dough, seal the edge by pinching it into the dough. Using a very sharp knife, slice circles of dough about 1" thick. Place the circles on a greased jelly roll pan about 1½" apart, and let the rolls rise until the edges are touching. Bake as directed, and then coat the tops of the rolls with glaze. To make glaze: Mix ½ cup melted butter with 1 tsp. vanilla and 2 T. evaporated milk. Beat in enough confectioners’ sugar to make a soft glaze frosting, being sure not to make it too thick.
The rolls you can make with this foolproof recipe will astound you. Make them to delight dinner guests, take them to a potluck at work to be the envy of your co-workers, or just make them to impress your family with your bread making prowess. Go ahead, try putting your own creative twist on this recipe—you’ll be on a roll in no time!
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