Recipe: Make-Ahead Rosemary Dinner Rolls
I reserve the right to break from primal/paleo for Thanksgiving and Yule. =)
Make-Ahead Rosemary Dinner Rolls
Adapted from a Cooks Illustrated recipe, these dinner rolls can be made up to a month in advance... or just a couple of hours before dinner. You can omit the rosemary for a more traditional dinner roll that will work with any meal.
Makes 24 rolls.
Preparation time: 2.5 hours
Cooking time: 25 min
Difficulty: Medium - some experience needed
Dietary guidance: vegetarian, nut-free
Tags: bread · thanksgiving · make-ahead ·
Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks butter (12 Tbsp), melted, plus extra for brushing on the finished rolls
1 1/4 cups whole milk, warm
1 large egg plus two yolks, lightly beaten
4 1/4 cups (21 1/4 oz) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling/shaping
2 Tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp (1 envelope) instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp minced dried rosemary
Method
Whisk the milk, butter, eggs, and yolks together in a bowl and set aside. Mix 4 cups of the flour with the sugar, yeast, salt, and rosemary... (I used a mixer with a bread hook, but this can be mixed and kneaded by hand if you don't have a mixer.) Add the warm liquid while the mixer is on low speed just until it all comes together.
Increase the speed to medium-low and knead about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. If after about 5 minutes the dough is still crazy sticky, add a Tbsp of flour at a time -- you want it to clear the side of the bowl, but still stick to the bottom.
Turn the dough out and knead it into a nice smooth ball. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & set aside. Divide the dough into 24 even pieces and roll them into balls. It's best to keep any dough you aren't shaping -- both the waiting dough and the finished balls -- covered so they don't start to dry out. Lay the rolls on the baking sheet, spaced about 1/2" apart.
***FRIDGE STEP, if making the day before***
Wrap the tray with greased plastic wrap so as to mostly seal out the air, but not press on the rolls. Place the tray in the fridge for up to 16 hours. Before baking, let the rolls sit on the counter to warm up to room temperature and get soft and puffy -- about 30-60 minutes.
***BACK TO THE RECIPE, if making for freezer OR for right away***
Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let 'em rise on the counter for another hour.
***FREEZER STEP, if making way in advance***
Without pressing on the rolls, gently wrap them in more plastic wrap and place 'em in the freezer for about 6 hours. Once they're frozen solid, transfer them to a ziplock bag and store them for up to a month -- and since they rose before freezing, you won't have to thaw them before baking! ::happydance:: Just place the frozen rolls back on a parchment-lined baking sheet, 1/2" apart, like before.
***REGARDLESS of which method you use -- right away, fridge, or freezer -- this is the next step***
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 375F. Brush the rolls with 2 Tbsp of melted butter and bake until golden, 15-25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Make-Ahead Rosemary Dinner Rolls
Adapted from a Cooks Illustrated recipe, these dinner rolls can be made up to a month in advance... or just a couple of hours before dinner. You can omit the rosemary for a more traditional dinner roll that will work with any meal.
Makes 24 rolls.
Preparation time: 2.5 hours
Cooking time: 25 min
Difficulty: Medium - some experience needed
Dietary guidance: vegetarian, nut-free
Tags: bread · thanksgiving · make-ahead ·
Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks butter (12 Tbsp), melted, plus extra for brushing on the finished rolls
1 1/4 cups whole milk, warm
1 large egg plus two yolks, lightly beaten
4 1/4 cups (21 1/4 oz) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling/shaping
2 Tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp (1 envelope) instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp minced dried rosemary
Method
Whisk the milk, butter, eggs, and yolks together in a bowl and set aside. Mix 4 cups of the flour with the sugar, yeast, salt, and rosemary... (I used a mixer with a bread hook, but this can be mixed and kneaded by hand if you don't have a mixer.) Add the warm liquid while the mixer is on low speed just until it all comes together.
Increase the speed to medium-low and knead about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. If after about 5 minutes the dough is still crazy sticky, add a Tbsp of flour at a time -- you want it to clear the side of the bowl, but still stick to the bottom.
Turn the dough out and knead it into a nice smooth ball. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & set aside. Divide the dough into 24 even pieces and roll them into balls. It's best to keep any dough you aren't shaping -- both the waiting dough and the finished balls -- covered so they don't start to dry out. Lay the rolls on the baking sheet, spaced about 1/2" apart.
***FRIDGE STEP, if making the day before***
Wrap the tray with greased plastic wrap so as to mostly seal out the air, but not press on the rolls. Place the tray in the fridge for up to 16 hours. Before baking, let the rolls sit on the counter to warm up to room temperature and get soft and puffy -- about 30-60 minutes.
***BACK TO THE RECIPE, if making for freezer OR for right away***
Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let 'em rise on the counter for another hour.
***FREEZER STEP, if making way in advance***
Without pressing on the rolls, gently wrap them in more plastic wrap and place 'em in the freezer for about 6 hours. Once they're frozen solid, transfer them to a ziplock bag and store them for up to a month -- and since they rose before freezing, you won't have to thaw them before baking! ::happydance:: Just place the frozen rolls back on a parchment-lined baking sheet, 1/2" apart, like before.
***REGARDLESS of which method you use -- right away, fridge, or freezer -- this is the next step***
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 375F. Brush the rolls with 2 Tbsp of melted butter and bake until golden, 15-25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.