When my friend Kate joins us for Thanksgiving, she brings these yummy refrigerator rolls. The best thing about them is that you can throw together the dough up to a week ahead of time, store it in the fridge, and bake the rolls whenever you want, which helps make for stress-free holiday planning. When I make them, I like to add sweet potato for the beautiful color and flavor it imparts. And, since I’ve always been a fan of the combination of sweet potatoes and pork, I often use this version of the rolls to make pulled pork sandwiches, tucking Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork Butt (page 177) and Quick Cucumber Pickles (page 287) inside. Note that you’ll need to let the dough rise for two hours between mixing and baking.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 4 dozen 2- to 2 1/2-inch rolls
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Lightly grease a large bowl with vegetable oil and set aside.
Step 2
Heat the milk and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring regularly, just until the butter melts and the milk is scalded. Add 3/4 cup of the sugar and the salt and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm.
Step 3
Combine the yeast and remaining 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl. Stir in the warm water and set aside in a warm place for about 5 minutes, until the yeast froths and doubles in size. Add the yeast mixture to the milk-butter mixture and stir to combine.
Step 4
Place the potato and eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook and beat until smooth and well combined. (Or place them in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon.) Add the milk-yeast mixture to the potato mixture and beat to mix.
Step 5
Slowly add 6 1/2 cups of the flour and mix until incorporated, stopping several times to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Beat or knead 3 to 4 minutes more; the dough will be sticky (it will firm up after being chilled).
Step 6
With lightly floured hands, turn the dough into the oiled bowl, turning several times to coat the dough lightly with the oil. Cover loosely with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or in the refrigerator overnight, until doubled in size.
Step 7
Lightly grease 2 rimmed baking sheets.
Step 8
If the dough has been refrigerated, let rest at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before proceeding. Punch down the dough, turn it onto a lightly floured surface, and cut in half. Roll half the dough about 1/2 inch thick. Lightly flour a 2- to 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter and cut the rolls, leaving as little space between each cut as possible and pressing down just once for each roll; do not twist the cutter. If the dough begins to stick to the cutter, dip the cutter in a little flour. Gather the excess dough, reroll once, and cut as many rolls from it as possible. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough or refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 9
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Step 10
Arrange the rolls on the prepared baking sheets so they just barely touch. Brush the tops lightly with the melted butter. Fold the rolls in half, pressing gently at the center point so they stick together.
Step 11
Cover loosely with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes. Uncover the rolls and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Know-how: Parbaking Rolls
Step 12
A nice trick that makes for easy entertaining but still results in hot-out of-the-oven rolls is to parbake the rolls ahead of time. Up to 5 or 6 hours in advance, bake the rolls at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until firm but not golden brown. Store at room temperature and then, when ready to serve, return the rolls to a preheated 400°F oven and bake for 4 to 5 minutes, just until light brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Sara’s Swaps
Step 13
Phoebe Lawless of Scratch bakery makes the most incredible farmstead “pigs-in-blankets” with really fresh local sausage wrapped and baked in buttery pastry. It’s a great use for the little bits of dough left from rolling and cutting biscuits and rolls that you wouldn’t otherwise use. Wrap the dough around 2- to 3-inch sausage links, arrange on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake in a preheated 375°F oven just until the dough is puffy and light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm with spicy mustard for dipping.
