Buttery whole grain skillet rolls

Sourdough and maple syrup

Greetings from stick season in Vermont. The leaves are down, the days are shorter by the minute, 2024 is rounding the final corner. 

Thinking of Thanksgiving and gatherings this week, I have a new roll recipe. Buttery, with a crumb that shreds like brioche, they have a little whole grain, some sourdough (there’s a yeast-only option, too), and maple syrup. Baked, they land both crusty and delicate at the same time, especially if brushed with additional butter right out of the oven. Start the preferment for the rolls Wednesday evening. On Thanksgiving morning you’ll mix the dough and ferment for a couple hours before shaping. After shaping, give a good long rise followed by a short bake. Plan accordingly, enjoy immensely.

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That we are alive with our wits and aware that this flawed world is also overflowing with magic, glory, and grace; that nature, my family, and simple pleasures can lift me from one day to another; that food is a language with more power than words; it is enough. Thanks for being here.

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From Breaking Bread: A Baker’s Journey Home in 75 Recipes

Thanksgiving is the best holiday. It holds its mooring against the tide of year-round commercial tsunamis, where drugstore Halloween sales debark in the wake of Labor Day specials, and stale candy corn stares at Santa Claus from the bargain bin. A time to gather and celebrate seasonal bounty with food as centerpiece and spokes of family and friends. 

As the holiday winds its way across the U.S. the course changes regionally and the tradition varies, rightfully reflecting who we are, where we are, and what we come from. Tofurky has yet to eclipse the feathered bird, but almost everything else is up for grabs. In the south we show our colors with cornbread dressing and rice stuffing, in California a spinach salad with olives, blood orange, caramelized almonds and avocado compliment the meal. In Vermont, we may deglaze with maple syrup, make apple stuffing, or serve a salad of roasted beets, blue cheese, and honey. At the heart of tradition is the use of what is at hand, for memories are strongest when tied to places. 

My grandmother’s house was our place. We’d race from the car to her door, entering the aroma envelope of roasting turkey, dressing with herbs and celery, and steaming boiled potatoes. Her large clawfoot table was always expanded to accommodate all auxiliary leaves, then covered with a pressed linen tablecloth and set with silver settings, wedding china, and crystal glassware. Moving deeper into the house offered a glimpse of pies. Pumpkin, pecan, mincemeat, molasses and, somewhere, a mile high strawberry sitting in the icebox until service. I hope that if I can’t take my kids to Thanksgiving at grandma’s, perhaps I am, in my own way, giving them some experience worthy of nostalgia. Some winged wedge of memory which they may return to someday in the same way that I do when seated to bite the point of pie or eat a soft roll.

Buttery whole grain skillet rolls

Yield: One 10” cast iron pan of rolls (19)

The day before you want the rolls, build the liquid levain preferment. (Note that you can do this using just yeast, too. Substitute 1/8th teaspoon of yeast for the sourdough culture and proceed with the recipe as written.)

Preferment (Liquid Levain):

All-purpose flour, 92g
Water, lukewarm, 92g
Sourdough culture, 18g

Stir together the flour, water, and culture and set to ripen for 12 to 16 hours.

Mix:

All-purpose flour, 369g
Whole wheat flour*, 81g (*I’m using the King Arthur Climate Blend, use whatever you like including varieties other than wheat.)
Salt, 12g (2 t)
Yeast, instant, 9g (1 T)

In a large bowl stir together the dry ingredients. 

Water, warm, 98g
Milk, whole, warm, 109g
Maple syrup (or honey), 38g
Butter, soft, 81g
Liquid Levain, 202g (All)

Warm the water and milk then add everything to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Once the mixture becomes cohesive, switch to a flexible scraper. Scrape down the side then press, fold, and turn with the scraper or a wet hand until the dough is mostly homogenous. 

Cover well and rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes. This is important: In cool months I always use the microwave as a proofing chamber and for bulk fermentation. Ours sits above the stove and a light underneath ensures that it’s about 80°F, constantly. If you don’t have the light for warmth, microwave a dish of water for a couple minutes and then put the dough inside with the warm water to rise. Alternatively, set the bowl on a heating pad with an airtight cover. Basically, do whatever is necessary to coddle the dough as it rises.

After the rest, knead the dough in the bowl or, on an unfloured surface, until somewhat smooth and springy, two to three minutes.

Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic bag and set it in a warm spot to rise until doubled, about 90 minutes. 

Divide and shape:

Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 19 pieces (45 to 50g each). Round tightly and place in a buttered 10” cast iron skillet. In my skillet I do 12 on the outermost ring, then a ring of 6 and a single roll in the middle. Take the time to distribute them as evenly as possible. 

Cover with a plastic bag or similar (being careful that the bag doesn’t touch the surface of the rolls) and place in a warm spot to rise until the rolls are at least ½” above the lip of the skillet, 90 minutes, up to 2 hours. (Again, a warm environment is key.)

Proof covered until puffy and well risen, cresting the top of the skillet by at least 1/2”.

Towards the end of proof, preheat the oven to 425°F. (Two notes on the oven. One, I like to bake these with steam. It’s not entirely necessary but it will make the crust thinner and support a higher rise during baking. And two, every oven is different. Many factors change the time and temperature requirements for each dough. So, bake to color, not time, but do use my guidelines below as a good starting point.)

Bake the rolls for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden brown and glorious. 

Once they’ve reached their desired color, remove from the oven and rub with a stick of butter for maximum shine and flavor. Serve immediately with butter and honey or, as a side for your meal. Happy Thanksgiving, y’all.