Boxed Hot Roll Mix

[David Ross]

I've never been able to do a very good job at making dinner rolls. In fact, I've never really done a very good job at making a basic loaf of white bread. I think to really master the art of bread making you have to have a pretty good knowledge of the types of flours used for different breads and an understanding of the rising process along with an old fashioned measure of hands-on experience. (All traits that I sorely lack).

Yet last summer I came upon a little box of Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix that has solved my problem. It comes in a box, costs under $3 bucks and will make 8 of the most beautifully golden brown domes of pillowy dinner rolls you've ever eaten. (At least that's what I think).

Now I'm sure some of our artisanal bread bakers will turn away at the thought that I use a boxed hot roll mix, but it's incredibly convenient and quick. You simply combine the flour mix with the packet of yeast, 1 egg, 2 tbsp. of soft butter and 1 cup of hot water. Mix to incorporate the dough then let it rest for 5 minutes. Shape into little balls, place in a greased pan, (I use a Le Creuset casserole dish), cover and let rise just 30 minutes. The rolls will rise quickly and nudge up against one another. I brush the rolls with melted butter and sprinkle some coarse sea salt over the top and in the oven they go for no more than 20 minutes.

The result? Steaming, yeasty rolls like the ones the cooks made by "Mrs. Fox," in the kitchen of Hayesville Elementary School, Salem, Oregon, ca. 1964.

Now I don't have a photo of the latest batch of rolls I made with the Pillsbury mix. They barely made it to the Holiday table with the Prime Rib. We ate them straight away with salted butter and clover honey.

Owing to a piece in Saveur magazine, there is some buzz in food circles about the little Parker House rolls that Tom Collichio serves at some of his restaurants. Yes, they are good. I've eaten many of the little rolls served in a hot iron skillet at Craftsteak in Las Vegas. Even though they are made by professional bakers with a touch of "barley malt syrup," I still don't think they are as good as the Pillsbury Hot Dinner Rolls I make out of that little box. (And the mix is darn good for cinnamon rolls, crescent rolls and Hot Cross buns).

Would you, could you, or do you, use a hot roll mix out of a box?

[onrushpam]

Okay, I will have to try this, just to see...

I've been trying for years to get yeast rolls that matched those made by my Aunt Irene... and, I've finally managed to do it with some consistency!

I looked at the Pillsbury website for the ingredient list and it looks much the same as my old family recipe (the one I no longer use) with vegetable shortening, rather than butter.

What I don't understand is how you can get decent rolls with a 5-minute rest, followed by shaping and a single 30 minute proof! Mine need a good hour initial proof, followed by another 30+ minutes after shaping.

You have me curious now... I'll buy a box on my next shopping trip.

[robirdstx]

I haven't used that box mix but I have had wonderful success with this recipe for Classic Dinner Rolls. It worked the very first time I tried it and I hadn't attempted any sort of bread making in 30 years because that time I had made a very nice brick that could have been used as a doorstop.

[Isabelle Prescott]

Many years ago I used the Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix and kept a box in my pantry for rolls, pizza, etc. Always had good luck with it.

Now I bake sourdough and every other kind of bread and rolls from scratch. I can buy 25 lbs. of flour for around eight dollars. Makes a whole lot of bread for little cost. Have my sourdough starter, flour, water and salt... and I'm in business.

[Pierogi]

Over the course of the last couple of years, and primarily last year, I have taught myself to be a pretty darn good bread/roll/biscuit baker. And I never was before. Yeast scared me, intimidated me, and always got the upper hand.

Last September, I bought a pound bag from King Arthur Flour !

I've even done sourdough, with a natural (no commercial yeast) starter I nutured along until it was ready, used some for a loaf, and then tucked into the fridge for future use. It's about time for me to wake her up for a new loaf, but I digress....

The problem I have with Pillsbury products, ALL Pillsbury products, is that they all have a strange....very distinctive....."taste". I wouldn't call it an off-taste, but it's common to all Pillsbury I've tried. Crescents, Whack-A-Can biscuits, Whack-A-Can breadsticks, pie crusts, Whack-A-Can cinnamon rolls, freezer rolls and biscuits, all Pillsbury stuff I've tried.

Like I said, not a "bad" taste, but not....right. Not what I find in homemade products, or good commercial products.

I've not tried the boxed hot roll mix (haven't seen it here actually, or I probably would've before I made peace with the yeast), but I'm betting I'd find that same "taste". So, I'll pass.

That "taste" is actually part of the reason I was determine to teach myself to bake. I wanted to make hot-from-the-oven dough product that didn't taste like Pillsbury.

And yeah, like Isabelle said, for 10 bucks I got my pound of yeast and 5 pounds of King Arthur flour. Even this liberal arts major likes those economics.

