Easy no knead heavenly hot rolls

[shorty]

My husband just brought me a rewarmed in the oven roll leftover from yesterday. This recipe makes four dozen or more rolls and could be halved easily, shared wtih friends and family, or greedily hoarded for your own consumption.
They almost melt in your mouth good.

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2 envelopes yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 Tsp. Sugar

Dissolve two packages of yeast in the water/sugar mixture in a large bowl to proof the yeast.

Add:

4 cups warm milk (less than 115) (cream may be used too)
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening (or butter, 2 sticks butter = 1 cup)
4 cups flour

Beat until smooth, cover, let rise in a warm place for 2 hours. This is called a sponge when cooking yeast breads.

Stir dough down and add:

2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Mix well and add 3 to 3-1/2 cups flour. Add just enough flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. At this point you can cover with greased saran wrap and refrigerate for up to three days before use. Will need to be stirred down daily or:

Turn out onto a highly floured surface. Sprinkle a lot of flour on top and pat out to ½ thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter and place on greased baking sheets. Brush with butter or egg wash if desired. Cover and let rise until double. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

These will freeze thaw well. Freeze on baking sheets. Place in a freezer bag or vacuum-sealed bags after they are frozen. Place the frozen rolls on greased baking sheets to thaw and rise when ready to use. Bake as directed above.

Heaven. Enjoy.

 

[LonghornGirlie]

I tried four times to make some good dinner rolls from scratch for Thanksgiving and failed miserably every time. I have an awesome Sweet Potato biscuit recipe, but some people like just plain dinner rolls. And I'm bound and determined to learn to do this right.

Do you mind if I ask some brain dead questions? How critical is the temperature of the warm water? Is this something that I should be using a thermometer on so I'm sure that its right? When you say "dissolve" two packages of yeast in the water, do I stir it in? Or just pour it in and leave it (like the recipe that I tried and failed with suggested)? Same question in regard to temperature on the warm milk.

In a warm place, would my kitchen suffice? We keep the house in the mid-70s. The utility room is probably a bit warmer because the wine cooler AC vents into that room. Would that be a better place?

Stir down dough? What does this mean exactly? I've got a Kitchen Aid and I'm not afraid to use it.

Should I sift the flour or just use it straight out of the bag? I bought some "Bread Flour" which the package says is better for bread making. Do you think it makes any difference?

I assume when you say they freeze well that you freeze them immediately after cutting them. Is that correct?

Sorry for all the stupid questions. I just really want to get this right. Thanks for your help.

 

[flyingdoggystyle]

I love yeast rolls. They are the best part of Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner. My mother in law is an amazing cook raised in southern Georgia, but my yeast rolls have become a staple at our meals. I even impressed Grandma Rosie a few years back, but I will admit that her rolls are better.

First off - I would say that in order to have great rolls, you need to kneed them. It creates the gluten in the bread and gives it a great texture. Here is the recipe I use:

Yeast Rolls

I make the following modifications to that recipe:
Half AP flour (make sure you use King Arthur brand)
Half bread flour (King Arthur brand)
Add 1 additional Tbs honey to help the yeast along
If possible, make the recipe the day before and after the first rise, put it in the refrigerator overnight.
Also, since you have a Kitchenaid, use it to kneed the dough for you. Four to five minutes with the dough hook should do the trick.

To answer your questions:

In reply to:

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[LonghornGirlie]

Thanks. That is the sort of advice that I'm looking for. Whatever it was, whether bad yeast or not the right temperature on the water, I think that was my problem before. I don't think whatever came out of that was the frothy mess that it is supposed to be and the problem with the rolls is that they never rose.

Since I have the KitchenAid, can I just use it to do the stirring and the kneading? Is the dough hook attachment the right thing to use to stir the initial ingredients together enough to get the dough to form? Do I need to worry about turning out the dough on a surface or just let the KitchenAid knead in the bowl and just add a little flour if necessary to the bowl to keep it from sticking?

Otherwise, everything looks straightforward. The whole rolling into a ball thing the way they describe it sounds a little odd. Any tips on that?

