Sweet Potato Rolls

Ingredients:

for the rolls:
4 cups flour
1 cup mashed roasted sweet potato
1/3 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 oz dry yeast
2 eggs, at room temperature

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast on the water. Using an electric mixer with a dough hook combine the yeast, butter, water, sugar, egg and sweet potato. Add the flour and mix on low until smooth. The mixture should become a sticky dough at this time but it shouldn't feel damp or look wet. If it does, mix in a small amount of flour. Knead on a floured surface or in a stand mixer until smooth but still slightly sticky. Place the ball of dough in a buttered bowl. Cover with a tea towel or loose plastic wrap and let rise for about 45 minutes or until it doubles in size.

Preheat oven to 350. Remove dough from bowl and break into 10 even pieces. Roll each into a ball. Place in two 9 inch round cake pans that have been lightly sprayed with nonstick baking spray, forming a circle with one roll in the middle. Allow to rise for 20 minutes.

Bake for 15 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove to a wire rack to cool for a minute then invert and pull apart to serve.

My thoughts:

Oh my, these were good. I am honestly not a huge fan of sweet potatoes, they are just too, well, sweet for me to eat at a regular meal. Too dessert-y. However, everyone else I know likes them so I am always trying to find a new way to use them that everyone (including me!) can enjoy. These completely fit the bill. They were a lovely light orange color and tasted like sweet potatoes but were still firmly a savory dinner roll. They were great spread with butter along side dinner but I am imagining leftovers transformed into rolls for sandwiches. They were wonderfully light and fluffy but substantial enough to hold some serious filling.


Note: This is a really forgiving recipe. Letting it rise for longer than the times listed here is perfectly fine.

Dill Sour Cream Rolls

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/4 oz active dry yeast
2 tablespoons minced dill
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs (divided use)

Directions:
Place water in a a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with yeast, and let stand 5 minutes. Add the sour cream, dill, butter, sugar, salt, and one egg. Mix. Add the flour and mix (use a stand mixer with a dough hook for best results) until a slightly sticky dough forms. If the dough is too dry, add a bit of milk and remix. Grease a bowl with butter. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and allow the dough to double in size. Butter a 13x9 inch pan. Divide the dough into 12-15 pieces. Roll each into a ball. Place in the baking pan (I ended up with 3 rows of 5 rolls each). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Allow to sit on the counter until it doubles in bulk. Preheat oven to 375. Beat an egg and brush it over the rolls. Bake for 20 minutes or until fully cooked through.

Note: If you want to bake the rolls the same day you mix the dough together, just skip the refrigeration step and continue on to the second rise.

My thoughts:

Until I made these rolls I had never refrigerated dough overnight before baking before. I know it isn't that uncommon of a practice (a lot of people email me about my various yeast recipes asking if there is a step where they can refrigerate the dough) but since I work from home I've never had much reason to try it out. When I wanted to bring fresh rolls to an early event, I thought it was the perfect excuse. I am happy to say it worked perfectly, the dough rose perfectly the next day and the rolls were light, fluffy and tender. The dill and sour cream pair wonderfully together and bring new life to the classic dinner roll without being overwhelming or pickle-y. The creamy butter I used from Challenge Dairy give the rolls a rich taste with minimal effort and was great spread on the rolls themselves.

Onion Studded Hamburger Rolls

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 oz active dry yeast

for the onions:
1/3 cup finely diced onions
1 teaspoon butter

for the egg wash:
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water



to sprinkle:
sesame, caraway or poppy seeds (optional)

Directions:
Stir together the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm. Meanwhile, saute the onions in the butter until soft and translucent--do not brown. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and yeast. Pour in the milk mixture and stir until the dough starts to come together, adding more water of the mixture looks dry or more flour if the mixture looks wet. Add the onions. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook to mix for about 8 minutes. If not, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a towel and wait until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough and divide into 6* even portions. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough towards the bottom and gently stretching until a ball with a smooth top forms. Place seam-side down on a baking stone or metal baking sheet. I actually just used my silipat and baking sheet. Allow the rolls to sit for a minute. Flatten each dough ball with your hand or the back of a large spatula until it is about 3 to 4 inches wide.



Cover the rolls with the towel again and set aside until they have just about doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400. Whisk together the water and yolk to make the egg wash. Brush onto the tops of the rolls. Sprinkle with seeds if using. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on both the top and the bottom and when tapped, they sound hollow. Allow to cool, then slice.



*If you want extra large rolls, divide into fourths.


Yield: six rolls big enough to each accommodate a large hamburger. The recipe can easily be doubled.

My thoughts:

There are lovely hamburger rolls. Soft but sturdy and solid enough to support a serious burger and with a superb yet not overpowering onion flavor. I love making homemade hamburger rolls when we have burgers because they really take little in the way of effort but they taste so much better than store-brought. The fact that everyone is always impressed when you tell them you made the rolls is just a little bonus.

Hawaiian Hamburger Rolls

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 oz active dry yeast


for the egg wash
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water



Directions:
Stir together the milk, pineapple juice, butter, vanilla, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger and yeast. Pour in the milk mixture and stir until the dough starts to come together, adding more pineapple juice if the mixture looks dry or more flour if the mixture looks wet. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook to mix for about 8 minutes. If not, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a towel and wait until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough and divide into 6* even portions. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough towards the bottom and gently stretching until a ball with a smooth top forms. Place seam-side down** on a baking stone or metal baking sheet. I actually just used my silipat and baking sheet. Allow the rolls to sit for a minute. Flatten each dough ball with your hand or the back of a large spatula until it is about 3 to 4 inches wide. Cover the rolls with the towel again and set aside until they have just about doubled in size, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400. Whisk together the water and yolk to make the egg wash. Brush onto the tops of the rolls. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on both the top and the bottom and when tapped, they sound hollow. Allow to cool, then slice.


