How to Bake Dinner Rolls by The Prepared Pantry

Table of Contents: Part I: Some Tips to Get You Started……………………………………………………......... 2 Preparing to Bake Dinner Rolls................................................................................. 2 How to Make Kaiser Rolls......................................................................................... 3 Whole Grain Dinner or Sandwich Rolls.................................................................... 5 How to Make Cheesy Dinner Rolls............................................................................ 6 How to Make Sandwich Rolls with Your Bread Machine......................................... 6 Baking for the Smaller Family................................................................................... 7 How to Bake Bread on the Grill................................................................................. 8 New England Herb Bread........................................................................................ 10 How to Make Crusty Rolls ........................................................................................ 11 Butter Flake Rolls..................................................................................................... 11 Making Hamburger Buns and Sandwich Rolls....................................................... 12 Part II: Dinner Roll Recipes................................................................................... 13 Cheesy Dinner Rolls................................................................................................. 13 Favorite Soft Dinner Rolls ....................................................................................... 14 Potato Dinner Rolls.................................................................................................. 15 Whole Wheat Soft Dinner Rolls............................................................................... 17 Buttermilk Fantail Dinner Rolls.............................................................................. 18 Parker House Rolls................................................................................................... 19 American Hamburger Buns..................................................................................... 21

How to Make Dinner Rolls “There is probably no bread product that allows you to be more creative than dinner rolls.”

The Prepared Pantry 3847 East 38 North Rigby, ID 83442 208-745-7892 www.preparedpantry.com

Copyright 2006-2015, The Prepared Pantry. All rights reserved. The material herein is published by The Prepared Pantry for the private use of individuals and may not be used for commercial purposes without the express consent of the publisher. The information contained herein is believed accurate but the publisher makes no warranties, express or implied, and the recipient is using this information at his or her own risk.

Part I: Some Tips to Get You Started How to Make Kaiser Rolls

Preparing to Bake Dinner Rolls Nothing makes a dinner special quite like dinner rolls. You can make dinner rolls from your favorite bread mix or recipe, though rolls are usually a bit sweeter and richer with more butter and milk products. There’s probably no bread product that allows you to be more creative than dinner rolls. You can make them plain or fancy, and if fancy, into a multitude of shapes. You can wash them to give them an attractive glaze or you can top them with seeds or grains. In this book, we’ll show you how to make several of these varieties. We love to use our Sunday Dinner Roll mix, but you can use any mix or recipe of your choosing. Let’s begin with a simple round shape.

After the dough has risen, use a sharp knife (rather than tearing) to divide the dough into the chosen number of pieces. A piece the size of a golf ball or small egg will make a nice-sized roll. If you are using a scale, about 1.5 ounces makes a popular-sized roll.

Want to impress your family and friends at the next gathering? Serve sandwiches on Kaiser Rolls. They’ll look so professional--like they came from the bakery. You don’t have to tell them how easy they were. If you can make dinner rolls, you can make Kaiser Rolls.

To form round rolls, some people simply roll the dough pieces between their palms. We prefer to pull the skin around the center and pinch the seams together on the bottom to form a taut skin.

You can make these out of any lean bread dough but if you would like to make your rolls from a mix, we suggest using our Sunday Dinner Rolls. Simply leave the butter out and add another half-tablespoon of water.

Place the rolls about 1 1/2 inches apart on a greased pan, cover, and let them rise again until doubled. When the dough has risen fully, a finger pressed softly into dough should leave an indentation.

A Kaiser Roll is merely a lean roll, specially shaped, and baked in a steamy oven to make it crusty. Choose a recipe or mix for a lean bread dough—or leave the butter or oil out of the recipe. Make per the directions for rolls including letting the dough rise the first time.

Cloverleaf rolls are made by rolling three equally-sized rolls in butter and then placing them in a muffin tin. Traditionally, parker house rolls were made this same way only with a rich dough. Parker house rolls are also made in a folded shape as follows: Roll balls of dough as in round rolls. Press them flat into 1/4-inch thick disks then brush the tops with butter. Fold them in half as shown in the picture and let them rise until doubled. We’ll talk more about Parker House rolls later in this book.

