Here’s another perspective on dinner rolls. If what you’re looking for is a roll on which to daub on some delicious, satisfying butter, give your guests a roll that’s not already full of butter. Hold the sugar, too, unless your plan is to give the your guests dessert to eat alongside their holiday roast. (I’m reminded of what Samuel Clemens once wrote, or so I’m told, about cornbread: “If God had meant for corn bread to have sugar in it, He'd have called it 'cake'.” In this case, it would be, "If God had wanted dinner rolls to be loaded with sugar, He would have called them 'dessert'.") These fragrant, not-sweet, begging-to-be-torn-into, slightly-crusty-on-the-outside, nice-and-chewy-but-featherlight-on-the-inside rolls offer a better alternative for your holiday dinner. You can substitute fresh thyme or sage for the rosemary, if you like. I’ve been known to knead in some toasted walnut pieces, too, but it was a weekday, fast approaching the end of Q4 (meaning 12-hour days in the office), when I made this batch, so I kept these rolls simple. With everything else we have at our holiday dinner table, I take that approach then, anyway. Don’t forget to sprinkle on some coarse salt. It improves the roll immeasurably. And, truth be told, they don't need any butter to be exquisitely satisfying. Enjoy!! P.S. I've included about 8 photos taken while making the rolls, with explanations and quite a few tips in the final instructions to the recipe. - AntoniaJames

Share: