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Baking Dinner Rolls

post #1 of 16
11/12/06 at 5:45pm
Thread Starter 
I have several dinner roll recipes and they always call for 'milk'. Just so I don't make any mistakes, are they referring to whole milk or evaporated milk? I plan to make them for Thanksgiving and I want to make sure I'm using the right ingredient.

Many of these recipes also call for shortening or butter. Which is better and should they both be refrigerated so that they're cold?

CeeView
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post #2 of 16
11/12/06 at 6:24pm
Unless they state otherwise, I'd assume whole milk. It is a fairly common ingredient in breads.
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post #3 of 16
11/13/06 at 4:02am
I agree with Erik. Milk, and the fat it contains, help soften the crumb.
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post #4 of 16
11/13/06 at 9:04am
Thread Starter 

Baking Dinner Rolls

Thanks for the replies. What about the second portion of the question? Is it better to use shortening vs. butter in preparing the dough?


CeeView
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post #5 of 16
11/13/06 at 10:02am
The shortening or butter should be at room temperature at a minimum; many recipes will have you melt it with the milk.
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post #6 of 16
11/13/06 at 12:43pm
I can't think of a reason to use shortening rather than butter. Both will help soften thw crumb, as all fats will, but butter brings flavor to the party.
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post #7 of 16
11/13/06 at 1:54pm
On the issue of shortening or butter, butter will provide a richer taste and more crispness. But shortening (I assume you're using solid shortening) will produce a softer/lighter texture. Because butter melts more quickly (at a lower temperature) than shortening the steam produced in the early stages of baking to begin the development of rise in the dough has a tiny bit more time to work before the shortening begins doing its job. I like shortening better than butter. The guests can butter their rolls if they want the flavor of butter; I give 'em texture. Butter is about 15% water (which means that a cup of butter will yield 7 1/2 ounces of fat and 1/2 ounce of water +/- and the sodium (unless you use unsalted butter) in butter will be greater than an equal amount of shortening. Inasmuch as your recipe probably calls for liquid, the additional amount of liquid from butter should be apparent in your finished product however.
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post #8 of 16
11/13/06 at 3:02pm
I'm not sure why you'd think "milk" would mean evaporated milk.
As for butter, it's so far superior i don;t see any reason why to use shortening ever. But when making bread or rolls, i always add the butter, in thin slices, cold, and knead into the dough AFTER it's been kneaded. The explanation i read, in laurel's kitchen bread book, is that it greases the gluten and makes for a higher rise and actually a LIGHTER texture! It works! amazingly well.
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post #9 of 16
11/13/06 at 6:22pm
Thread Starter 
Siduri,
I'm not an expert with the baking....I'm trying to get there. I wanted to make sure and the way to do that is to ask the question. Also....I've seen recipes that call for evaporated milk....in fact, when I make sweet potato pies, that's what I use.

In any event, I appreciate your response.

CeeView
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post #10 of 16
11/13/06 at 6:24pm
Thread Starter 
Culprit,
Thank you for responding and going so much in to detail about the issue of shortening vs. butter. I will use the shortening for the development of the dough but will grease the bowl in butter. Also....butter will be at the table so the guests can butter the rolls then. From what you say, shortening produces a better texture and that's what I want.

Thank You!
CeeView
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post #11 of 16
11/14/06 at 7:39am

Dinner rolls.

Why did you ask about butter or shortening if you are going to use shortening any way.Taste is foremost, followed by appearance.
I use butter all the way, excellent dinner rolls with butter. I don't even have shortening in my house, or margarine......
qahtan
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post #12 of 16
11/14/06 at 7:46am

Dinner rolls

These are excellent, qahtan

http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/t...0128_rec01.asp
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post #13 of 16
11/14/06 at 11:06am
try the cold butter kneaded in at the end, it beats all for both texture and taste, so what could be better?

About the evaporated milk, i guess the recipe you saw called for "evaporated milk" so that's what it meant, but if it calls for "milk" that's also what it means. It would be like saying a recipe calls for "cream" and you want to know if it means sour cream. Sour cream would be called that way. I guess some recipes are badly written and don;t say what they mean, but generally most authors are pretty specific.
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post #14 of 16
11/14/06 at 6:56pm
Good point - I am acquainted with a young beginner cook who was trying to create her first red cake. The recipe calls for "soda". Her lack of experience caused her to interpret this ingredient as "soda" (is in soft drink) and that's what she used. She was heartbroken when the cake was a flop (literally) but she continued to improve her baking skill. She currently designs and bakes wedding cakes... they are gorgeous and delicious.
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post #15 of 16
11/16/06 at 3:32pm
Thread Starter 
Siduri,
Points well taken! I have seen recipes....probably not the ones by a 'serious' author, that wasn't explicit and needless to say, there were some disasters.

Thanks to all for your responses.

CeeView
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post #16 of 16
11/16/06 at 3:42pm
Thread Starter 
Qahtan,
One of the reasons I asked about both ingredients....shortening vs butter..is because I have several recipes that I'm trying to decide which to use. Some of them call for shortening...some call for butter.

Culprit was the person who answered my question....by telling me the difference in using one vs the other. When he mentioned that the shortening created a ligther texture, that was what I was looking for.

By the way....thank you for sending the link for the dinner rolls.

CeeView
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