Here’s how to shape the rolls: Step 1: Cut a piece of dough off about twice what you would use for a dinner roll. (We weigh the dough on a scale at 3.5 ounces for our sandwich rolls.) Roll the dough out into a rope about eight inches long. Step 2: Form a simple over-hand knot in the center of the dough. Leave the knot loose; do not try to draw it tight. You will have two protruding ends a couple inches long. Step 3: Take one of the ends and continue it around the rope and push it down through the center hole. It should look like the picture to the right. Step 4: Take the other end of the dough, go around the rope, and push the end up through the center hole. The finished roll should look like the fourth image. It’s more complicated to try to describe the

chewy crust prized in artisan breads.

forming process than it is to form the rolls. After the first couple, you’ll breeze right through without even thinking. Now let the formed rolls rise covered on a baking sheet. When they are ready to bake, brush them with a whisked egg and one tablespoon water, then sprinkle them with sesame or poppy seeds. You can bake them as you would dinner rolls but if you would like crusty roll like true Kaiser Rolls, follow the direction for baking breads in a steamy oven. To form the thick, chewy crust that is typical of artisan breads, follow these instructions: Place a large, shallow, metal pan in the oven on the lowest shelf. You will pour hot water in this pan to create steam in the oven. High heat is hard on pans so don’t use one of your better pans. An old sheet pan is ideal. Fill a spray bottle with water. You will use this to spray water into the oven to create more steam.

You can use this baking procedure for crusty hearth breads also. For rolls, bake for ten minutes at 450 degrees then lower the temperature to 350 degrees until done. How long you will bake them will depend on how quickly your oven loses heat but it will probably be about ten additional minutes (a total of 20 minutes). As for all hearth breads, the internal temperature of your crusty rolls should be about 210 degrees. (If crusty rolls are not well baked, the internal moisture will migrate to the crust and make it soft.)

Whole Grain Dinner or Sandwich Rolls You can convert nearly any bread recipe to soft dinner rolls and any white bread recipe to a brown bread recipe. Soft dinner rolls are usually a little richer than bread recipes with more sugar and fat than corresponding bread recipes. To convert a bread recipe to dinner rolls, simply add more sweetener and butter or shortening but do not exceed a 1-1/2 tablespoons per cup of flour. Because the butter will add a little moisture to the dough, you may need to compensate with a bit more flour. Reduce the baking time to 15 to 20 minutes. Usually soft dinner rolls are baked at 400 degrees.

Most whole wheat bread recipes have 40 to 60 percent whole wheat flour. To convert a white bread to brown bread, substitute half—more or less—of the white flour for wheat flour. If the recipe calls for five cups of flour, use 2, 2-1/2, or 3 cups of whole wheat flour in place of an equal amount of white flour. The whole wheat flour may absorb moisture a bit differently than the white so be prepared to make a minor adjustment in the amount of liquid that you use. The bran in the whole wheat flour will damage some of the gluten in the flour. Whenever making whole wheat bread, use a high-protein content white bread flour or add gluten to the mixture. A bread conditioner will help the yeast work and make a lighter, smoother loaf. We have a variety of different wheat bread mixes you can use to make your whole grain dinner rolls.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. When the oven is hot and the bread is fully risen and is soft and puffy—with a mitted hand and being very careful not to burn yourself with the rising steam--pour about two cups of very hot water in the pan in the oven. Quickly close the oven door to capture the steam. With spray bottle in hand, open the door and quickly spray the oven walls and close the door. Immediately put the bread in the steamy oven. After a few moments, open the door and spray the walls again to recharge the steam. Do this twice more during the first ten minutes of baking. This steamy environment will create the

Cheesy Dinner Rolls Serve cheesy dinner rolls with nearly any meal. They also make great sandwich rolls and they are very easy to make. It’s basically adding grated cheese to the dough. But the following pointers will help make that batch of rolls a booming success. • If you get too much cheese in the dough, you’ll overwhelm the yeast and the dough will not rise properly. Try 1/2 cup grated cheese for every one cup of flour in the recipe. • For the best flavor, use a sharp tasting cheese. Sharp cheddar works well but any sharp cheese will work. • Since you’re trying to maximize the cheese flavor, there’s no reason to add other fats to the mix to bog down the yeast. If the recipe calls for butter or oil, leave it out—there’s more room for cheese. • If you want to give the rolls a little extra zip, add 1/4 teaspoon white pepper or 1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard to the ingredients. No one will ever know that it’s there and you’ll accent the flavor. • The cheese will slow down the rise. Be patient. If it takes twice as long to rise, that’s okay. Let it get nice and puffy. • The cheese may increase the baking time by five minutes. The lactose in the cheese will accentuate the browning of the rolls. Let the rolls get to a rich golden brown color or use your thermometer. The internal temperature should be at least 190 degrees.

Make Sandwich Rolls with Your Bread Machine

Baking for the

For that next picnic or family outing, consider making sandwich rolls with your bread machine. They are quick and easy and so much better than what you buy from the stores.

“Your mixes are just too big for us.” We hear this regularly—that our mixes are just too big for a couple or small family. What can you do when the recipe or mix is just large?

