rolls Archives - The Midnight Baker

Challah Knot Rolls

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 00:00:02 +0000

Challah knot rolls are great dinner or sandwich rolls.

Delicious Challah Knot Rolls

I just love challah. Since it’s so versatile, who wouldn’t. So extending it to rolls makes perfect sense.

This is the bread that makes the absolute best French toast since it has an egg base. However, it doesn’t stop there. Made into rolls, it’s perfect for dinner rolls. The taste is so wonderful, I often cut out any butter when I eat them.

Challah knots also make wonderful sandwich rolls since they have “moxie” and can stand up to many highly flavored sandwich filling. They also resist falling apart which matters with sandwiches.

Time Investment As Always

With yeast dough, there’s no getting away from the time investment you have to make. Most yeast-based products are pretty easy to make but you have to factor in the length of time it needs to rise. For really optimal results, giving the dough two rises before shaping and rising again gives very good texture and taste. However, with more modern yeasts and recipes that use them, only require one rise before shaping.

With this challah dough, it will require at least three hours to rise. That’s because it’s a pretty heavy and dense dough. What I’ve taken to doing is letting it rise in the refrigerator overnight. This will, of course, result in a slower rise, but that’s pretty incidental. Because of the slower raising time, the texture will be better

And while we’re on the subject of the dough, you will need a sturdy stand mixer for it. Hand-held mixers are not up to this. Just an FYI but I also let the machine knead the dough and just give it a few turns by hand before I put in the bowl to rise. Actually, the more you abuse the dough, the better it will be so if you want to hand knead and slap it around a bit, that’ll be really good. Take all your aggressions out on the dough; wonderful therapy!

Shaping, Etc.

I’ll state upfront that I’m not a wonderful shaper. I did not inherit my mother’s amazing skills at shaping breads so my knots look mediocre at best. What I do is just tie a knot in the rope and tuck then ends under. Just don’t be intimidated if they’re not perfect.

If you serve these as dinner rolls you can always melt a little butter and garlic and brush that over the top when they come out of the oven.

The Recipe

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Challah Knots

Challah makes the perfect rolls

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Raising Time3 25

Course: breads, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: challah knot rolls, challah recipe, egg dinner rolls

Servings: 12

Calories: 257kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1½ tbs dry active yeast
1 tsp sugar
1¼ cups lukewarm water
5 cups unbleached bread or all-purpose flour
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ tbs salt
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 egg beaten (for the egg wash)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a small bowl, place yeast, 1 tsp sugar and lukewarm water. Allow to sit for around 10 minutes until it becomes foamy on top.
In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together 1½ cups flour, salt and sugar. After the water-yeast mixture has become foamy, add to flour mixture along with oil. Mix thoroughly.
Add another cup of flour and 2 eggs and mix until smooth. Switch to the dough hook attachment if you are using a stand mixer.
Add another 1½- 2 cups of flour, mix thoroughly, then remove from bowl and place on a floured surface if kneading by hand or switch to the dough hook for machine kneading.
Knead remaining ½ cup flour into dough, continuing to knead for around 5 minutes (or however long your hands will last). Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for at least 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut dough into 2.5-3 oz pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and then form a knot by just tying it, tucking the under end underneath.
Allow challah rolls to rise another 20-25 minutes.
In a small bowl beat 1 large egg. Brush egg wash liberally over challah.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven.

Nutrition

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Pretzel Sandwich Rolls

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 00:00:33 +0000

Pretzel sandwich rolls are great as dinner rolls, hamburger buns or just a great snack.

Pretzel Sandwich Rolls

Have you ever grabbed these beauties from the supermarket bakery? I know I have since they don’t bake them often in my store.

However, skip the supermarket and the pricey price and make these pretzel rolls at home. They’re easy and they taste every bit as good as the store-bought kind.

They have a wonderful texture and taste plus they’re good keepers so they’ll last several days–if they last that long!

