RCP: Quick Yeast Dinner Rolls

Lately I've been making these quick and easy dinner rolls. They have a nice light interior texture, and a crisp crust. And they rise fast. I can start them at 1 in the afternoon or later and still have them ready by dinner time. And any that are leftover are terrific with jam the next morning. What's not to love?

1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 package (2-1/4 tsp) rapid rise yeast

1/4 cup melted butter, cooled to lukewarm
1 tsp salt (I usually omit)
1 tsp white sugar
1 cup warm water
1 egg
2-3/4 cups all purpose flour (or enough to make a soft dough)

Combine the yeast with the 1/4 cup water in a mixing bowl and let stand for 5 minutes or so. Add the melted butter, salt, sugar and the cup of warm water. Mix together. Beat in the egg. Add the flour to make a fairly soft dough. Mix well, but you don't really need to knead this much.

Let rise until double. Punch down and shape into 18 rolls. Place on greased baking sheets (or make slightly smaller rolls and place in greased muffin tins), and let rise until doubled.

Bake at 425F for 15-18 minutes. Remove from baking pans immediately and cool on wire racks.


(Sorry for the low quality photo... these don't last long enough to get a good shot! These were baked in muffin tins.)

Nice looking recipe, Princess. Thanks. One question: early in my baking career I attempted to replicate the semmeln of my summers spent in the Osttirol of Austria. The recipe I worked from, which looked good, called for some salt which I foolishly omitted. The rolls, although they looked the part, were almost tasteless. My mother almost died laughing when I told her of this and informed me that salt was essential in baking to bring out the flavor of the baked goods. Sure enough, when I later repeated with salt, the rolls were exactly what I'd been looking for. So, the question: you say you usually omit the salt in your recipe. Doesn't the taste suffer when you do? (I understand why you do it, though)

Mark Lipton

Doesn't the taste suffer when you do?

Mark, I really can't say, because I've never made them *with* salt. I said I usually omit salt, but I meant from all recipes, not just this one.They seem to disappear fast enough though, so Stuart must not object. And he's a bread snob.

Mark, most Tuscan bread is made without salt. I believe the thinking is that you get the salt from the foods that accompany it.

I make all my bread with salt, but I have just recently pulled it back by about 30% (based on the fact that they boys are eating nine loaves a week between them at the moment!).

Nice look rolls, Cyn! I never add sugar to bread unless it's specifically intended to be sweet - can you taste the tsp worth in the recipe? Or is it there more for browning ? The egg must give the rolls a lovely richness.

I don't get any sweetness. I think the sugar is there mostly to feed the yeast. I'm ambivalent about the salt- these taste great without it, and salt would alter the flavor profile a bit, but I think it would be equally good, just different.

[Jenise]

Boy do those look good. Look like they'd make a great fresh burger bun, too.

Texture would be perfect for that. I might pick up some Morningstar Farms burgers today to try that out.

Texture would be perfect for that. I might pick up some Morningstar Farms burgers today to try that out.

Those rolls do look wonderful and easy to make. I have a question, however, regarding the Morningstar Farms burgers which perhaps should be addressed to Cynthia. From a non-vegetarian perspective, are they really good?

She can't eat them because of the salt.

For me, they're the best of the bunch. The Boca stuff all has a weird flavor that I find off-putting. My 8 year old (very much non-vegetarian) loves the Morningstar burgers

Thanks. I may give them a try. It would be nice to trim a little fat and a few calories here and there.