Take any bread machine mix. Mix according to the package directions but set your machine on the “dough” setting so that the machine will mix your bread for you, let it rise and then beep when it is time to bake.

Explore four convenient solutions for recipes or mixes that are too large.

Remove the dough from the machine and divide with a knife into eight equal pieces. Form a round or oval roll with each. Place them on a greased baking sheet with room to expand. Using the heel of your hand, flatten each roll. The elasticity in the dough will tend to make the rolls spring back. Let the dough relax for a few minutes and repeat the process. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until doubled—an hour or so depending on the mix and the room temperature. If you care to put sesame seeds or poppy seeds on your rolls, mix one egg white with one tablespoon of water. Just before baking, brush the mixture onto the tops of the rolls and then sprinkle with seeds. The egg white will keep the seeds in place. Bake the rolls at 375 degrees for about fifteen minutes or until done. Remove them to a wire rack to cool.

Smaller Family

Freeze the Extras Most baked goods freeze well. (The exceptions are some frostings and fillings.) We find the freezer a great solution for too many baked goods and regularly freeze cookies, muffins, breads, and many desserts. For cookies and muffins, we simply slip them into a plastic bag, seal the top, and freeze them for up to several months. For breads and quick breads, we usually slice the loaves before freezing. Slices of yeast bread usually get popped into the toaster or sometimes made into grilled sandwiches. Whatever is not needed immediately is left in the freezer. Quick breads are allowed to thaw at room temperature. Consider individually wrapped slices for a lunch box or as a snack while traveling—a still-cold slice of banana bread is a real treat. Individually wrapped servings of cake or many desserts freeze well and are convenient to use. We wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then place them in larger plastic bags. Regardless of what you are saving, freeze extras soon after baking so that they are as fresh as possible when you retrieve them from the freezer.

Choose Smaller Mixes

While we don’t offer small cookie mixes, we do have a terrific selection of one-loaf bread and roll mixes. Our sampler packs are all one loaf mixes. All of our bread machine mixes— including the dinner rolls, Philly Sticky Buns, and Monkey Bread mixes—are sized for bread machines and are one loaf or one loaf equivalents. Buy a sampler pack or a package of bread machine mixes and have four mixes to use at your convenience. All of our bread machine mixes can be made by hand or with a stand-type mixer.

Downsize the Recipe Let your computer downsize recipes for you. Allrecipes.com is a wonderful source for recipes that you can upsize or downsize with the click of the button. Some recipe software with thousands of recipes that can be adjusted in size to fit your needs. And of course, you can cut many recipes in half the old-fashioned way by halving each ingredient.

Bake Only What You Need Many muffin batters and most cookie doughs can be stored for up to three weeks in the refrigerator. (Choose those recipes that use baking powder for leavening.) Take out and bake only what you need and save the rest for later.

Most of our competitors offer only small mixes. While it pains us to suggest so, you can try their mixes. Any cookie, dessert, or muffin mix that is 16 ounces or less is a small mix.

How to Bake Bread

• Grills tend to not circulate the hot air as well as ovens. To keep the bottom of the bread from burning, place one pan beneath the other and a wire rack between the pans to create space for insulation.

on the Grill

• If your bread is baking faster on one side than the other, turn the pan 180 degrees part way through the baking time.

Fashioned White Bread mixes though any mix or recipe will do. We mixed according to package directions. After it had risen, we formed one batch into oval country loaves, one into hamburger buns, and another into dinner rolls.

One of the slickest tricks we know is baking bread on the grill. Once you get to know your grill, it’s easy—like baking your favorite recipe in the oven. We can think of all kinds of reasons to use the grill. You can enjoy fresh baked bread while camping, or at the cabin, or at the next family reunion. Sometimes, it’s just nice to get out of the kitchen, enjoy the spring air, and bake outside (watch the neighbors turn their noses upwind when the smell of fresh baked bread wafts over the fence) and in the summertime, you don’t have to heat up the kitchen to bake. Finally, if there is ever an extended emergency when the power is off, you may have the only fresh bread in town. You can bake nearly anything with a covered grill. (If your grill doesn’t have a cover, improvise with a large inverted pot.) The heat rises and circulates in the covered area just as it does in your oven. The heat source can be charcoal, gas, or even wood. We prefer gas because it is easier to control and does not impart a smoked taste to the bread. Since it is hottest near the flames, elevate the bread even if you have to improvise. In our grill, there is a secondary shelf for baking potatoes and such. (See the picture above) For this demonstration, we used Old-

