Recipe Updated 11/16/2022
It’s that time of year…
My annual making and baking of “The Berry Rolls” is here. No, this roll doesn’t have any fruit berries in them, they are simply traditional southern American yeast rolls named after my grandparents for all of their siblings and descendants.
While these rolls are my maternal grandma’s recipe, they are named after her family, or rather my grandpa’s family name. “The Berry Rolls” are the family’s signature bread as many, if not all, of us remember them well. The Berry family consists of many of my grandparents’ siblings along with their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a whole host of other relatives. So “The Berry Rolls” should belong to all of us Berry family members.
Last year,
I posted my family memories of this bread along with details, pictures, and directions. See the post entitled “Berry Family Tribute via the Matriarch through Bread”, for the aforementioned information.
This year,
I’m focusing on the 20 years of changes and modifications of this bread. It’s been years of trial and error to attempt to resemble the rolls of before. For the past 5 years, these rolls have been consistently the same for me; light, fluffy, rich, and buttery traditional southern American yeast rolls. YUM!! Following my recipe will elicit the perfect roll every time. Check out my video on making and baking these rolls and see the recipe below for the ingredients and directions.
Looking at “The Berry Roll” Past
My grandma didn’t have a written recipe for her rolls, as many didn’t of her generation. She made them so frequently she didn’t need one. Over the years, my mom and aunts took it upon themselves at different times to watch and measure as she made the rolls. While they each had slightly different measurements that produced very tasty rolls, they all still lacked something.
I honestly don’t remember where my current ingredient list and measurements came from, it was either Aunt Wanda or Aunt Sharion, but regardless the ingredients are NOT what changed in the 20 years I’ve been making them; it was technique.
How can bread turn out so differently based on technique alone?
I honestly don’t know the answer; however, I can tell you that the difference in my rolls 20 years ago and today can be compared to cars… cars from the 80’s, because I’m a child of the 80’s and these are my memories. 😊 Imagine driving an old 80’s Chevette (my Mom’s old car) versus a new 80’s Cadillac (another set of grandparents’ car). They both drove, had all the necessary parts to run, and served the same purpose. BUT one drove better, one had better quality parts, and one was visually more appealing… much like my versions of grandma’s rolls.
The most interesting discovery…
What I found most intriguing in the modifications was NOT the ingredients themselves. That’s right! The ingredients were and are the same as they’ve always been. The changes lie in the technique of making these rolls.
How different are the rolls today? While the recipe I use has never changed, the rolls I made 20 years ago were dense. They tasted good, but the texture was all off.
What’s this magic new technique that produces the perfect traditional southern American yeast rolls?
I discovered over time to…
1. limit the flour
Use as little flour as possible during the kneading stage. The more flour you add, the denser the bread. So, how do you avoid this?
1a. Use a good kneading surface, one that doesn’t move while you’re kneading, and one that doesn’t easily stick to dough.
1b. Understand the difference between dough that’s tacky and dough that’s sticky.
When kneading, add just enough flour so that the dough is tacky (elastic like), but not sticky.
Difference?
Tacky = slight stick to the touch, but dough doesn’t separate and remain on the skin when pulled away.
Sticky = some dough is pulled away and left on the skin when you touch it and remove your hand.
When kneading: if tacky, DON’T add flour; if sticky, add a LITTLE flour.
2. sift the flour
Sifted flour is so light and fluffy that it resembles powdered sugar or freshly fallen snow. This light and fluffy texture carries over into the rising and baking stages.
3. use a small biscuit cutter
A small cutter will produce smaller rolls that allow for more space around them to rise.
4. allow space between the rolls for the rise
Don’t overcrowd the pan. You want your rolls to touch when they rise, so give them space, but not too much.
5. be patient
Making and baking bread is not for the impatient. When the recipe says to set aside the dough until doubled in size, do that. Only use the time frame as a guide.
6. don’t skimp on the 2nd rise
The 2nd rise is necessary as is provides additional time for the gluten to develop and the gas from the yeast to build up and flow through the gluten threads.
7. ensure you include the most important ingredient
I know this sounds crazy, but purposeful baking with a positive emotional intent can be tasted in your food. I think you need to understand the “why” before you delve into baking. If you’re going to devote time to it, make sure you feel it’s worth it. What does that mean? BAKE WITH LOVE…
You should bake…
-when the mood strikes,
-for the atmosphere… the smells, the memories, etc.,
-when time is not of the essence,
-with goodness all around; play music, bake with a friend or family member, etc.