I find these rolls quite versatile. I’ve used them for sandwiches, hamburgers and even dinner rolls if the main course is something rustic.

Rolls That Need A Bath

Unlike most yeast rolls, these pretzel sandwich rolls require a bath before baking.

Just like when you make soft pretzels, the need to be bathed in a baking soda and water mixture. The baking soda is responsible for the dark brown color they become. Baking soda is a browning agent as well as a leavening in baked goods.

The boiling water bath is also responsible for the texture which is a lot like bagels. And if you’ve ever made bagels, you know you have to boil them before baking them.

It’s important not to work with too many rolls at one time in the soda bath. Limit yourself to three rolls at a time at the most.

Decorate

In order to get the nice slits you see in the pic–or the ones you see in the store–you’ll need a very sharp knife or better yet, a razor blade.

Of course it’s not totally necessary to make the slits or criss-crosses on the tops of the rolls, but they look so awesome if you do.

The action has to be quick and the blade has to be super sharp so the rolls don’t deflate so make sure you are very careful when you do this.

The Recipe

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Pretzel Sandwich Rolls

A great roll for any occasion

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Rise/Rest1 15

Course: breads, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: making soft pretzels, pretzel hamburger buns, soft pretzel rolls

Servings: 6

Calories: 259kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 cup warm water about 105 F to 110 F
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 1/2 cups bread flour about 15 1/2 ounces, lightly spooned into cup
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Bath:

2 1/2 to 3 quarts water
1/4 cup baking soda

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let the mixture stand for about 15 minutes, or until slightly foamy.
Stir in the olive oil, the 3 1/2 cups of flour, and the salt. Using the dough hook, knead on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes. The dough will be stiff, but add small amounts of water, about 1/2 teaspoon at a time, if necessary.
Gather the dough up into a ball and place in a large oiled bowl. Turn the dough to coat thoroughly with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled.
Heat the oven to 400F/200C. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Fill a large, deep pan with the water . Stir in the baking soda. Bring to a boil.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface and flatten slightly. Cut into 6 uniform pieces. Form each piece into a smooth ball, sealing at the bottom by pinching. Place on prepared pan. Let rolls rest for 15 minutes
Working with 3 rolls at a time, drop them into the boiling water/soda mixture. Boil 30 seconds one side then flip and boil 30 seconds on the other side. Remove with slotted spoon to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining rolls.
Using a very sharp knife or razor blade, make 1/2-inch/1.25cm deep crosses on the top of the rolls.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until rolls are a deep brown color.

Nutrition

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Caramel Pecan Rolls

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 17 Mar 2019 00:00:07 +0000

You won’t want to stop at just one of these caramel pecan rolls. Easy to make too!

Sunday Breakfast

Looking for something to serve for a Sunday breakfast or brunch?

These caramel pecan rolls may be just what you’re looking for. They’re a little different from the usual pancakes, waffles, eggs, etc. These go down really easy with the sweet tooths in the family. In fact, these go over very well even with folks who aren’t always hungering for sweets.

The dough is, of course, a “sweet dough.” However, it’s not as sweet as some by the same name since it has a minimum amount of sugar. The sugar shows up elsewhere and is not overpowering.

Unusual Ingredient

The dough contains what I consider to be a rather unusual ingredient–cornmeal.

I was intrigued when I found the original recipe on Taste of Home’s site. I’ve never seen cornmeal added to any sweet dough rolls I have ever made.

The first thing you have to do is cook the liquids and the cornmeal then let it cool down enough that it doesn’t kill the yeast. The cornmeal swells so you’ve got a polenta-like substance (which tastes very good by the way).

I did notice that the resulting rolls have a little more body to them than other rolls of this type. They’re soft but substantial, if that makes any sense. Also, the dough doesn’t rise like a balloon–so don’t expect it to do so. That’s a word to the wise. It will proof a little slower than usual. I did “proof” my yeast so I knew there was no problem there.