 

[flyingdoggystyle]

I use the Kitchenaid to do everything. One bowl to wash and you don't have to mess with a messy counter. Use the solid metal stirring attachment (not the whisk or the hook, but I think it is called the paddle) to stir the dry ingredients and bring the wet and dry together to a large ball. After that, switch to the hook. No need to turn out the dough, just do it all in the bowl. The flour is a little more tricky. Always easier to add flour than to add water. What I do is bring all the ingredients together and kneed for about half the time required by the recipe (which is a quarter of the time when compared to hand kneeding.) I then stop and feel the dough since it will react differently to my hand than the bowl. So put a light coating of flour on your hand and see how sticky it is. You want tacky to the point where if you grab a handful it will still pull away from your hand and you don't end up with little pieces stuck to your fingers.

Not sure what you are referencing about the roll into a ball... I think the key with forming a roll is that you want to keep the dough as light as possible, so don't use a lot of pressure on the dough. They will rise again and the dough will look more round after rising so don't spend too much time trying to get them perfect at this stage.

 

[LonghornGirlie]

Thanks. I don't think I have that attachment, but I'll look. I have the one that is basically a mixer that is divided into three sections. Here's the one I've got:

It is the one I use most often for cakes, brownies or cookies or really whatever needs mixing, but that sort of thing doesn't generally form into a dough. Then I have the whisk (how did anyone ever make a meringue before having a KitchenAid with a whisk?) and the hook. I thought there was something like a solid flat paddle, but I've not been able to find it online quickly.

The ball rolling technique is the one described in the recipe to which you linked. Is that something you do? Or maybe you can describe your method to me, if its something odd.

 

[flyingdoggystyle]

Your picture is what I use to bring the wet and dry ingredients together -- don't know why but I've always referred to it as the paddle attachment. Once the dough is together, you can switch to the hook.

Sorry, I was looking for the rolling reference in the wrong recipe. I have used the method described in the recipe I posted. I also use a method in The Bread Baker's Apprentice. (Nice gift suggestion, btw) You take a cut piece of dough and pinch two sides together at the bottom of the roll. Turn and repeat a couple times. You are trying to create a tight surface to promote even rising. All the pinches should be on the bottom of the roll in about the same place. Once this is complete, put the roll in the pan to rise again. This is very difficult to describe, but the book has pictures. Really, either way works just fine since the rolls rise again after forming and they will be light and airy.

 

[LonghornGirlie]

Thanks. I'll likely just do the rolling thing. I've got long fingernails and I'll probably pierce the roll too much if do any sort of pinching. I look forward to giving it a try and I'll let you know how it goes. Your advice is greatly appreciated.

And, fwiw, KitchenAid calls that the beater. Paddle works for me.

 

[shorty]

Katy, I just saw your message.Do you mind if I ask some brain dead questions? How critical is the temperature of the warm water? Is this something that I should be using a thermometer on so I'm sure that its right? When you say "dissolve" two packages of yeast in the water, do I stir it in? Or just pour it in and leave it (like the recipe that I tried and fail.
Yes, it is fairly critical as you will kill the yeast if the water is too hot. I have an instant read that I use to check the temp. The teaspoon of sugar is just stirred with the yeast in the water. The sugar will make the yeast bubble and get frothy. This just insures the yeast is good. I think the sugar also helps the yeast dissolve itself into the water.d with suggested)? Same question in regard to temperature on the warm milk.

In a warm place, would my kitchen suffice? We keep the house in the mid-70s. The utility room is probably a bit warmer because the wine cooler AC vents into that room. Would that be a better place?

Yes, the utility would be a great place to let the sponge work and let the rolls rise later.

Stir down dough? What does this mean exactly? I've got a Kitchen Aid and I'm not afraid to use it.

When you see how liquid the sponge is, you will understand why I said stir down. (Edit to add: It will remind you of very thick cake batter.) There is no way to punch down a sponge unless you want to come out with a very gloppy fist. ;o) I do use the KitchenAid with the dough hook to mix in the remaing flour, salt, soda, and baking powder. There is no way I could do it with a wooden spoon or any kitchen utensil. You could do it with a food processor but it would have to be the 14 cup Cuisinart. The 11 cup one is too small.