*If you want extra large rolls, divide into fourths. The dough, divided in sixths yields rolls big enough to hold a 1/4 lb burger.

** Or seam side up if the seam is fairly smooth and you want the interesting look pictured.

My thoughts:

I love having King's Hawaiian rolls, especially spread with a little butter, for breakfast. I've always thought it would be fun to make a homemade version but I have never found a recipe that looks right and was having a hard time coming up with a recipe of my own, having only rarely made a sweet yeast bread.

Rather than try and make an exact replica, I decided to take the Hawaiian sweet roll concept and create a new recipe, an homage if you will, that was more of a hamburger or sandwich roll than a stand alone roll.

The rolls I created aren't quite as sweet as the King's Hawaiian rolls but they are perfect for hamburgers and sandwiches. They add just a touch of sweetness and flavor without overpowering the flavors of the sandwich within and have a great, light texture without being too soft. Really a great variation on the typical hamburger bun.

Hamburger Rolls

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 oz active dry yeast

for the egg wash
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water

to sprinkle:
sesame or poppy seeds

Directions:
Stir together the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour and yeast. Pour in the milk mixture and stir until the dough starts to come together, adding more water of the mixture looks dry or more flour if the mixture looks wet. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook to mix for about 8 minutes. If not, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a towel and wait until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough and divide into 6* even portions. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough towards the bottom and gently stretching until a ball with a smooth top forms. Place seam-side down on a baking stone or metal baking sheet. I actually just used my silipat and baking sheet. Allow the rolls to sit for a minute. Flatten each dough ball with your hand or the back of a large spatula until it is about 3 to 4 inches wide. Cover the rolls with the towel again and set aside until they have just about doubled in size, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400. Whisk together the water and yolk to make the egg wash. Brush onto the tops of the rolls. Sprinkle with seeds. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on both the top and the bottom and when tapped, they sound hollow. Allow to cool, then slice.


*If you want extra large rolls, divide into fourths.



Yield: six rolls big enough to each accommodate a large hamburger. The recipe can easily be doubled.

My thoughts:

Why go through the trouble of making delicious sandwiches and burgers when you don't have a great bun to serve them on? Making your own is a somewhat lengthy process but 95% of the time is completely hands off and you can spend the downtime getting everything else ready. This recipe is a snap to put together; even a yeast novice could handle it. It really is worth the little bit of extra effort to make your own hamburger rolls, they taste so much better than store bought (which are frequently sweetened with HFCS) and while they are light and fluffy inside, they have a sturdy crust that can stand up to the wettest, messiest filling. Not to mention how impressed people will be once you tell them you made your own hamburger buns!





Making sausages or subs? I've got a roll for that too.

Sub Rolls

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast (often labeled as rapid rise or bread machine yeast)
1/2 cup water
a spray battle with water or some ice cubes



Directions:
Either by hand, in a food processor or an electric mixer, mix flour salt and yeast together. Add water slowly and mix until the dough comes together and is slightly sticky. Knead the dough for 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface. The dough should feel smooth and be very easy to work with. If it feels stiff, sprinkle some water over it while you continue to kneed. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm draft-free place (a "cold" oven is s good place) until it is doubled in size (about an hour).

After the dough has doubled, gently collapse it and cut it in half, form each half into a ball, and let rest covered in the bowl for 20 minutes. The bread can be baked on a cookie sheet or on a bread or pizza stone. If you are using a bread or pizza stone, sprinkle 2 pieces or parchment paper with corn meal. If using a cookie sheet, sprinkle some corn meal directly on the sheet. Carefully, so as not to push the bubbles out of the dough, roll each of the dough balls into an oblong shape (about 8 inches long) by gently rolling with your fingers from the middle out. Place each oblong onto the parchment paper (or cookie sheet if using) cover with the towel, and let rise for another hour. During this time, preheat the oven to 450.

Baking: Slide each dough oblong onto your pizza stone (or put the cookie sheet into the oven) and quickly spray the inside of the oven with water (or throw some ice cubes into the oven). The steam that this creates will improve the texture of the crust. After 5 minutes, turn the oven down to 400, give it a quick spritz and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Yields 2 sub rolls.

My thoughts:

It doesn't matter if you call them sub, hoagie, hero, or grinder rolls, it is always best to make your own. Since we are a family of two (well, four if you count the dogs but they don't get rolls) this recipe yields only 2 fairly long rolls. If you want smaller rolls, you could probably make 4 short rolls. If you want more, you could easily double the recipe.

Yeast Rolls

Ingredients:
5 1/2 cups flour
2 cups milk
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/4 oz package active dry yeast
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Dissolve yeast and honey in the warm water and allow to sit 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, scald the milk. Stir in the sugar, butter, and salt. Allow to come to room temperature. Pour into a large bowl. Add yeast. Add the flour, slowly, mixing until a soft dough forms. Remove form bowl and knead by hand or in a stand mixer with a dough hook, about 10 minutes or until smooth. Shape into a ball and place in a buttered bowl. Cover with a cloth or plate and place some place warm and draft free, like a "cold" oven for about an hour. The dough should have doubled in bulk. Punch the dough down with your fist and knead for a few minutes. Cut into about 20-25 2 inch square pieces and arrange on a cookie sheet, spacing about 2-3 inches apart. Allow to rise an additional 45 minutes or until they have doubled in size again. Preheat oven to 425. Bake for fifteen minutes, then pull apart and eat.

Spring this recipe!

My thoughts:

They are the best yeast rolls out there. Fluffy yet dense and perfect for slathering with butter. Which you don't even have to feel guilty about doing-this is a very low fat roll. If you make them slightly bigger, they are great for small sandwiches.

Oh yeah, today is World Bread Day!