I was walking down the street around lunch time the other day and passed by a bakery/cafe– suddenly I was hit by the wonderful, buttery, unmistakable aroma of freshly-baked croissants. I had just eaten lunch so was able to resist buying one to devour right then and there, but the memory stayed with me and I was moved instead to bake something to satisfy the craving at dinner that night.
I decided to go with some soft, buttery dinner rolls– there was no time for croissants, but there were enough similarities between the overall flavor profiles (butter, yeast, golden outer crust) to make them a decent substitution. And when I found a recipe that promised to have pillowy rolls ready with zero kneading and minimal rising, I knew I had to try it. The added interest of black pepper just sealed the deal.
The result? Delicious. The dough came together easily and baked up nicely, though it didn’t rise quite as much as I expected it to either on the counter or in the oven. But the flavor was the real star– the rolls were rich and buttery (despite only 2 tbs. of butter in the dough) and the pepper added a subtle savory kick. I will definitely be adding these to my recipe box, though next time I may make fewer, larger rolls for maximum puff. (or let them rise longer to get bigger on their own)
Black Pepper Sour Cream Rolls (from Bake or Break)
Makes 12 small rolls
- 2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 & 1/4 teaspoons (0.25 ounces, or 1 packet) instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
1. Combine 1 cup flour with sugar, yeast, salt, and pepper.
2. In a microwave-safe measuring cup, stir together sour cream, water, and butter, and heat until it reaches 120-130 degrees F.
3. Pour the sour cream mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Using an electric mixer, beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.
4. Stir in the egg and remaining flour to form a soft, sticky dough.
5. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with baking spray, and portion out dough into the cups. (for larger rolls, portion out dough into only 8 or 10 cups)
6. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size. I didn’t quite get mine to double (as you can see in the picture below), but they did rise a bit, at least.
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake rolls for 12-15 minutes, until golden on top and fully baked through the middle. Just look at that moist, fluffy interior!
These really were very good, and I can see them having both sweet and savory applications. They were excellent as a side-dish to dinner, but the next morning I toasted a few and spread them with apricot jam and they were also amazing. These would make a great brunch item!
It's All Frosting... 