Versatile Roll Recipe

One thing led to another last night, and I stumbled upon a pretty yummy idea for my leftover dough:
Parmesan Garlic Pinwheels!

We had the perfect fall day for my weekly Coffee and Cameras outing with Susan this week. The weather was on the cool side, which forced me to admit it was time to wear socks and shoes, and a sweater. As much as I detest wearing shoes, I must confess my love for sweater weather.

Susan and I spent the whole morning together, starting our day at the Luau Coffee Shop in Wasco, Illinois, solving all of the world's problems over lattés, like we do, and then we hopped in her SUV to see what adventures awaited our cameras down route 64. 

Our first stop was the Wasco Nursery and Garden Center where we enjoyed shooting the pumpkins and flowers. The staff there are so friendly, welcoming us to enjoy their beautiful displays. They have a huge selection of pumpkins, flowers, trees, and shrubs. We can't wait to go back when they are decorated for Christmas.

We headed toward Virgil, Illinois next, and took pictures of an old yellow barn and the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Our last stop was the Theis Farm Market where I bought some pumpkins for carving and roasting, and I also scored a Pumpkin Masters carving kit with stencils. 

Later that afternoon, I knew I had to start the cinnamon rolls Chuck had requested for his IT department's brunch the next day. Although I have pared down my original recipe from 17 cups of flour to about 7 cups, I always have loads of dough left over. Once I made Chuck's requested baker's dozen of cinnamon rolls, I decided I'd make some dinner rolls. 

There was still dough left, and I wondered what I should do with it. We had sweet rolls, and plain rolls. A-ha! I would try making a savory version. We love parmesan and garlic at our house, and rather than just cutting bread sticks and seasoning them, I decided to make pinwheels.

I rolled out a rectangle of dough, and using a pastry brush, I covered the surface with butter. Next I sprinkled garlic powder and parmesan cheese on the dough before rolling it up. Using a piece of thread (dental floss works well, too), I sliced the tube of dough into individual pinwheels, and baked them in the oven on a silicone mat for 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees.

One thing led to another, and by the time Chuck got home, the house smelled amazing between the sweet cinnamon rolls and the savory parmesan garlic pinwheels. There is just something about homemade bread that makes any house seem extra-homey. 

If you like making rolls, I would suggest you give this versatile recipe a try. Even during the holidays, when I WANT a lot of dinner rolls, I try to set some dough aside to make cinnamon rolls for a special breakfast treat. Next time, I think I'll make a few less rolls, so we can enjoy the Parmesan Garlic Pinwheels, too.

VERSATILE ROLL RECIPE

Mix the following ingredients together and let sit for 10-15 minutes while the yeast begins to rise.

2 1/2 c. warm water

2 T. yeast

2 T. sugar

1/2 c. stevia (you can just use sugar, too)

Mix the following in separate bowl and add to the first bowl after the yeast has risen:

1/4 c. potato flakes 

3 beaten eggs

1/2 c. oil

1 T. salt.

Combine the contents of the first two bowls, and stir.  Then combine with 6-7 cups of flour in a large mixing bowl.  I like to use 3 1/2 cups of whole wheat with 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose or bread flour.   

Knead for 5 minutes. (A Kitchenaid or Bosch will do the work for you, but you can certainly do it by hand, if you have the strength, energy and inclination.) Add a small amount of flour to make the texture not too sticky. (HINT: having the dough a little on the sticky side usually lends itself to having the lightest, fluffiest rolls EVER.)

Let rise in oiled, covered bowl 1 hour.  Cut/shape the dough into rolls, dipping the rolls into butter before placing on pan, or brushing the rolls with butter before putting them in the oven. (***See note below.)  Let rise 15 minutes while oven preheats to 400 degrees.

Bake 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven, until the rolls are golden brown. Brush tops with melted butter.

The folks in my family tend to have the same reaction to these rolls every time: their eyes roll back in their heads, and they moan gently as they eat these. So yes, the effort is worth it. I dare you to try them. They are THE BOMB!  : )

***Decide before baking which rolls you want to bake. 

For BASIC DINNER ROLLS, follow the recipe as outlined above. 

For CINNAMON ROLLS, roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a rectangle (for manageability, divide the dough in half and make two rectangles). Spread butter on the rectangle with a pastry brush, and then sprinkle a mixture of cinnamon sugar on top. Roll up, and then slice into pinwheels using thread or floss.  

For PUMPKIN SWEET ROLLS, the pumpkin filling was easy: stir together one cup of pumpkin, 1/2 teaspoon each of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon, and 1/4 c. brown sugar, and 1/4 c. stevia. Spread on top of rolled out rectangle of dough before rolling up, and slicing into pinwheels with thread or floss. 

For PARMESAN GARLIC PINWHEELS, roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a rectangle. Spread butter on the rectangle with a pastry brush, and then sprinkle garlic powder, parmesan cheese, and your favorite herbs. I used oregano.)

If you're like me, I like to make a little of all three.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the day, featuring pumpkins and flowers from Wasco Nursery and Theis Farm Market, and stained glass from the Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Illinois.