I have a terrible habit of wringing my hands. It’s not something I intentionally do. But whenever I’m elated, sad, angry, bored, or especially nervous, I wring my hands. Because the habit covers a wide span of emotions, I end up wringing my hands a lot.
Coincidentally, cooking and baking require extensive use of one’s hands, so staying busy in the kitchen helps me forgo hand-wringing. After being up ’til 1 AM last night (or morning?), typing papers with eyes glued to the computer screen, my hands just needed some protection from themselves. It was time for an intervention.
That intervention came in the form of butterhorn-baking. If you never heard of a butterhorn, you must integrate the word into your vocabulary. Butterhorns are downright delicious!
From personal experience, I can also attest to their stress-relieving powers. Just the smell of those rolls baking is relaxing. And, as an added benefit for tired individuals such as myself, their wonderful fragrance encourages profuse nasal inhalation and therefore greater oxygen input to the brain.
If only there was a way to smell something through the computer screen. Try using your imagination…
Butterhorn Dinner Rolls
- 5 to 5-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/3 cups warm water (120-130 degrees F)
- 7 Tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 lightly beaten eggs, at room temperature
- 1 egg + 1 Tablespoon skim milk (for egg wash)
- Stir together flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Heat a pot of water over stove until simmering. Measure out 1-1/3 cups of hot water and add 5 Tablespoons of butter. Stir butter until fully melted. Allow mixture to cool to 120-130 degrees F.
- Using an electric mixer with dough hooks, combine water mixture with dry ingredients until moistened. Add eggs and combine. If necessary, add additional flour until a moist, elastic dough consistency is reached.
- Roll dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and knead about 10 times. Let dough rise in a lightly-greased bowl, covered, for one hour. Place covered dough in a warm place.
- Once dough has risen, microwave 2 Tablespoons butter on high for 20 seconds and set aside. Grease 3 baking sheets with cooking spray.
- Roll dough out onto a lightly-floured surface. Divide into 3 equal pieces. Shape the first piece into a ball and roll out into a 1/4-inch thick circle. With a pastry brush, spread some melted butter over dough circle. Using lightly-floured scissors, cut dough (as you would cut a pie) into 8 pieces. Roll up each slice, starting at the wide end and gently stretching dough as you go. Place roll onto baking sheet, tip-side down. Place 8 rolls on each baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Allow rolls to rise for 30-40 minutes on baking sheets.
- With several minutes remaining, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Using a pastry brush, brush rolls with egg wash. Bake each pan of rolls for 13-14 minutes, or until golden brown.
