Pucker Up

One of the delights of the Bread Baking Babes (thank you Tanna and Karen for creating the group!) is that you never know from month to month what sort of bread you will be making.

This month our Kitchen of the Month hostess is delightful Astrid of Paulchens FoodBlog. She chose the perfect recipe for this month and next when family gathers around the table and nice hot dinner rolls are part of the feast. These, called Pocketbook Rolls, look so much like lips that you just want to pucker up and give them a kiss.

I have a sad tale to go with my rolls. Sometimes the posting day falls on the wrong day for the other things going on in my life. Thursdays are busy for me due to a class I take in the evening. I often leave homework for the last minute, too. Yesterday I baked the rolls but I had gotten so caught up in working on classwork that I forgot to preheat the oven as early as I should have, so the rolls were only baked 5 minutes, although I did put the dough in the fridge overnight and allow plenty of time for rising. Here they are rolled, cut, shaped, brushed with butter and ready to rise.

 Using the information on freezing the rolls that Astrid provided, I decided that wasn't a bad thing since half the recipe needed to be frozen and baked the rest of the way for Thanksgiving. I put those in the microwave for safekeeping. The second sheet of rolls I left on top of the microwave with a note to Sweetie that he should bake them for 4 mintues in a preheated 400 degree oven. Sweetie was off playing tennis as he usually does on Thursday afternoons, but I knew he would enjoy some rolls with his dinner.

When I arrived home from class after 9 pm I found out that he had misunderstood the directions and baked both sheets of rolls. I suspect that he didn't preheat the oven and that he baked them far longer than 4 minutes because they were almost flat (which baking them the rest of the way in a cool oven might do) and dark brown on the bottom (which probably meant too long in the oven as it got hotter). They are still tasty rolls, but don't look so great and when they sank the puffy lips went away, too. The results can be seen in the photos on this post. I wish I'd had time to photograph the rolls when they came out of the oven the first time...pale gold, puffy and beautiful!

Do check out the post for the other Bread Baking Babes because I know theirs will be gorgeous!Some may not have posted yet, but keep checking, OK?
If you would like to be a Buddy, bake these and do a post with photo, then e-mail Astrid a link so she can send you a Buddy badge.

Here is what Astrid said:
These rolls are so named because the folded dough resembles small purses or pocketbooks.
In the book it says it is essential that you let rise them at least 2 hours to attain the right feathery texture they are famous for.
They also suggest that these rolls are easily stored in the freezer: if you intend to do so you should bake them no longer than 5 minutes, cool them and then store in an airtight container in the freezer until further use. When you want to serve them bake them in preheated oven at 400°F about 5 minutes or until golden.

Pocketbook Rolls
makes about 2 dozen rolls
recipe adapted from The Glory of Southern Cooking by James Villas

1 packet active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm whole milk
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar-
1/2 cup boiling water
1 large egg, beaten
3 cups all purpose flour (I used King Arthur Flour White Whole Wheat flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Proof the yeast in the lukewarm milk until bubbly. Should take about 5 minutes, depends on your yeast though.

Meanwhile cream the shortening, butter and the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Gradually beat in the boiling water.
Add the yeast mixture and stir until well blended.

Add   the egg and stir until well blended.

Add  the flour and salt and mix very well. (I used about another 1/2 cup flour).
--- from here you can keep the mixture up to one week in the fridge covered lightly with plastic wrap for further use.

Three hours before ready to use:
Roll out the dough. About 1/2 inch thick.
Cut into rounds with a 2 to 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter.
Fold each round in half and place on greased baking sheet.
Brush each roll generously with melted butter, cover with a towel.
Let rise in a warm place for about 2 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake the rolls until golden brown. Should take about 7-8 minutes (but slightly longer OK if needed to get golden brown).
Serve hot.