Should I sift the flour or just use it straight out of the bag?

Straight out of the bag.

I bought some "Bread Flour" which the package says is better for bread making. Do you think it makes any difference?

Just use regular all purpose flour. Bread flour will make a tougher roll.

I assume when you say they freeze well that you freeze them immediately after cutting them. Is that correct?

Yes, freeze immediately. Do take them out and allow 3-4 hours for them to thaw and rise. If you just want a few for supper, just put them on a pan in the refrigerator to thaw. Take them out to rise as soon as you get home.

Sorry for all the stupid questions. I just really want to get this right. Thanks for your help.

There were no stupid questions. Just think of it in terms of chemical reactions like Alton Brown demonstrates on the food network. Sugar is food for yeast and salt tempers it and keeps it from rising unchecked like the loaf of bread in the infamous I Love Lucy show. The sponge develops the gas (carbon dioxide) from the yeast and gluten needed to make the rolls without kneading.You do not have to worry if you have kneaded it too much or not enough.

Let me know if you have more questions.

 

[shorty]

I thought I would update this with a few step by step pictures of the process.

Proofing the yeast is adding a teaspoon of sugar to 1/4 cup of water. Add your two packs of yeast and stir. You are just wetting the yeast. Let it set 5-10 minutes and it will bubble up like this.

Stir it down and add it to your milk, sugar, melted butter, and four cups of flour. Mix well with the paddle on your KitchenAid Mixer. Now your have your sponge.

You can see it is thick but fairly liquid at this point. I do stir it with a spatula to make sure all the flour is incorporated from the sides and bottom of the bowl. Cover wth plastic wrap and put in a warm area to rise for two hours.

It looks like this after it has risen for two hours. Stir it down and put back on your mixer with your dough hook.

You may be able to use your paddle if you don't have the dough hook, but mix on the lowest speed. I do mix the 3 cups of flour, salt, bakiing soda, and baking powder in a seperate bowl and just mix with a whisk. Add about a cup at a time and mix well between additions. Add the last 1/2 cup of flour last.

It is about all my 5 qt. Artisan mixer will handle. I do wish I had the 6 qt. I oil a big crockery bowl, put the dough in it, cover it with plastic wrap, and it is ready for the refrigerator.

You can divide the dough after all remaining ingredients are mixed and pat or roll out to cut rolls. You will need to put a lot of flour on your board, 1/4-1/2 cup, because it is a wet dough. Sprinkle a generous amount of flour on top of the dough too. You may need to add more flour as you roll if it start sticking. Place on cookie sheet, cover with a light weight tea towel, and let them rise until double.

I will add pictures tomorrow when I roll out the dough.

 

[shorty]

I did not get these posted last night.

This shows how the dough will rise while in the refrigerator. Depending on the temperature of your fridge, you either stir it down or punch it down before shaping your rolls.

Let it come up to room temperature. Generously flour your board and a generous amout is put on the top of the dough.

It will be wetter if your home is very warm or you make them in hot weather. It will be less sticky if your home is cooler or made in the cold weather.

Roll or pat out and cut into rolls or you can flour your hands and roll into balls to form the rolls. Let themrise until double and bake.

They are light yet have a delicate crisp crust. Over the years I have made many type of dinner rolls using the standard knead recipies and potato roll recipe. These are the best including my mother's rolls.

 

[LonghornGirlie]

Thanks so much! I will definitely try this recipe. Maybe for New Year's when we get back from San Diego. The pictures are a huge help. I would have been scared to death of dough looking that liquid and sticky.

BTW, what's the yield on this recipe? A couple dozen?

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

 

[shorty]

It makes about four dozen or more rolls. I was very leerly of the wet dough too the first time I made them. I have made no other type of hot roll since that first batch. I store them in one of the jumbo ziploc bags (2.5 gal.) and we reheat in the oven as we need them.

One last picture of the hot rolls out of the oven on Christmas morning. Yes, hubby had to have one to tide him over until the feast at lunch.