However, when I taste tested a roll, not only did it have a great flavor, but the actual bread part was nice and soft. It had a texture that is hard to describe. Substantial yet smooth and velvety.

Brown Sugar

I used dark brown sugar for the topping. If you use this variety, you will get a rich and full-bodied caramel flavor which will be, of course, darker.

You can use light brown and get great results too. Using dark brown sugar is just a personal preference of mine which I urge you to try. However, don’t go out and buy it special if you have only light brown on hand.

Watch The Video

The Recipe

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Caramel Pecan Rolls

You won’t want to stop at just one of these caramel pecan rolls. Easy to make too!

Prep Time2

Cook Time25

Total Time2 25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: caramel pecan rolls

Servings: 12

Calories: 411kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 tbs cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 to 3/3/4 cups flour
1 packet yeast
1 egg

Topping

1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Filling

1/4 cup butter melted
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a saucepan, combine the first six ingredients; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool to 120°-130°. In a bowl, combine 2 cups flour and yeast. Add cooled cornmeal mixture; beat on low until smooth. Add eggs and 1 cup of flour; mix for 1 minute. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn the dough onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Combine the first three topping ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with pecans; set aside.
Punch dough down. Roll into a 12x15-in. rectangle; brush with melted butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over butter. Roll up dough from the long side; pinch seams and turn ends under. Cut roll into 12 slices. Place 12 slices, cut side down, in baking pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool 1 minute; invert onto a serving platter.

Nutrition

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Easy Garlic Knots

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 25 Feb 2018 00:00:06 +0000

These garlic knots are so easy to make, you’ll make them several times a week!

Easy Garlic Knots: The Dough Is The Secret

You won’t believe it, but this very versatile dough has only 2 basic ingredients and ones you may already have on hand.

All you need is plain Greek yogurt and self-rising flour. OK, maybe you don’t have self-rising flour on hand, especially if you live north of the Mason-Dixon line. However it’s really easy to make from plain all-purpose flour. I’m pretty sure you have baking powder and salt on hand and that’s all you need to make this dough.

Just add 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to 1 cup of all purpose flour and whisk it very well to combine. Presto, self-rising flour!

Shaping The Rolls

Knots come in many different shapes from fancy to basic.

First you make ropes about 12-inches long. For a basic knot, start like you’re tying your shoes, then tuck the free ends of the rope through the center hole. That’s easy peasy.

I choose to make a Celtic-type knot. That starts out like the basic knot only you wrap one end of the rope over the circle you made by starting out with the basic tie, then wrap the other end over the circle on the opposite sides.

This may be a little hard to follow just from reading the above instructions, but there are literally loads of videos showing you how to do this on Youtube. Look at a few videos then decide on the style you like and use it.

Oh-So Garlicky!

The mixture you brush on the rolls is a garlic lover’s dream!

You can use more garlic if you like and the same applies if you want to use less if you’re not in love with an intense garlic flavor.

Whatever amount you decide to use, make sure you mince the garlic very fine so it’s easy to brush on the rolls. In a pinch, you could use a teaspoon of garlic powder or garlic salt if you have no fresh on hand. Dehydrated parsley can also be substituted if you have no fresh, but fresh is definitely better!

The Recipe

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Easy Garlic Knots

These garlic knots are so easy to make, you’ll want them several times a week! The bread dough is made with just TWO simple ingredients!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: breads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread dough, garlic knots

Servings: 8

Calories: 176kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups self-rising flour plus more for dusting
1 cup greek yogurt
¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F
In a large bowl, mix the self-rising flour and greek yogurt until it comes together to form a ball.
Transfer the dough ball to a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to begin flattening and shaping the rough into a roughly 8-inch disk.
Using a long-blade knife, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.
One at a time, roll each piece out into a roughly 12 inchlog and set aside.
Transfer the dough logs to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and shape individual knots. Repeat with remaining logs.
In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, parsley, and salt.
Brush each knot with garlic oil mixture.
Bake for 20 minutes, until the garlic knots have begun to turn golden brown.

