What could be better than fresh, hot, buttered rolls to accompany dinner? Not much, my friends, not much. But since buns can be a daunting business to run at home, we often turn to that familiar refrigerated tube. Or to the brown-and-serve variety in a bag. And they are both dinner accompaniments that lend themselves well to service, that’s for sure. But we all know there’s nothing better than homemade… and with this easy bun recipe, there’s no reason to resort to store-bought! Because they’re made in just one hour. That’s it! It’s the perfect bread for beginners in baking. They are simple to make, buttered, soft and almost heavenly.
You heat milk, butter and sugar on the stove and let it cool down a bit before adding yeast and water. Once it has become frothy, you add the flour and mix until the dough holds together. If you have a stand mixer and a dough hook, it only takes a few minutes to knead the dough. But even if you take it by hand, kneading is not a chore at all. It requires just a few minutes of attention, so little that you can even knead it in the bowl. Then you set the dough aside to rest, just for 15 minutes, before you start dividing it into rolls.
And we can’t help but say that we love the little cloverleaf pattern of these rolls, which you get by placing three small balls of dough in each muffin pan. Just roll the dough into one-inch balls and place them in the muffin pan before brushing them with a little extra butter. You can also sprinkle them with seeds and oats. Or not. It’s up to you. We love the extra bite, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with leaving these soft, doughy rolls simple.
They become irresistibly golden brown in the oven and come out warm, soft and cute enough to make it easy to convince anyone that they come straight from the bakery. But fortunately, they’re easy enough to make so you can whip them up in your own kitchen any night of the week!
Clover rolls for dinner
1 hour to prepare services 12
INGREDIENTS
3 cups of all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
3/4 cup of hot water
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
1 sachet (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
Sunflower seeds and oats, for garnish (optional)
PREPARATION
When baking, preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a muffin pan with butter, set aside.
Add milk, sugar and 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan and heat over low heat. Heat until the butter melts and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm (between 90° and 110°F).
Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and add the hot water and yeast. Let stand until the yeast becomes frothy, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Add 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture and mix at low temperature for 1 minute using a dough hook. With the mixer on low, gradually add the remaining flour in half-cup increments. Mix until the dough begins to hold, about 2 minutes. Continue to knead at low temperature until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 2 minutes (if you don’t have a stand mixer and dough hook, just mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon until the dough holds together and the sides of the bowl are clean, and knead the dough in the bowl for 2 to 3 minutes).
Grease a large bowl with nonstick spray or oil and place the dough in it, turning the dough over to grease the top. Cover with a clean, dry towel and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.
Turn the dough over on a lightly floured surface, pinch small pieces of dough and roll them into balls about 2.5 cm in diameter. Place three balls in each muffin tin.
Cover the pan with a clean cloth and place it in a warm place to rise for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter and set aside.
Brush the rolls with the melted butter and sprinkle with oats and seeds, if necessary. Bake until golden brown, about 9 to 12 minutes. Enjoy!