The trick to grilling bread perfectly is controlling temperature and time. If your grill comes equipped with a thermometer, you’ve got it made (though outside temperatures and winds may impact how well your grill retains heat). If you have a thermometer, just heat to the temperature designated on the package or in the recipe. If not, guess. After a few loaves you’ll have it perfect and we bet that the first batch off the grill will be just fine. Rolls and buns will probably bake in 15 to 20 minutes and loaves will take 20 to 30 minutes depending on size and temperature. An occasional peek to see how your bread is doing as it nears completion is okay. We made twelve giant-sized hamburger buns, just the ticket for that quarter-pounder. (With our Old-Fashioned White bread mix, the buns scaled out at 4 ounces each.) Form the buns as you would dinner rolls then press them flat several times until they look like those in the picture to the left. (The dusting that you can see on the pan is cornmeal.) Cover and let rise. Just before baking, we washed the buns with an egg white wash (one egg white plus one tablespoon of water). We then sprinkled them with sesame seeds. On our grill, we baked them with the heat turned about two-thirds (medium high) for about 18 minutes.

• The tendency is to burn the bottom of the bread. Place the bread as far away from the flames as you can even if it means elevating the bread.

the previous page, you’ll see that we forgot to slash the tops to release the steam and consequently ended up with a split on the side of the loaf. Don’t do as we did—score two or three quarter-inch deep slashes on the top of the loaf just as you begin baking. Here are a few more hints to help you along the way: • Bake the bread before the burgers. The bread can cool while you cook the rest of the food. Burning grease in the bottom of the grill makes the temperature harder to control and the soot can stain the bread. • If you are letting your bread rise outside where the temperature may be less than indoors or where breezes may swirl around the bread, consider using a large food-grade plastic bag as a greenhouse. Simply slip the bread dough--pan and all--inside the bag, inflate it slightly, and close it. If the day is cool, set the bag and the bread in a sunny warm place to capture a little solar energy.

For the dinner rolls, we used an 8 1/2 x 15-inch pan and made 20 rolls scaled at 2.5 ounces each. We made two country style loaves from one mix. If you look closely at the picture on

Form the dough into a round or oval shape. Let it rise again until puffy and about doubled. Bake it in a 350 degree oven until done, usually about 30 minutes. Note: The loaf in the picture was washed with a mixture of one egg yolk and one tablespoon of water. Gently brush the wash on the dough just prior to baking.

New England Herb Bread One of our favorite breads is New England Herb Bread. As one of our customers said, “It’s awesome!” If you haven’t tried it yet, you should. This lightly-flavored bread is intriguing. You’ll find an unusual mix of herbs and spices and yet it’s pleasantly mild and not overwhelming. You’ll like it as a sandwich bread. The taste will remind of you of the great sandwich breads found in a quality deli. You can make it in your bread machine or use your stand-type mixer. While nothing beats the convenience of a bread machine, bake it in the oven as an artisan bread or make great crusty sandwich rolls. You can make artisan loaves or rolls with any of our bread machine mixes—we just happen to be partial to New England Herb Bread.

To Make an Artisan Bread Mix the dough according to directions, using either your bread machine or your stand-type mixer. If you would like to make two loaves, use two mixes at one time along with two yeast packets. Take the dough from the mixer or bread machine and place it in a greased bowl to rise. Allow the dough to rise until doubled.

Very shallow slits were made with a razor knife in the top of the loaf after the wash. If the slits would have been deep, the loaf would have lost its structure and tried to collapse. You can also make a crusty loaf using the method described for crusty rolls.

To Make Crusty Dinner Rolls Make as above. Instead of forming a loaf, divide the dough and form rolls—dinner rolls or sandwich buns. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees with an old, shallow pan on the bottom rack. Just before placing the rolls in the oven, pour hot water in the old pan being very careful not to burn yourself with the rising steam— turn your face away and use an oven mitt. Quickly close the oven door to capture the steam. Open the door again and use a mister to spray a mist of water in the oven, closing the door quickly. Now place the rolls in the oven. Mist twice more during the first ten minutes of baking then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees. Bake until the tops of the rolls are bronzed, 15 to 20 minutes. It is the steam that gives the bread its crust.

How to Make Crusty Dinner Rolls Two elements create that thick crust that we love on hearth breads and chewy rolls: Steam and a high temperature. The steam creates a thicker crust and the high temperature drives the moisture from the rolls. Place a large, shallow, metal pan in the oven on the lowest shelf. You will pour hot water in this pan to create steam in the oven. High heat is hard on pans so don’t use one of your better pans. An old sheet pan is ideal. Fill a spray bottle with water. You will use this to spray water into the oven to create more steam. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. When the oven is hot and the rolls are fully risen and is soft and puffy--being very careful not to burn yourself with the rising steam and with a mitted hand--pour two cups of very hot water in the pan in the oven. Quickly close the oven door to capture the steam. With spray bottle in hand, open the door and quickly spray the oven walls and close the door.

