It was our turn to make the dinner rolls for Thanksgiving.  This was an extended family celebration so it was going to take lots of dinner rolls.  That was okay; we love making dinner rolls.

We decided to make Kaiser rolls, crusty Kaiser rolls--some plain, some topped with poppy seeds, and some topped with sesame seeds.  By dinner time, we had huge bowls stacked to overflowing with Kaiser rolls, dozens of Kaiser rolls, most still a little warm from the oven.  

The Kaiser rolls were a hit—but they didn’t beat out the pies.  We can accept that. 

In this issue, you will find our Kaiser roll recipe plus recipes for soft dinner rolls, parker house rolls, and more.  Plus, you will find great dinner roll mixes all on sale for the holidays. 

Dennis & Merri Ann Weaver

Soft Dinner Rolls and the Sullivan Ranch

Aunt Lois Sullivan always made the best dinner rolls. 

The Sullivan Ranch is 30 miles west of the little town of Dubois, Idaho, and an hour and half from where we live.  Neighbors are far apart.  We drive across a high dessert plain covered with sagebrush and occasional wheat fields and then drop into a little valley.  The ranch is in the center of the valley. 

The Sullivan’s run maybe a thousand head of cattle in the valley.  A little stream wanders through the verdant valley, providing water for the alfalfa fields, and power for the generators that light the house and ranch buildings. 

The ranch is over a hundred years old, rich in heritage, with old implements on the hill and corrals and buildings that have been built and rebuilt over the years. 

Aunt Lois made the best roast beef dinners . . . and soft dinner rolls.  This isn’t her recipe but it’s close.  We think you’ll like it.    

Read on for this soft dinner roll recipe >>

Potato Dinner Rolls

Potato rolls are moist and wonderful.  The potatoes make them moist, both because of the consistency of the potatoes and because potatoes are hygroscopic, they attract and retain moisture.  This recipe calls for mashed potatoes.  You can also use potato flour which makes for a quicker, simpler recipe.  Potato flour has the same effect as mashed potatoes. 

Read on to make Potato Dinner Rolls >>

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An insta-read thermometer is essential for the baking of breads and rolls. 

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Make lighter, taller loaves and rolls!

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Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Most whole wheat rolls are made with a combination of whole wheat and white flours.  Our favorite combination for bread is 40% whole wheat to 60% white although we often reverse the ratio.  Sometimes we make 100% whole wheat bread. 

For dinner rolls, we like a little lighter dough; we use 30% to 40% whole wheat.  Of course, we usually include an egg and a little extra sugar.

Read on to make Whole Wheat Soft Dinner Rolls >>

What’s the secret to light, airy rolls?

Patience.  Let them rise.  When you think they have risen enough, let them rise some more.  Let them rise all the way to the point when they are about to blister.  They should look puffy, full of air, and be soft to the touch.  An indentation should slowly spring back if at all. 

It is possible to let bread rise too much but people usually don’t.

Parker House Rolls

My mother made parker house rolls often.  I think she just used her favorite white bread recipe though parker house roll recipes are usually richer, made with an egg and a little extra sugar.  But Mom’s were great. 

Parker house rolls are more of a technique than a recipe.  The dough is divided and rolled into little round balls, about an inch in diameter.  The balls are rolled in melted butter and baked in muffin tins, three to a tin.  --Dennis

Read on to see how to make parker house rolls >>

What’s the difference between dough for bread and for rolls?

You can make rolls with your favorite bread recipe.  You can also make rolls with most bread mixes by setting your bread machine to the dough setting, forming rolls, and letting them rise before baking. 

Typically, dough for rolls is a little richer—maybe with an egg added and a little more sugar—than most doughs for bread. 

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Half off sale.  From chocolate to kitchen tools, save 50% now. 

Fall Chocolate Sale.  Chocolate and specialty chips at savings up to 50%.

Fall Nut Sale.  walnuts to macadamia nuts up to 30% off.

This Week's Featured Bread.  Anadama Bread for less than $3 per mix.

BBQ Tool closeout.  Deluxe BBQ tools at 50% off. 

These sales end Tuesday at midnight.

Kaiser Rolls

Here is our recipe for Kaiser dinner rolls, the one that we used for Thanksgiving dinner.  The recipe is for crusty dinner rolls but you can make them soft if you like.

Read on to make Kaiser Dinner Rolls >>

How to Make Crusty Dinner Rolls

It’s steam that gives bread its thick, chewy crust.  Commercial ovens have a steam injector but you can improvise at home with an old baking tin in the bottom of the oven and a mister.  In fact, you can make fabulous crusty breads.

The same technique that you use for crusty breads works for rolls. 

Read onto learn how to make crusty dinner rolls >>

Save 20% on our entire stock of dinner roll mixes!

Mix them on the counter or use your bread machine.  Choose from sour cream onion, parker house, and more.  You’ll find seven choices.

See all these mixes for dinner rolls >>

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