That rant stated, I have been in a situation recently that gives me time to indulge in home baking (I'm no longer working...makes a huge difference). Before that, I only baked on weekends, and didn't really have the time to experiment. So I can totally understand the allure of "quick and easy" rather than a day's investment into kneading and rising and punching and rising and forming and rising. But even with that, I'd stopped using Pillsbury stuff because of, well, that "taste". There are, methinks, better quick alternatives. Bridgeford and Rhodes frozen doughs come to mind....

Edited January 4, 2011 by Pierogi (log)

[Toliver]

My mom would use this hot roll mix for her pizza dough. She never did make rolls from it. Go figure.

[Kim Shook]

I used to use Duff's Hot Roll Mix years ago, but haven't tried the Pillsbury ones. I always liked the Duff's a lot. I'll give these a try soon. I've never seen any problem with using a convenience product if it tastes good.

[David Ross]

Tonight, another batch of dinner rolls using the Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix. The only thing I did different from the instructions on the box was to let the rolls rise for 40 minutes as opposed to the 20-30 minute instruction on the box. And I brushed the rolls with melted butter and sprinkled some coarse sea salt on top. As always, delicious.

Shapped into balls-

After rising and ready for the oven-

Out of the oven-

The Dinner Roll-

[janeer]

That is a pretty good looking roll. I make my own with an excellent recipe given to me by a friend (which calls for margarine, the only thing I use it for). But this reminded me that back in the '60s or '70s I used to make a cheesecake-filled bread ring with that roll mix that was pretty darn good--haven't bought it since. I just looked and I still have the recipe if you want it.

[Aloha Steve]

That is a pretty good looking roll. I make my own with an excellent recipe given to me by a friend (which calls for margarine, the only thing I use it for). But this reminded me that back in the '60s or '70s I used to make a cheesecake-filled bread ring with that roll mix that was pretty darn good--haven't bought it since. I just looked and I still have the recipe if you want it.

I'd like to see it please.

[janeer]

That is a pretty good looking roll. I make my own with an excellent recipe given to me by a friend (which calls for margarine, the only thing I use it for). But this reminded me that back in the '60s or '70s I used to make a cheesecake-filled bread ring with that roll mix that was pretty darn good--haven't bought it since. I just looked and I still have the recipe if you want it.

I'd like to see it please.

Here is how I have it written down, plus some parenthetical notes; I think it was from a "woman's magazine" in the 60s. Looking at it now, I might cut the sugar down in the filling.

Cheesecake Bread

1 package hot roll mix

1/4 c sugar

1 egg

1/2 c sour cream

6 Tblsp melted butter

8 oz softened cream cheese

1/2 sugar

1 tea vanilla

2 eggs (back then, eggs may have been "medium")

Soften yeast (in the package) in 1/4 c water. Combine roll mix and 1/4 c sugar. Stir in the yeast, egg, sour cream, and butter, Mix, place in greased bowl and refrigerate, covered, for 2-3 hrs.

Roll out to 18" (this is all I have noted; for width, roll to fit into a standard 6-cup ring mold, I'd say about 8" w). Fit into ring mold (leave the sides overhanging).

Beat the cream cheese, 1/2 c sugar, and vanilla together. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each. Pour in the mold. Fit the dough over (and, obviously, gently seal). Let rise 1-1 1/2 hrs, almost double. Bake at 350F for 35-40 min. Cool 10 min, turn out. Dust w/ 10x.

[Aloha Steve]

That is a pretty good looking roll. I make my own with an excellent recipe given to me by a friend (which calls for margarine, the only thing I use it for). But this reminded me that back in the '60s or '70s I used to make a cheesecake-filled bread ring with that roll mix that was pretty darn good--haven't bought it since. I just looked and I still have the recipe if you want it.

I'd like to see it please.

Here is how I have it written down, plus some parenthetical notes; I think it was from a "woman's magazine" in the 60s. Looking at it now, I might cut the sugar down in the filling.

Cheesecake Bread

1 package hot roll mix

1/4 c sugar

1 egg

1/2 c sour cream

6 Tblsp melted butter

8 oz softened cream cheese

1/2 sugar

1 tea vanilla

2 eggs (back then, eggs may have been "medium")

Soften yeast (in the package) in 1/4 c water. Combine roll mix and 1/4 c sugar. Stir in the yeast, egg, sour cream, and butter, Mix, place in greased bowl and refrigerate, covered, for 2-3 hrs.

Roll out to 18" (this is all I have noted; for width, roll to fit into a standard 6-cup ring mold, I'd say about 8" w). Fit into ring mold (leave the sides overhanging).

Beat the cream cheese, 1/2 c sugar, and vanilla together. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each. Pour in the mold. Fit the dough over (and, obviously, gently seal). Let rise 1-1 1/2 hrs, almost double. Bake at 350F for 35-40 min. Cool 10 min, turn out. Dust w/ 10x.

Thank you looks like it is definitely worth trying.