Butterflake Rolls Pictured are Butter Flake Rolls. We’ll tell you how to make these rich buttery rolls with either your favorite recipe or one of our mixes in six easy steps: 1. Make the dough according to the instructions and let it rise until doubled. 2. Roll the dough into a rectangular shape 1/4-inch thick. Brush the dough with melted butter.

Open the door and quickly put the pan of rolls in the steamy oven. After a few moments, open the door and spray the walls again to recharge the steam. Do this twice more during the first fifteen minutes of baking. This steamy environment will create the chewy crust prized in artisan breads.

3. Cut the rectangle into strips one and onehalf inches wide.

After the rolls are in the oven, turn the temperature down to 375 degrees and set the timer for about fifteen minutes. When the timer goes off, check and see if the rolls are baked. The bread is done when the crust turns a dark golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees. You will probably need to set the timer for another five minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, tent the rolls with aluminum foil for the last while to keep them from burning. It is important that the rolls are well-baked to drive moisture from the bread. If the rolls are under baked, the excess moisture will migrate to the crust and you will no longer have the dry chewy crust that you desire.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until the rolls are a rich golden color.

4. Stack up the strips up five high and cut the strips into 1 1/2-inch blocks. Stick the blocks on end in muffin tins. 5. Let rise until doubled.

Remove the rolls from the pan to cool on a wire rack. Serve them while they are still warm. Freeze any leftovers.

Part II: Dinner Roll Recipes

How to Make Hamburger Buns and Sandwich Rolls

Directions

(with a mix or a recipe) you are using a two-loaf mix or recipe, divide the dough into 16 pieces. 3. Form a round or oval roll with each piece. Place them on a greased baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with room to expand. With the palm of your hand, flatten each roll. The elasticity in the dough will tend to make the rolls spring back. Let the dough relax for a few minutes and press a second time.

Consider making your own hamburger buns or sandwich rolls for that next picnic or family outing. They are easy and so much better than what you buy from the stores. Our Salted Water Roll Mix makes fantastic burger buns and sandwich rolls but you can use any bread mix or bread recipe. The Salted Water Roll Mix comes with a packet of black and white sesame seeds plus Pink Himalayan Salt to put on the top of the buns and that is a very nice touch. The salt adds a nice spark to your burgers. If you use another mix or recipe, consider adding coarse salt to your buns. 1. Mix the bread according to the package directions or recipe. If you are using your bread machine, set the machine on the “dough” setting so that the machine will mix your bread for you, let it rise and then beep when it is time to bake. If you are making bread the old-fashioned way, follow the directions and let the bread rise in an oiled bowl as you would for other bread mixes or recipes. If you are using the Salted Water Roll Mix, you can skip the first rise step and immediately form your rolls and place them on the pan. 2. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces. If

4. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap or a proofing bag and let rise until doubled—45 minutes to an hour or so depending on the mix and the room temperature. Salted Water Rolls will not get as puffy as most mixes or recipes. 5. If you put seeds and salt on your rolls, whisk with a fork one egg with one tablespoon of water. Just before baking, brush the tops and sides with the wash and then sprinkle with seeds. The wash will keep the seeds in place. 6. Bake the rolls at 350 degrees for about fifteen minutes or until done. Immediately remove them to a wire rack to cool. Serve them fresh. Day old rolls are not nearly as good.

Cheesy Dinner Roll Recipe You can make cheesy dinner rolls from nearly any bread recipe or mix. But this recipe is easy. Be sure to use sharp cheese for full flavor and be patient—let the bread rise until it is full and puffy.

Ingredients 5 cups good quality bread flour 1 7-gram packet of instant yeast 2 cups water at 105 degrees 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon dough conditioner 2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (not packed in measure) 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (optional) 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (optional)

1. With your stand type mixer, combine about 2/3’s of the flour, the yeast, and the warm water. Mix with a dough hook for about 30 seconds. (This mixes in and hydrates the yeast.) Add the rest of the flour, and then the sugar, salt, and conditioner. Add the cheese. Add the optional spices. Knead with the dough hook for about four minutes on medium speed or until the gluten is formed. Add a little more flour or water if needed to get the right consistency. 2. Remove the dough to a greased bowl and let sit for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in size and is puffy. 3. Divide the dough in two with a knife. Roll each half into a cylinder about the diameter of a golf ball. Using the knife, slice the cylinders into pieces. Roll each piece until it is round and the skin is stretched and smooth. Arrange on the baking sheet, cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour. Rise times will vary with environmental conditions, especially temperature. 4. While the rolls are still rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 5. Place the pan with the risen rolls on the center rack of the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bread is done and well-browned. If you have a probe type thermometer, the internal temperature should reach 200 to 210 degrees. Immediately remove the rolls from the pan to cool on wire racks. Baker’s note: The optional spices accent the cheese flavor in the rolls. We often add both the white pepper and mustard. If you have a kitchen scale, two ounces will make a good-sized dinner roll. This recipe will make 24 of these rolls.

