Honey Buttermilk Rolls

We are one week away from one of my favorite holidays, and I am stoked!  I love the menu planning, food shopping and the all-day cooking and baking.  I look forward to the smells of roasting turkey, fresh bread and apple pie!  This year will be a small celebration with a couple of close friends, and I can’t wait to share it with them.  The boys will be mixing drinks with homemade figgy-orange bitters, and I’ll be sipping mulled wine between oven rotations of the turkey, pies and stuffing. 

The last item out of the oven will be these amazing rolls.  The recipe is from Alexandra’s Kitchen, where you will find simple delicious recipes and stunningly beautiful food photography.  These rolls are light and fluffy, with tanginess from the buttermilk and a hint of sweetness from the honey.  I made them at Thanksgiving last year and they rapidly disappeared from the bread basket.  I'll be sharing this batch with my coworkers at the office potluck tomorrow – I hope they all enjoy them as much as I do!

Honey-Buttermilk Rolls

Makes two dozen 2-ounce rolls

2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature (the bread will require a longer rise if the buttermilk is cold)

2 tablespoons honey

2½ teaspoons active dry yeast

4½ cups flour, plus more while kneading or mixing

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Whisk together the buttermilk and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl (if mixing by hand) until dissolved.  Whisk in the yeast until combined.

Add the flour and salt to the buttermilk mixture and knead for ten minutes with the dough hook attachment, or by hand, until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the dough in a large bowl, very lightly coated with vegetable oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic or a towel and let rise in a warm place for about two hours or until doubled in volume (mine took about 3 hours). 

After the dough has risen, punch down the dough and divide it evenly into 24 pieces (2-ounce pieces if you’re measuring).  Shape each piece of dough into a ball and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Let the rolls rest for about 40 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Be sure to check the bottoms of the rolls since they will brown first.  Serve warm with butter.

To make a loaf of bread instead of rolls, place the risen and punched-down dough into a greased loaf pan and let rise again for about 40 minutes.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the loaf is browned and feels hollow when tapped.  Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.  This bread is wonderful for sandwiches, toast, or as a dipper for your favorite soup!

(Recipe from Alexandra’s Kitchen)