http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x50503Oh my. franksolich just buys the whole-wheat rolls at the grocery store.
Cheaper, easier, cleaner.
spinbaby (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-25-08 09:41 AM
Original message
So what are you going to do about rolls?
I've never really managed a satisfactory way to make rolls with Thanksgiving dinner.
No time or oven space for homemade, store-bought are nasty, forget the stuff in the tube. I was thinking maybe this year I'd make them tomorrow and bake them just to the point where they're done but not browned, then on Thursday put them back in the oven to finish while the turkey is resting. Anyone here try that? Is it doable?
Alternatively, has anyone uncovered a satisfactory brand of brown-and-serve rolls?
Sour cream on whole-wheat rolls, or turkey gravy on whole-wheat rolls, or real butter on whole-wheat rolls, with copious salt-and-pepper added, makes all brands of brown-and-serve whole-wheat rolls more than just "satisfactory."
sandnsea (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-25-08 09:46 AM
Response to Original message
1. My guilty pleasure
The .99 brown and serves that come in a package of 12. Put on a cookie sheet and butter the top. Brown. I love those things. lol. My kids are doing turkey day so I don't know what is going on for rolls. I may have to buy a package of those rolls myself.
grasswire (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-25-08 11:33 AM
Response to Original message
2. I know what you mean
My Connecticut grandmother always had piping hot fresh dinner rolls with a holiday meal. I seem to recall that she managed that by timing it so that they were put in the oven the moment she took the turkey out to rest. While the rolls baked, the gravy was made, the potatoes mashed, the various dishes readied to put on the table. Perhaps she started the rolls early in the morning when the turkey went in the oven. What a delicious treat! Piping hot rolls with butter and strawberry preserves (or not) alongside all the other good food.
Her oven would have been busy all night with a big pot of baked beans, of course, her being a Yankee through and through.
I plan to do that this year. Start the rolls in the morning, and bake them when the turkey comes out, which gives the bird plenty of time to rest.
spinbaby (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-25-08 01:12 PM
Response to Reply #2
4. I can't time yeast dough that well
That's why I was considering the pre-baking with a finish at the last minute.
The warped primitive as usual has the best advice, unless Grandma shows up:
Warpy (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-25-08 12:25 PM
Response to Original message
3. Even if you do them beforehand, there's a great way to resurrect stale rolls: steam them!
No kidding, even the stiffest, crustiest, nastiest roll from 2 days previous will exit 10 minutes of vigorous steaming fresh and soft.
A pan of cold rolls made that morning nested into a larger pan with water, the whole business tightly covered with foil and stuck into the oven to steam after the turkey is out will emerge fresh, soft, and just baked.
Most people time things so that the rolls go into the oven the second the turkey and trimmings come out to rest. However, if you find yourself with someone else's rolls brought in for the occasion or cold rolls for any other reason, this trick will give you those perfect rolls with dinner.
wakemeupwhenitsover (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-25-08 01:43 PM
Response to Original message
5. Do you have refrigerator space?
This is a great roll recipe that can be started the night before. I make it the evening before, then bake them while the turkey is resting - after turning up the heat, but that only takes a couple of minutes.
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
2 packages dry yeast
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup cold water
6 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted
Disolve butter, shortening, sugar and salt in boiling water. Cool.
Dissolve yeast in cooled mixture. Add eggs, cold water and flour. Stir just to mix and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Three hours before use, roll into 3 circles but do not knead. Cut each circle into 12 segments as for a pie. Starting at the wide end, roll up each segment and place, tip down, on an ungreased baking sheet, far enough apart so that they will not touch during rising or baking. Let rise in a moderately warm place for 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 400. Bake 12 - 15 minutes until golden brown.
Grandma shows up, besting the warped primitive:
hippywife (1000+ posts) Tue Nov-25-08 07:04 PM
Response to Original message
6. I'm going to make these again:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Italian-Wheat-Rolls/Detail...
I am going to let them rise in a bowl first before forming and allowing to rise in the muffin tin. The recipe leaves this step out but it does make them light and fluffy. Still haven't figured out what's Italian about them.
Or I may make these, which are great, too:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Light-Wheat-Rolls/Detail.a...
We have to go to the outlaws but I think I can bake them and them reheat them a little in the oven when we get there. Or just serve them room temp. Good either way.
tigereye (1000+ posts) Wed Nov-26-08 07:03 PM
Response to Original message
11. I got some from Breadworks - they make wonderful rolls
I actually saw some rosemary ciabatta rolls at the Giant Eagle- but I bet they weren't serious ciabatta.
I bet Whole Foods would have some really nice ones.
We make French bread for X-mas dinner, but we have never made rolls per se. I've never tried the brown and serve ones...