Our Favorite Soft Dinner Rolls

These are traditional soft, moist, pull-apart dinner rolls. They are simple to make and nearly fool-proof, though you do need to allow plenty of time for the dough to rise.

5. In another bowl, mix the rest of the flour with the salt, sugar, dry milk, and dough conditioner. Add this mixture to the wet mixture along with the melted butter.

This recipe calls for baker’s dry milk which is high heat treated to neutralize the enzyme that impedes the growth of the yeast. You can use regular dry milk but the yeast will not grow as rapidly. Dairy—milk, buttermilk, or sour cream—makes bread richer and more flavorful.

6. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed for four minutes or until the gluten is well-developed.

This recipe also calls for dough conditioner which makes the bread lighter and better textured.

Ingredients 1/4 cup melted butter 1 1/2 cups water at 105 to 110 degrees 4 cups bread flour, divided 1 7-gram packet instant yeast 2 teaspoons salt 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup baker’s dry milk 1 teaspoon dough conditioner (optional)

7. Grease a large mixing bowl. Turn the dough out into the large mixing bowl and turn once to grease both sides of the dough ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside to rise. It should double in size in about 45 minutes. If it has not, let it rest longer. 8. Divide the dough into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Place the balls on the greased pan about 1/2 inch apart. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit again to rise. They should double in size in about 45 minutes. Let them rise until they are very puffy. If they start to blister, poke the blisters with a toothpick and place the rolls in the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until the tops are browned and the internal temperature is at least 190 degrees. Remove them from the oven. After a few minutes, remove the rolls from the pan and place them on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm.

Potato Dinner Rolls Potato rolls are moist and wonderful. The potatoes make them moist, both because of the consistency of the potatoes and because potatoes are hygroscopic, they attract and retain moisture. This recipe calls for mashed potatoes. You can also use potato flour which makes for a quicker, simpler recipe. Potato flour has the same effect as mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes in this recipe may vary in moisture content and that may affect how much water you need to reach the right dough consistency. If your dough is too dry, drizzle in a little water while kneading. If it is too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time. This recipe calls for baker’s dry milk which is high heat treated to neutralize the enzyme that impedes the growth of the yeast. You can use regular dry milk but the yeast will not grow as rapidly. Dairy—milk, buttermilk, or sour cream—makes bread richer and more flavorful. This recipe also calls for dough conditioner which makes the bread lighter and better textured.

Ingredients 1/4 cup melted butter about 1 1/4 cups water at 105 to 110 degrees 3 1/2 cups bread flour, divided 1 7-gram packet instant yeast 1 cup mashed potatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/4 cup baker’s dry milk 1 teaspoon dough conditioner (optional)

Directions 1. Heat the butter until it is almost melted and set it aside. 2. Grease the inside of 10x15-inch pan or a large baking sheet, including the rims. 3. Measure the water. Use an insta-read thermometer to get the temperature right. 4. Place two cups of the bread flour and the yeast in the bowl of your stand-type mixer equipped with a dough hook. Turn the mixer on for a couple of bursts to disperse the yeast. Add the water and mashed potatoes and mix for 30 to 60 seconds. 5. In another bowl, mix the rest of the flour with the salt, sugar, dry milk, and dough conditioner. Add this mixture to the wet mixture along with the melted butter. 6. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed for four minutes or until the gluten is well-developed. 7. Grease a large mixing bowl. Turn the dough out into the large mixing bowl and turn once to grease both sides of the

dough ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside to rise. It should double in size in about 45 minutes. If it has not, let it rest longer. 8. Divide the dough into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Place the balls on the greased pan about 1/2 inch apart. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit again to rise. They should double in size in about 45 minutes. Let them rise until they are

very puffy. If they start to blister, poke the blisters with a toothpick and place the rolls in the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until the tops are browned and the internal temperature is at least 190 degrees. Remove them from the oven. After a few minutes, remove the rolls from the pan and place them on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm.