Nutrition

*Adapted from Tasty

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Garlic Parmesan Herb Pull Apart

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 23:00:21 +0000

Classic pull-apart bread oozing with butter, garlic, cheese and herbs. The perfect dinner roll!

I’m a big-time fan of southern food. Now that raises many eyebrows because I’m a consummate “Yankee,” and the only claim I can make to anything southern is coming from the southern part of Brooklyn, New York.

However, a good friend is always telling me that there’s a little southern lady right underneath my surface. And that friend happens to be Melissa Sperka who wrote the cookbook containing the recipe for these fantastic dinner rolls. I am proud to call this great wife, mom and cook a dear friend. Her book is beautiful and has become a treasured part of my cookbook collection.

Melissa develops the recipes for and writes the popular food site Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen. I visit her site often when drooling is in order. The recipes there, and in this FABULOUS cookbook are old-time southern-style recipes that come from Melissa’s family collection.

When she sent me a copy of the book to review, it was mighty hard to pick something to make from it. As I said, I’m a southern food freak, and I love grits. She has several recipes for grits, but I decided to stay neutral here realizing that some folks don’t care for them. That’s why I ultimately picked these rolls. Melissa is an absolute wizard with rolls–savory and sweet, so I knew I couldn’t go wrong with this choice.

I did have to alter her original recipe somewhat. The original was made by shaping the rolls into knots. I decided to go with just rolls with no shaping–the reason for that is a week ago, I sprained my back and sciatica has set in. The position I’d have to bend at to roll the dough into ropes was just too painful at this time, hence going generic with round rolls.

But the shape really doesn’t matter here; it’s the seasoning. So any way you shape this it’s going to taste great.

Melissa used frozen unbaked dinner rolls in her recipe. I could not find them in my area (only the pre-baked frozen), so I used frozen unbaked white bread and cut and shaped them into rolls. It’s the same thing, so if you cannot find the unbaked frozen rolls, you definitely will find the frozen unbaked white bread. If you want to make your own dough from scratch, heck, that works too! I made much larger rolls, so I only used 8 rolls (which was 2 frozen loaves). The rolls Melissa used are the small dinner rolls so you will need double my amount.

These rolls are the BOMB–and I am not kidding. My neighbor was visiting when they were baking and she said it smelled heavenly, so after I got done taking the pics, I brought her over some so they could have them with dinner. I called some of these rolls “dinner” just by their lonesome. They are terrific and hat’s off to Melissa for this wonderful, yet easy recipe!

Purchase Melissa’s cookbook on Amazon.

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Garlic Parmesan Herb Pull Apart

Classic pull-apart bread oozing with butter, garlic, cheese and herbs. The perfect dinner roll!

Prep Time2 20

Cook Time25

Total Time2 45

Course: breads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread recipe, garlic, parmesan, pull-aparts

Servings: 16 rolls

Calories: 174kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

16 frozen yeast dinner rolls not the pre-baked ones see NOTES
1/2 cup butter melted
1 tsp dried parsley
2 cloves garlic finely minced
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning -OR- oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Instructions

Place frozen dough balls on waxed paper. Thaw on the counter 20-30 minutes. The dough should be thawed but still cold.
Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, parsley and garlic.
On a plate, mix together the Parmesan cheese, onion powder and garlic powder.
Dip each roll in the garlic butter and place side by side in prepared pan. Reserve leftover garlic butter to brush on top after baking.
Sprinkle with the seasoned Parmesan mixture.
Cover with greased plastic wrap and place in a draft-free area to rise; about 1 1/2-2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap from the pan.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden.
Brush with reserved garlic butter.

Notes

I used frozen unbaked white bread dough. I cut it shaped it into 8 large rolls, however, you can make smaller rolls if desired. This took 2 frozen loaves.

Melissa made the dough into knots by rolling each roll into ropes 6-inches long then tying into knots.

Nutrition

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