-for people you love and be mindful of them as you’re mixing the ingredients and kneading the dough. (This is the reason I bake).
You may think this is weird and over the top, but I’ve heard time and time again that love can be tasted in food. Why do you think our positive food memories from our family members have such a place in our hearts and minds? Anyone could have made those dishes, but it was our moms, grandmothers, significant relatives, or friends.
If you bake this holiday season, keep these thoughts in mind. Put aside the frustrations and struggles in life and bake while thinking about those who mean the most. You just might find your food tastes a little better, a little lighter, and life can seem a little brighter.
My final thought:
The ingredient of love is added through the baking process not the result; thus, bake for the process not the result.
The Berry Rolls
Ingredients
- 15 g (2 pkgs / 4½ tsp) active dry yeast
- 38 g (3 tbsp) granulated sugar divided
- 590 ml (2½ cups) water divided
- 23 g (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) salt
- 100 g (½ cup) shortening diced
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 840 g (7 cups) all-purpose flour, sifted fluffed, scooped, and leveled off if using a measuring cup
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix yeast and 13 g (1 tbsp) sugar. Pour in 118 ml (½ cup) of warm water 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). Stir and set aside until doubled, bubbly, and frothy.
- Meanwhile, boil 472 ml (2 cups) of water over the stove or in the microwave. In a large bowl, place diced shortening. Pour the boiling water over the shortening. Allow time for the shortening to melt and the water has cooled to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C).
- To the melted shortening, add the remaining 25 g (2 tbsp) of sugar and the salt. Stir so the sugar and salt dissolve. Stir yeast mixture into the shortening mixture.
- In another small bowl/cup (reuse the yeast mixture bowl), beat 2 eggs slightly and add them to shortening and yeast mixture. Stir well.
- Sift flour and add about 480 g (4 cups) of the sifted flour to the mixture and whisk or stir well. Add remaining 360 g (3 cups) of sifted flour and mix well. The dough will be sticky and shaggy.
- Cover dough with a towel or plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray and set dough aside in a warm area (over an oven set at 200˚F / 93˚C). Allow dough to rise, double in size ~ 1 hour).
- Grease two to four casserole dishes that are 8×8, 7×11, or 9×13 inches using butter or cooking spray. You could use 3+ 8×8-inch pans, two 7×11-inch pans or a 9×13 and another smaller size.
- When dough has doubled in size, scoop dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead ~ 10 minutes adding enough flour during kneading until dough is no longer sticky. Dough should be tacky but not stick to the surface. Dough has been kneaded enough when pressed and the indentation fills back quickly. If the indentation remains looking like a deep dimple, continue kneading.TIP: Because this is a wet dough, you may need as much as 1 cup of additional flour when kneading. That's OK as long as you stop adding flour when the dough becomes tacky and no longer sticking to your hands or the work surface.
- Divide the dough in half. Knead each half separately for a couple of minutes until elastic and not sticky. Let dough halves rest a few minutes.
- Roll or push out each dough half to ~ ½ inch thick. Use a small, ~2-inch biscuit cutter (~2 inches) to cut out rounds. Place each dough round in greased pans allowing the rolls to touch . You can get 16 small rolls in an 8×8-inch pan. Continue rolling, patting out dough, and cutting out rounds until all dough is used.
- Bake pans of rolls together or separately for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. You may need to move the pans around during baking if baking more than 1 pan at a time so the rolls brown evenly.
- After removing baked rolls from oven, brush tops of rolls with salted butter. Cut and serve while hot with more salted butter.TIP: To easily butter tops of rolls, cut a tablespoon and stab it with a fork. Rub the butter over the tops of the rolls and watch it melt and ooze. You can also take a stick of butter holding half of the butter in the wrapper and just rub the other end (wrapper pulled back) along the tops of the rolls.
Video
Notes
Looking for additional breads to bake this holiday season? Check these out.
Pan de Muerto (Mexico)
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please let me know. I would appreciate a like, a follow, or even a comment. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of the blog bakes. Shorter videos on kitchen hacks and tips along with other holiday dishes coming very soon. Stay tuned!