Whole Wheat Soft Dinner Rolls These are great, soft, moist rolls perfect for dinner. You can place them close together in a 10x15-inch pan for pull-apart rolls or a baking sheet for individual rolls. This recipe calls for baker’s dry milk which is high heat treated to neutralize the enzyme that impedes the growth of the yeast. You can use regular dry milk but the yeast will not grow as rapidly. Dairy—milk, buttermilk, or sour cream—makes bread richer and more flavorful. This recipe also calls for dough conditioner which makes the bread lighter and better textured.

Ingredients 1/4 cup melted butter 1 1/2 cups water at 105 to 110 degrees 2 1/2 cups bread flour 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1 7-gram packet instant yeast 2 teaspoons salt 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup baker’s dry milk 1 teaspoon dough conditioner (optional)

4. Place the bread flour and the yeast in the bowl of your stand-type mixer equipped with a dough hook. Turn the mixer on for a couple of bursts to disperse the yeast. Add the water and mix for 30 to 60 seconds. 5. In another bowl, mix the whole wheat flour with the salt, sugar, dry milk, and dough conditioner. Add this mixture to the wet mixture along with the melted butter. 6. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed for four minutes or until the gluten is well developed. 7. Grease a large mixing bowl. Turn the dough into a large mixing bowl and turn once to grease both sides of the dough ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside to rise. It should double in size in about 45 minutes. If it has not, let it rest longer. 8. Divide the dough into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Place the balls on the greased pan about 1/2 inch apart. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit again to rise. They should double in size in about 45 minutes. Let them rise until they are very puffy. If they start to blister, poke the blisters with a toothpick and place the rolls in the oven. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until the tops are browned and the internal temperature is at least 190 degrees. Remove them from the oven. After a few minutes, remove the rolls from the pan and place them on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm.

3. Add three cups of the flour and then the salt, sugar, buttermilk powder, potato flour, and dough conditioner. Add the first three tablespoons of melted butter.

Buttermilk Fantail Dinner Rolls These are fun rolls to make and not at all hard. Just make the dough, roll it thin, slice it and stack it. You turn the stacks on end in a muffin pan. We’ll show you how. You will need:

Ingredients 3 tablespoons butter, melted about 1-3/4 cups water at 105 to 110 degrees 5 to 5-1/2 cups bread flour, Harvest King or equal 1 7-gram packet instant yeast 1/2 cup buttermilk powder 1/4 cup potato flour 1 teaspoons salt 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon dough conditioner 3 tablespoons melted butter

Directions 1. Butter the cavities of a standard 12-cup muffin pan. 2. Place two cups of the bread flour and the yeast in the bowl of your stand-type mixer equipped with a dough hook. Add the water and mix for 30 to 60 seconds.

Parker House Rolls (From a recipe or a mix)

4. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed for four minutes or until the gluten is well-developed adding more flour as required to make a soft dough ball.

My mother made parker house rolls often. She just used her favorite white bread recipe, though Parker House roll recipes are usually richer, made with an egg and a little extra sugar.

5. Grease a large mixing bowl. Turn the dough out into the large mixing bowl and turn once to grease both sides of the dough ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside to rise until it has doubled.

Parker House Rolls are more of a technique than a recipe. The dough is divided and rolled into little round balls, about an inch in diameter. The balls are rolled in melted butter and baked in muffin tins, three to a tin.

6. Divide the dough into two parts to work with one-half at a time. Cover one part while you work with the other.

We often make Parker House Rolls for special occasions. The buttery coating makes them rich and they seem luxurious. They’re not hard to make and are almost foolproof.

7. See images on the next page for a visual on the following instructions. With a rolling pin, roll half of the dough into a rectangle with the dough only 1/8-inch thick. 8. Cut the rectangle into 2-inch wide strips. With a pastry brush, brush the strips with melted butter. Stack six butter strips on top of each other. With a sharp knife or a bench scraper, cut the stacks into two-inch lengths. (We use a ruler to make the cuts but the pieces do not have to be precise.) You should have stacks of six layers about 2 inches by 2 inches. 9. Repeat with the second half of the dough.

You can make your rolls with nearly any mix or with the recipe below. Our Parker House Roll Mix is easy and delicious It’s made with buttermilk to be more authentic to the 1860 recipe. You can drop it in the bread machine set on the dough cycle, make it with your stand-type mixer, or by hand. This recipe also calls for dough conditioner which makes the bread lighter and better textured. It also calls for baker’s dry milk which is high heat treated to neutralize the enzyme that impedes the growth of the yeast. You can use regular dry milk but the yeast will not grow as rapidly. Dairy—milk, buttermilk, or sour cream—makes bread richer and more flavorful.

