During the past week, we worked our way through a full Thanksgiving meal. The kids and I are still diligently working on finishing the leftover pies. Let’s take a quick look at the Thanksgiving menu we covered…
Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy
Sausage, Apple, and Leek Stuffing
Cranberry Orange Sauce
Spiced Sweet Potato Puree with Pecan Streusel
Shaved Apple-Fennel Salad
Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes
Green Beans Almondine
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Walnuts
Sweet Honey Cornbread
Fresh Pumpkin Coconut Pie
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Sounds like a pretty spectacular meal to me! But, I promised you one more thing; homemade hot, doughy rolls. Recently, I was glancing through the current Thanksgiving-themed edition of Food Network magazine and I ran across the most mouthwatering, step-by-step guide for soft, doughy dinner rolls. They looked even better than my husband’s favorite Thanksgiving rolls, which we usually buy pre-made from our grocery store. I had to give this recipe a try.
I made one small adaptation to the recipe as published in Food Network magazine. The original recipe calls for mixing the dough using a stand mixer. While this is a convenient option, I’m hesitant to share recipes which require special equipment, since I recognize that not everyone has access to a stand mixer. So, I tested the dough out by hand. And it worked perfectly! If you have a stand mixer, go ahead and use it, but if you don’t, rest assured that it’s totally possible to make these delicious rolls by hand.
And, are you ready for the best part about these rolls?? The dough can be completely prepared ahead of time and frozen until ready to use, which makes this a totally doable addition to your Thanksgiving table. The recipe produces a huge batch of twenty-four rolls. I baked eight last night for our dinner and threw the remaining sixteen in the freezer for Thanksgiving!
Hot, Doughy Dinner Rolls
Adapted from the Food Network Magazine recipe for Parker House Rolls by Alex Guarnaschelli
Ingredients
- 1 packet Dry Active Yeast
- 1/2 cup Warm Water (110-115 degrees)
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 1/2 sticks Butter, melted and cooled
- 2 cups Whole Milk (at room temperature)
- 2 Eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 6 1/2 cups Flour
- Butter for Brushing
Directions
Sprinkle the yeast in the bottom of a large bowl. Stir in the warm water and sugar. Wait a minute. Then, mix in the 1 cup of flour until well combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and milk. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the yeast mixture. Gradually stir in the flour and the salt, a cup or so at a time, until a ball of dough forms. Towards the end of mixing, you may find it easier to use your hands to knead the remaining flour into the dough. Add up to 1/2 cup additional flour if the dough seems too sticky.
Place the ball of dough into a large bowl which has been brushed with melted butter. Loosely cover with a towel and allow to rest at room temperature for about 2 1/2 hours. The dough should double in size.
Once the dough has risen, place the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Using your hands to press and pull the dough, form a rectangle, about 18 inches long by 8 inches wide. It should be about 1/2 inch thick.
Using a knife, cut the dough in half lengthwise. Then, cut the dough crosswise into 12 strips. You should have 24 total dough strips.
Form each strip into a little roll, by folding part of the strip under, so that a small section of the top overhangs the bottom. Then tuck the overhanging piece underneath. Place the formed rolls, seam-side down, onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, close to each other, forming 3 loaves of 8 rolls each. (The rolls can be wrapped and frozen at this point, if desired.)
If baking immediately, bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes. If baking from frozen, bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees, then an additional 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Brush the rolls with melted butter prior to serving.
Makes 24 buns
**The original Food Network Magazine recipe and photo guide can be found by clicking here.
We needed a little something to go along with our buns, so I turned to my Delicious Disney cookbook for a really fantastic Cheddar Soup straight from Disney’s Le Cellier restaurant. This soup is thick, satisfying, and a cinch to throw together. The recipe, as follows, produces a huge ten-serving batch. It can easily be halved for smaller crowds.
Start by cooking about a half pound of chopped Bacon in a large stockpot or dutch oven pan over medium heat, until fully-cooked and slightly crispy. Throw in four tablespoons of Butter, one finely diced medium Onion and about 1/2 cup finely diced Celery. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Stir in a cup of Flour. The mixture will be very thick. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Then, whisk in 3 cups of Chicken Stock. Continue whisking until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. The mixture will be quite thick. Pour in 4 cups of Milk. (Skim milk would be perfect.) Bring to a gentle simmer (not a boil) and cook for 10 more minutes. Turn down the heat and stir in a pound (16 ounces) of Shredded Cheddar. Stir until the cheddar melts into the soup. If the soup is too thick, add a bit more milk. Stir in about a tablespoon of Worchestershire Sauce and a tablespoon (or more) of Tabasco Sauce. If desired, add 1/2 cup of warm Beer. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.
Garnish with chopped bacon and chopped green onions.
AMAZING menu planned, gorgeous bread rolls, LOVE the cheddar soup… you surely can cook!!
Awesome! I think I just found my dinner roll recipe. These will be delicious slathered with apple butter.
The rolls and soup were delicious! Especially since I got to share it with my adorable nephew=0) Thanks again!!
Wow, you sure do have your Thanksgiving menu planned.
The rolls sound great, I bookmarked the page, try them when I get home, thanks
You are remarkable and such an inspiration.
🙂 Mandy
Wow, what a planner you are! This soup looks so amazing! What time is dinner? hehe 😉
Hello….Amazing rolls!!..I making them tonight!! I will pass it on to my friends…
Just one thing…you forgot to include the step where you add the yeast…we, know, we know..:)..but maybe some readers aren’t familiar with it..or is the first they attemp to bake….
Thanks for sharing!!!
Oh my goodness! You’re right! I totally forgot to mention stirring in the yeast mixture. Thanks for pointing that out! The correction has been made! Enjoy the rolls tonight!
That meal looks to die for. I’m glad to hear that the dough can be prepared in advance… making bread and getting a whole meal on the table is quite a process… i’m thankful for anything that can be done in advance. that picture of the cheese soup is making me drool all over my desk and makes my silly little sandwich i had to buy on the way to work look sad. :p
OMG You pictures make me sooo hungry lol.. Thank you for sharing this recipe..
hi there! just wanted to let you know we featured this post on the FoodPress.com homepage today. and, I think these are going to be the rolls I will make for our thanksgiving next week!!! 🙂 jane
Thanks Jane! The rolls were as good as I’d hoped…maybe even better! I’ve got a bunch sitting in my freezer right now to bring to my Grammy’s for Thanksgiving! I can’t wait to eat them again next week! I hope you enjoy them too!
Thanks for this recipe, I am looking for good rolls that I would pair with soups, your recipe looks really yummy. I love soups and this can be the best combination it can get.
Raymund
http://angsarap.wordpress.com
Yum- both of these look wonderful! I looked at that cookbook the past 2 times we were in Disney…still wishing I had bought it. Maybe Santa will bring it to me!?! 🙂
yum i love doughy rolls
Thank you for sharing the roll recipe! Absolutely delicious. Already planning my Christmas menu, these will definitely be on my table! 🙂