Crusty Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

This one is terrific..easy to make, looks great and tastes fantastic. Rather then a combination of milk and water (most recipes), this one relies on the unique taste of buttermilk which goes a long way in mimicking a "sourdough" taste. And its 100% buttermilk (no water). And after some experimentation, I found that the longer you let the dough "rise", the more pronounced the results. When you serve this to your guests, they will immediately think that it is sourdough! The long fermentation of the buttermilk morphs the dough into a "sourdough" phase without having the need for a sourdough starter. The sugar is added, not for taste, but to give a "kick start" to the yeast to consume for creating carbon dioxide bubbles that make our bread light and soft. Although its not totally necessary to add the sugar (the dough itself has plenty of fermentable sugars), it does, in my opinion, add a boost to the fermentation process..

Jun 13, 2021 - Makes about 18 rolls, or one or two loafs depending on size.
Mike's Crusty Dinner Rolls

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups bread flour.
  • 1 1/2 cup buttermilk (room temperature).
  • 1 package dry yeast.
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar.
  • 1 egg.

METHOD

→ In a large bowl combine buttermilk and yeast. The buttermilk should be luke warm (about 105 degrees). You can zap it in the microwave for 30 secs BFORE adding the yeast to get it right.

→ Blend in the flour, salt and sugar. Use a mixer with a "pastry hook" attachment. If you don't have one, you can use several large spoons, or even your hands to mix the dough together. Mix it thoroughly.

→ Put a bit of flour on a flat surface and on your hands then form the dough into ball.

→ In the same bowl you initially mixed the dough, spray some PAM in there and insert the dough ball.

→ Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for a minimum of 8 hours and a maximum of 16 hours (overnight works great!).The dough will quickly get happy and double in size.

→ Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

→ Then place dough on a well floured surface. Working with a little flour on your hands, spread the dough out into a square about 12 inches x 12 inches.

→ With a sharp knive or bench scrapper, cut the dough into 16-18 pieces. With floured hands, shape each into a ball or small torpedo shape.

→ With a very sharp knive (I use a clean razer blade) cut a slit down the length of each roll about 1/4 inch deep.

→ Mix the white from 1 egg with a tsp of water then brush the top of each roll with the mixture.

→ Bake for 20 minutes until light golden brown.

CHEF's NOTES:

  • You can speed up the proofing process by placing the dough in a warm area.
  • Regular or non fat/low fat buttermilk is OK.
  • Use parchment paper or a silicon baking mat over the baking pan if you have them. Helps to ensure a uniform "doneness" to the bottoms of the rolls and, of course, the rolls won't stick to the pan either.
  • If you have any cornmeal in the pantry, sprinkle a bit over each roll after the egg wash goes on. Provides for a nice "sheen" to the finished product.
  • The rolls freeze well and are just as good reheated
  • As an alternative to rolls, there is enough dough here for 1 large loaf or 2 smaller loafs. Form the dough into a "torpedo" shape and add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
 
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