Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

Congratulations to my cousin on getting married this past weekend. Due to my limited diet, I was only able to eat certain items at dinner. Luckily it was buffet style so I was able to pick and choose. The best thing I ate at dinner was surprisingly...the dinner rolls! The rolls were warm, sweet, buttery, and pillowy soft. You know what that means...I fell weak at the knees. Too bad I discovered how amazing they were after I ate half a plate worth of rich mashed potatoes and a chicken cutlet. It may not sound like a lot but it is when the plate is bigger than the size of my head...and probably yours too! Anyways, the dinner rolls were my inspiration for this blog entry.

As I savored each bite of the dinner rolls, I began pondering how I could reproduce this at home. After hypothesizing what makes these rolls so delicious, random ingredients starting popping into my head like buttermilk.  I did some research on the internet to find a buttermilk dinner roll recipe that incorporated butter and sugar to see if my prediction was correct.

The buttermilk dinner rolls turned out deliciously fabulous! Granted it wasn't identical to the ones I had at the wedding but they were pretty close. Usually when I make bread, it's more of the crustier type of bread, which I don't mind but I always wondered how to make soft dinner rolls. I finally discovered the secret...buttermilk! The rolls were soft and fluffy because of the buttermilk and I was surprised how soft and fluffy the rolls remained the next day. The rolls had great subtle flavors (my preference) but my family added butter or cream cheese to the rolls for more flavor. While I like the recipe, I am going to make some adjustments the next time to emulate the "wedding rolls" by adding more sugar, salt, and butter so the rolls are even more scrumptious. I'm sure you'll hear about that adventure...until then, enjoy these rolls!

Buttermilk Dinner Rolls
compliments of A Bountiful Kitchen

Ingredients
1 package of dry active yearst
1 cup warmed buttermilk (~115 F)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/6 cup sugar (this is 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
2 to 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Dissolve yeast in warm buttermilk, set aside. After 10-15 minutes, the yeast should foam a bit.
2. In a large bowl, combine salt, sugar, soda, and baking powder. Mix in melted butter, beaten egg and 1 cup of flour. Add the buttermilk and yeast and beat until smooth. Add remaining flour to make soft dough, mixing until thoroughly combined.
3. Cover and allow to rise about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk in a warm, draft-free place. Roll out and cut into desired shapes. Place roll in greased pan, let rise for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
4. Preheat oven to 400 F. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Brush with melted butter while hot if desired.