Buttermilk Rolls

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups buttermilk (100-110 degrees f)
• 2 packages dry yeast
• 1 package outdated old dry yeast, for flavor (optional)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (preferable) or 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, melted (a distant second choice)
• 5 -6 cups unbleached flour or 5 -6 cups flour, to taste
• shortening, bor baking sheets
• cornmeal, for baking sheets

Recipe

• 1 in a large mixing bowl or bowl of a heavy duty mixer, dissolve yeast and sugar in warmed buttermilk.
• 2 add 1 cup flour, and beat until smooth.
• 3 allow to set for 5-10 minutes, until mixture starts to foam and bubble.
• 4 add salt, baking soda, baking powder, and olive oil.
• 5 stir to dissolved, and add 3 more cups flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix until smooth.
• 6 if using mixer, replace paddle beater with dough hook.
• 7 add fifth cup flour, 1/4 cup at a time, while kneading; dough will still be rather sticky.
• 8 add sixth cup flour, 1-2 tbsp at a time, while kneading dough, until dough is no longer too sticky.
• 9 if using mixer, dough will begin to form a ball around the dough hook.
• 10 if kneading by hand, dough will no longer stick to bowl and hands too much, though it may still be slightly sticky.
• 11 use more or less flour as necessary to reach this state.
• 12 place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to oil top of the dough.
• 13 cover, and let rise in a warm place, 80-90of,until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
• 14 punch down dough, and knead by hand for about a minute to incorporate surface oil.
• 15 divide dough into one oz pieces, about the size of a large walnut, for small rolls, or two oz pieces, a little larger than a golf ball, for normal size rolls.
• 16 roll pieces by hand into smooth balls, and place them about one inch apart on greased cookie sheets that have been sprinkled with cornmeal.
• 17 brush the rolls with cold water, or mist them using a spray bottle.
• 18 let rolls rise in a warm (80 degrees f+), draft-free place for 30-45 minutes, until doubled in volume.
• 19 a good place to do this is your oven.
• 20 if the oven has a pilot light, just place the baking sheets in the oven.
• 21 if you have an electric oven or one with an electric ignitor instead of a pilot light, turn on the oven for 45-60 seconds, and turn it off before placing the baking sheets in the oven.
• 22 remove the baking sheets from the oven, and preheat oven to 400 degrees f.
• 23 bake rolls for 18-20 minutes, checking after 18 minutes, until a light, golden brown.
• 24 remove rolls from baking sheets, serve immediately, or cool to room temperature on wire racks if you plan to freeze them.
• 25 if you are going to freeze them, place cooled rolls in plastic freezer bags, preferably double bagging them.
• 26 to reheat, thaw for about a half hour, and heat in a 350 degree f oven for about 10 minutes.
• 27 this recipe makes about 60 mini-rolls or 30 large rolls.