10. Place each stack on edge in the buttered muffin pan cavities separating the layers with your fingers. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes or until light and puffy. 11. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until the rolls are a golden brown. Brush the tops with the remaining butter and transfer the rolls to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Ingredients 1/4 cup melted butter 1 1/3 cups water at 105 to 110 degrees 4 cups bread flour, divided 1 7-gram packet instant yeast 1 teaspoons salt 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup bakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dry milk 1 large egg at room temperature 1 teaspoon dough conditioner 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions 1. Heat the butter until it is almost melted and set it aside. 2. Grease the cups in two standard-sized muffin pans, including the rims. 3. Measure the water. Use an instant read thermometer to get the temperature right. 4. Place two cups of the bread flour and the yeast in the bowl of your stand-type mixer equipped with a dough hook. Turn the mixer on for a couple of bursts to disperse the yeast. Add the water and mix for 30 to 60 seconds. 5. In another bowl, mix the rest of the flour with the salt, sugar, dry milk, and dough conditioner. Add this mixture to the wet mixture along with the melted butter and the egg. 6. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed for four minutes or until the gluten is well-developed.

has not, let it rest longer. 8. Divide the dough into balls a little larger than one-inch in diameter. You will need three balls for each roll and the recipe will make 16 rolls. (So you will need 48 balls depending on how large you want your rolls.) 9. Roll each ball through the 1/2 cup melted butter. Place three balls in the bottom of each muffin cup. If there is any leftover butter, pour it into the muffin cups. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit again to rise. They should double in size in about 45 minutes. Let them rise until they are very puffy. If they start to blister, poke the blisters with a toothpick and place the rolls in the oven. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until the tops are browned and the internal temperature is at least 190 degrees. Remove them from the oven. After a few minutes, remove the rolls from the pan and place them on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm.

American Hamburger Buns You can make hamburger buns or sandwich rolls from any mix or recipe. This is a little richer than most with milk instead of water. It makes a soft, delectable roll that your family will find irresistible. Be warned though: once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve served burgers on fresh-baked buns, your family will never let you use store buns again.

Ingredients 5-1/2 cups plus of high gluten bread flour, divided 1 seven-gram packet instant yeast or two teaspoons 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon dough conditioner 2 cups milk 1 egg, warmed to room temperature 4 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled Note: Warm the egg to room to temperature by placing the unbroken egg in a cup of warm water for ten minutes.

Directions

2. Add the rest of the flour, the sugar, salt, dough conditioner, melted butter, and egg and continue mixing at a medium speed for at least four minutes. (It is important that the dough be mixed for at least four minutes to develop the gluten.) The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom. The dough should be soft but just dry enough that it can be handled without being too sticky. If you feel that the dough is too moist, add one or two tablespoons of additional flour. (With our flour and kitchen conditions, we need to add four additional tablespoons of flour to get the right consistency.) Once the dough is mixed, move the dough to a large greased bowl, turn once to coat both sides, and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand until the dough is doubled and very puffy. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, that may take an hour to an hour and one-half.

1. Place about one cup of flour in the bowl of your stand-type mixer equipped with a dough hook. Heat the milk in the microwave to 105 degrees. Add the yeast and milk to the flour. Mix with the dough hook for 30 seconds or until the yeast is dissolved and the ingredients begin to combine.

5. If you would like, lightly dust the tops with flour (we use a screen or strainer to distribute the flour). Cover the rolls lightly with plastic and allow to rise until doubled and puffy--about an hour. Let them rise completely for soft, light buns.

3. Grease two large (or one large and one small) baking sheets and sprinkle the sheets with cornmeal. Once the dough has risen, deflate it and divide the dough into eighteen equal pieces with a sharp knife (or scale the pieces at 3 ounces each on your kitchen scales). Form smooth round balls by pulling the dough around the center and pinching the seams together on the bottom of the roll. Place them on the greased sheet allowing room for them to expand. (We place them in three rows of four buns on a 12-inch by 19-inch baking sheet.) 4. Gently press the balls into flat discs with your hand. The dough will tend to spring back. Allow the dough to relax a few moments and then press again. You may need to repeat the process again until you have discs that are 3-1/2 to 4 inches in diameter and 1/2 to 3/4-inches thick

6. If you prefer, you can top your rolls with sesame seeds or poppy seeds. To do so, instead of dusting the tops with flour, mix one egg with one tablespoon water in a cup. Whisk well. After the rolls have risen and just before baking, gently brush the egg wash on the rolls with a pastry brush. Sprinkle the seeds onto the tops of the rolls; the egg wash will hold them in place. 7. In an oven preheated to 375 degrees, bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are a rich golden-brown and the interior of the bun is 190 degrees. If you are baking both sheets at once, switch the top sheet with the bottom sheet halfway through the baking so that the buns will bake evenly. Immediately remove the rolls to a wire rack to cool.