“Can I Have the Recipe” Rolls
Posted by Alisa Fleming on Just Baking.
This year Thanksgiving was at my grandmother’s house, an intimate affair of close family prepared potluck style. My aunt and grandmother spent the morning preparing the turkey, two types of wonderful homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green beans. My parents brought salads and finger-foods, some family friends prepared their delicious Hawaiian yams, and I was called upon for baked goodies. My grandma had acquired some free pies (in fact four pies graced the counter-top), so I wasn’t sure what I could possible contribute.
Of course, I knew some pumpkin bread would be welcome, so I whipped up a quick batch, but this really didn’t seem like enough. Then I remembered a recipe I had been wanting to try for Winter Squash Rolls. Little did I know that this recipe would quickly become a family favorite.
This delicious bread was likened to that squishy, addictive store-bought bread that seems impossible to mimic at home. Even better, the dough was wonderfully soft to work with, and rose up perfectly to create puffy pillows of lightly sweetened goodness.
The baseline recipe is from AllRecipes.com. I altered it ever-so-slightly to make it dairy-free for my household, but you can make with milk or a milk alternative. This recipe makes many sizable rolls to feed a small army, though they should freeze well.
Winter Squash Rolls
1 1/2 cups cubed winter squash
1 cup scalded milk [I used a milk alternative]
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110 °F/45 °C)
6 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup shortening
In a small saucepan, cover squash cubes with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash.
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine 5 cups flour, sugar and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture, shortening, squash and milk. Mix well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Divide the dough into twenty-four equal pieces and form into rounds. Place the rounds into two lightly greased 13×9 inch baking pans. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 400 °F (200 °C) for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
