Mamie’s Rolls originated from my grandmother’s recipe for Christmas Sticky Buns. Never mind that the Sticky Buns were dripping with caramel topping under a crown of toasted pecans – the dough underneath was egg-y and sweet, almost cake-like, good enough to eat plain. And we did, because she always made a double batch of the dough and baked the rest as sandwich rolls, for the best turkey sandwiches ever on Christmas night.
Sticky Buns are a once-a-year treat, but there’s always a good excuse to make a soft, buttery, slightly sweet roll for sandwiches, or cute, smaller twists for dinner rolls. Once I took over Sticky-Bun-baking duties from my grandmother, I separated out the dough recipe from the topping, so I could make these rolls any time of the year.
To make dinner rolls, start by cutting the dough into egg-sized blobs with a dough scraper. Then, either roll each piece into a tight ball, or do as Mamie taught me and make a knot: Roll the dough out to a short, fat rope, then fold one end over the other. To complete the knot, take the piece that’s folded over the top, tuck it under and then up and through the center hole.
To make sandwich rolls, roll or pat the dough out to a thick slab and cut it with a 4-inch round cutter.
If you gather up the scraps left over from cutting out sandwich rolls, and roll them out again as you would for cookie dough, the dough will be a little springy, and difficult to get completely smooth. If you don’t mind the last few rolls looking slightly misshapen, this won’t be a problem. If you prefer, cut the scraps into strips and twist them into dinner-roll sized knots, to bake alongside the sandwich rolls.
This versatile dough can also be used to make:
- Bread: Cut the dough in half and bake it in two buttered loaf pans at 350 for 40 minutes.
- Cinnamon Swirl Bread, which you then positively must make into Cinnamon Swirl French Toast.
- Blueberry Dirt Bomb Sweet Rolls, which can then be made into a spectacular Blueberry Bread Pudding.
- And, of course, Sticky Buns.
Making Mamie’s Rolls ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- Mamie’s Rolls – and any of the variations made with this dough – will stay fresh for several days on the counter if tightly wrapped, and freeze very well if double-wrapped in a bread bag or zip-lock bag. They keep in the freezer for a couple of months.
Mamie's Rolls
The milk and butter in this dough give it a consistency that's more like a batter than a traditional bread dough. Don't expect it to get springy and taut when you knead it - it will be soft and slightly sticky.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- ½ cup hot water (105 to 120 degrees)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (preferably European-style), at room temperature, plus additional for the bowl and baking sheets
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon Morton's)
- 5½ to 6 cups (23 3/8 to 25½ ounces, or 660 to 720 grams) all-purpose flour, plus additional
- 2 large eggs
Directions
- Step 1 Scald the milk. (To scald milk, heat it in a small saucepan over medium heat until the surface forms a thin, wrinkled skin and tiny bubbles form along the edges. Do not allow the milk to come to a boil.)
- Step 2 Meanwhile, whisk the yeast and a pinch of the sugar into the hot water. Set this mixture aside while the milk scalds. Once the milk is scalded and the yeast mixture is thick and foamy, proceed.
- Step 3 Put the softened butter and the remainder of the sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pour in the scalded milk and stir gently with the paddle – start slowly with pulses so the mixture doesn’t splatter – until the butter is melted.
- Step 4 Add the salt and 3 cups of the flour to the mixer. Start on slow speed, then increase the speed as the flour gets incorporated, beating until the mixture is combined. Add the yeast mixture and beat until smooth, then add the eggs and beat until smooth. Add 1 cup of flour. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until it forms a smooth batter.
- Step 5 Switch to the dough hook and medium-low speed, and add ½ cup of flour and mix until the flour is mostly incorporated. Now start adding the flour more gradually, about 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time, beating constantly with the dough hook on medium-low speed, until the dough comes together in a loose ball that’s just starting to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Run the machine on medium-low speed for 1 minute without adding flour.
- Step 6 To finish, start adding flour again, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl again into a loose, sticky ball.
- Step 7 Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it briefly by hand. When you’re done, the dough should be very smooth, not loose or greasy, but soft and slightly sticky.
- Step 8 Generously grease a large bowl with butter. Put the dough in the bowl, turn it to coat it with butter on all sides, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.
- Step 9 For dinner rolls: After the first rise, use a sharp knife or dough scraper to cut the dough into egg-sized pieces. Either shape the pieces of dough into neat balls, or roll each piece out into a fat rope, and twist the ropes into knots. Place the rolls on two buttered baking sheets and let them rise for 40 minutes until they’re puffy and about doubled in size. Bake them at 325 for 20 minutes, switching and rotating the pans halfway through, until the rolls are light golden brown on the tops.
- Step 10 For sandwich rolls: After the first rise, pat the dough out or use a rolling pin to roll the dough out on a floured board, to a thickness of about 1 inch. Cut out rounds with a 4-inch round cookie cutter. Cut the scraps into strips and roll or twist them into small rolls, to make use of all the dough. Place the rolls on two buttered baking sheets and let them rise for 40 minutes until they’re puffy and about doubled in size. Bake them at 325 for 20 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating the pans halfway through, until the rolls are light golden brown on the tops. Smaller rolls made from the scraps may cook more quickly.
- Step 11 Remove the rolls to a cooking rack to cool slightly before serving or completely before wrapping and storing.
