One Hour Rolls?
This recipe, published in a 1964 Southern Missouri Missionary Society Junior League Cookbook, claims that a bag of flour, a bit of yeast, and milk can be transformed into fresh, hot rolls in only one hour.
The challenge was on! I got up with the chickens this morning and dove into making these beauties sans distractions. Could I really make these in just one hour?
On your mark! Get set! Bake!
The rolls went together quickly and easily but the recipe turned out to be not quite as advertised. I pulled them out of the oven at the 1 hour 14 minute mark. I gave it my best shot but did not quite make it.
I still think that is good time. Yeast rolls in just over an hour? Oh yes! They are simple enough to prepare that they can be set into motion when the chief cook of your home starts dinner and land on the dinner table hot and steamy along with the rest of your evening meal. The texture and taste of these rolls suggest that you spent a great deal of time kneading and raising and deflating and raising and baking these beauties. But they are truly not that complex.
Of course there is always the chance that if you make these rolls at 4:30 in the afternoon as opposed to 4:30 in the morning you just might be more awake and efficient and thus turn these 1 hour 14 minute rolls into 1 hour rolls.
One Hour Rolls
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
4½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cups buttermilk
½ cup butter
¼ cup butter, melted
In a large mixing, stir together yeast, sugar, baking soda, and 2½ cups flour.
In a saucepan set over low heat, heat buttermilk and butter until very warm (120 - 130°). The mixture will look curdled.
Using a mixer at low speed, gradually beat buttermilk mixture into yeast mixture until well blended. Increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes.
Stir in remaining 2½ cups flour and salt until well blended and mixture forms a soft dough that leaves the side of the bowl. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover with towel and let rest 10 minutes.
Brush a 13 x 9 x 2" baking pan with 3 tablespoons melted butter. Pat dough evenly into pan. With a sharp knife, cut dough into 24 pieces, cutting almost through to bottom of dough.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Brush rolls with remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
Bake in 425° oven 15 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm and slathered in butter. Makes 24 rolls.