No sooner do red, white and blue patriotic sparklers and spangles go on clearance before everything red, green and jolly lines shelves for all to see. Halloween forces its way in front and center aisle, thanks to candy companies reminding all to buy ever-shrinking treats for the tricking masses. In 2022 alone, Americans spent over $3.7 billion on top selling favorites like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and M & M’s to pass out for Twix or treats.
Thanksgiving? Well, it’s a quick blip on the holiday timeline, sandwiched in between these two consumer-driven juggernauts. Even if its for just a day, I’ll take this turkey honored tradition. Especially with leftover Tom and cornbread-sausage stuffing reheated for days afterwards! Every year, we each request a customary dish. Minion A and B…pumpkin pie. The Hubby… always a soft dinner roll of some shape. Cloverleaf, crescent, simply round. It doesn’t matter. As soon as these yeasty golden brown pillows come out of the oven, The Hubby has a butter knife adequately equipped with a square of Kerrygold goodness. Secretly, I can’t say that I blame him though. LOL!
A while ago, I shared a recipe for The Best Dinner Rolls. They’re fantastic, don’t get me wrong! But if you don’t plan to eat them within a day, like most yeast breads and rolls, they begin to dry out. King Arthur Flour, my go-to for most baking recipes to tweak, featured a recipe for their Japanese Milk Bread Rolls. What makes these rolls rise above the others is the fact leftovers stay moister longer, all thanks to the tangzhong starter. I wrote about this fancy foreign term in my Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls recipe. Tangzhong is a cooked, pudding-like mixture of flour, water and milk. When added to the usual ingredients of egg, milk, flour, sugar and yeast, tangzhong turns rolls into tender tasties every time. This year for Turkey Day it’s what I’m making for The Hubby.
I enlist my handy-dandy bread machine to do the heavy work of mixing, kneading and rising the dough. After the dough finishes its “dough” cycle, I punch it down onto a very lightly kneaded counter. The silky dough gets portioned into 8 equal pieces and formed into smooth balls. (If you prefer smaller rolls, I suggest using 16 equal pieces of dough.) Plan on waiting around 40 minutes for the rolls to rise before giving each roll a brush of whole milk. The whole milk adds moisture and gives the finished rolls a golden brown color. If you see that the rolls are browning too quickly before the 25 minute bake time is up, just cover them with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before you try to let them cool. But if you’re like us and can’t wait…well, slather on the good butter and enjoy!
Soft Milk Bread Rolls
Tender, moist and terrific every time! These golden brown rolls stay softer longer thanks to a simple technique using tangzhong, a cooked, pudding-like mixture added to the regular recipe. Your leftover turkey will thank you!
- Prep Time: About 2 to 3 Hours
- Cook Time: 25 Minutes
- Total Time: About 3 Hours
- Yield: 8 Large Dinner Rolls 1x
Ingredients
Tangzhong Starter:
3 T. water
3 T. whole milk
2 T. bread flour
Dough:
2–1/2 c. bread flour
2 T. nonfat dry milk
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt (table, kosher or sea)
1 T. yeast
1/2 c. whole milk, at room temperature + 2 T. extra for brushing on dough
1 large egg, at room temperature
4 T. unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
To make the Tangzhong Starter, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over low to medium heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture is smooth. Stir constantly until the mixture is thick. A spoon should leave a line on the bottom of the pan when cooked, about 3-5 minutes. Let mixture cool to room temperature before adding to the dough ingredients.
Combine the Tangzhong Starter with the rest of the dough ingredients in a standing mixer or bread machine. If using a standing mixer, mix and knead until smooth and elastic. Shape dough into a ball and let rise in a lightly greased, covered bowl until almost doubled in a warm location (about 60-90 minutes). If using a bread machine, place all ingredients in the bucket of the machine and set to “Dough” cycle. Let mix and rise according to the machine.
Gently deflate the dough and turn onto a very lightly floured surface. Portion dough into 8 equal sized pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball and set into a lightly greased 9-inch round or square pan. Cover and let rise in a warm location until almost doubled in size (about 40-50 minutes).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush rolls with additional 2 T. milk. Bake rolls for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in center of rolls reads 190 degrees F. If rolls brown too quickly, tent with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out of pan to cool completely.
Notes
Cutting dough into 8 pieces makes large dinner rolls. If you prefer smaller roll sizes, portion dough into 16 equal pieces and bake as directed. You can also shape the dough into whatever shape you prefer–cloverleaf, crescent, etc.
IMNPB
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