Home-Style Pull-Apart Buttermilk Rolls

I am a sucker for a fluffy, white dinner roll, and this recipe has quickly become a favorite with my kids. I like to make it in a vintage Le Creuset cast-iron au gratin (it gives the crusts a lovely crisp, flakiness) but, if you don’t happen to have one of those kicking around, they can be baked in any 3L open baking dish.

(This recipe is intended for use with a 1.5lb bread machine.)

Ingredients:

1-1/4 cups water
1-1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp honey
3 cups white flour
1/3 cup buttermilk powder
1.5 tsp bread machine or “instant” yeast

Combine ingredients in the order given. Select “Dough Setting” on your machine. Start the cycle.

Tip: While your dough is mixing, place a pot of warm water inside your oven, and heat it to 170F. Turn off oven and keep the door closed. This turns your oven into a “proofer” for the second rise of your dough. Remove the pot of water before preheating to bake.

Grease a 3L (approximately 8” x 12”) baking dish with butter. When your machine is done, remove the dough from the pan. Divide it into 12-14 equal pieces — I like to use our kitchen scale to do this as accurately as possible. If you are using a rectangular dish, 12 pieces will give you more even results.

Form each piece into a ball, tucking and pinching the edges underneath. Place into the baking dish, ensuring there is about 1/2” between them to allow them room to rise.

Cover with a greased piece of parchment, and place a damp tea towel on top. Place in a warm, draft-free spot (such as your oven), and allow to rise for 20-30 minutes.

If you are using your oven as a proofer, remove the rolls and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400F.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the bottoms sound hollow when tapped. Tip the rolls out onto a rack, and brush the tops with butter.

Allow to cool completely before separating the rolls.