Makes 18 rolls

Ingredients:

5 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cups sugar
2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
2 packages dry yeast
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, salted
Flour for kneading
1/3 cup butter

Spoon Mage™ Notes:

Make and freeze these delicious buttery rolls a few days before Thanksgiving or any other special meal.

One of the most awesome things you can do with these rolls is to make little tiny sandwiches with the left-overs from your meal. This is one reason you should make at least two batches of dough.

This recipe was adapted to brown and serve from my stained pages stuck together 1968 Pillsbury Bake-Off Breads Cookbook. If you can find this cookery book at a garage sale or ebay, get it – it is worth every single penny you pay.

Directions:

In a large bowl, use a large wooden spoon to combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, soda, and dry yeast.

In small saucepan, slowly heat the buttermilk with 1/2 cup of butter only until the buttermilk feels warm – not hot – when you dip the tip of your clean finger into the liquid. The butter may not melt completely and that is fine.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and blend, using a beater, at lowest speed only until the dry ingredients are moistened. Then beat 2 minutes at medium speed.

By hand, using a sturdy wooden spoon, stir in remaining flour to form a stiff dough.

Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and place it to rise in a warm place until the dough is light and doubled in size. This will take about an hour.

Punch down the dough. Lightly dust a clean surface, such as one of those great plastic pie shell mats, and roll out to approximately a 15″ square.

Melt the 4 T of butter and brush the dough, covering it entirely in butter.

Use a very sharp knife and going from one side to another, slice 10 long 1 1/2 inch wide strips. Stack five lengths on top of each other, butter side up. Repeat with the remaining stacks.

Lightly score along the length of one stack to mark where you will cut 9 rolls. Repeat with the second stack.

Cut into pieces to form 18 rolls.

Place the rolls inside cooking sprayed muffin tins cut side down. Fan out the tops just a little bit so they plump up all lovely.Set and ready to refrigerate

Lightly lay the tea towel back over the rolls and set them out of drafts to rise until doubled in size. This will take about 45 minutes or so.

Choose your baking method.

For Brown and Serve:

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Bake them for about 10-12 minutes, or until they poof out and are firm, but only just starting to brown. Lift one roll to check for firmness.

Allow to cool, place in Ziploc bags, and then lay the bags in the freezer. Or, if you will bake them in one or two days, you may store them in the refrigerator.

To finish baking, set them out to thaw and then bake at 375°F until they are hot and brown – about 12-15 minutes.

For Same Day Goodness:

Or preheat the oven to 400 to bake for 15-18 minutes until they are a beautiful golden brown. If you have meat resting before serving, this is the perfect time to bake the rolls.

Enjoy with friends and family.