Dinner Roll Variations: Shaping & Baking

Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls

By Cat, May 2014 (Photo, right, from Better Homes & Gardens, Nov 2009 Issue)

Includes: 1. Buns; 2. Cloverleaf; 3. Parkerhouse; 4. Butterhorn or Crescent Rolls; 5. Knots

See also: 1. Bread Basics (Yeast-Leavened Breads); 2. Bread & Rolls Menu

There are many different ways to shape dinner roll. It used to be that Buns, Cloverleaf, and Parkerhouse were the most common. But the appearance of Pillsbury’s Refrigerated Crescent Rolls brought that shape, also called Butterhorn, into wide popularity.

Each different shape requires different baking instructions and different baking tins/pans/sheets. My personal favorites are Cloverleaf and Crescent shapes, for their ease in making.

Unless indicated otherwise, the instructions that follow are from Home Baking Made Easy, by Virginia Roberts, Director Occident Home Baking Institute  (1) (also called Occident Family Flour Baking Book, in this blog).

These shapes can be used for many different types of yeast-risen bread or roll doughs. The dough should be soft.

Buns

1. Butter a round, square or rectangular baking pan; preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Roll dough into a sheet, ¼” thick. Cut rounds of dough with 2 ½” cookie or biscuit cutter.
3. Shape by forming each round into a ball. The method I use is: Working with one round at a time, moisten top  with your finger, then fold over 4 or more sides to meet in the middle. Pinch together the ‘seams’ and the center. Then work the rough ball with the hands until it forms a smooth ball.
4. Flatten each ball slightly and place in buttered baking pan, leaving space between each piece of dough, for the buns to spread. Cover with damp cloth and let rise until double in bulk. Brush tops with melted butter; bake in preheated oven 20 minutes.

Cloverleaf Rolls

See also Classic Dinner Rolls for making this shape.

1. Butter each well of  a muffin pan; preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Shape balls of dough, cut in sizes so that 3 balls will cover the bottom of the muffin pan.
3. Dip each ball in melted fat, and put 3 balls in each well of the buttered pan. Cover with damp cloth and let rise until double in bulk. Brush tops with melted butter; bake in preheated oven 18 minutes.

Parkerhouse Rolls

1. Butter a heavy baking sheet or wells of a muffin tin; preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Roll sheet of dough to ¼” thickness. Cut in rounds with cookie or biscuit cutter.
3. Working with one round at a time, brush top with melted butter.
4. Make a crease with back of a knife across each round, just off center. Fold over at crease with larger half on top.
5. Baking Sheet method: Place on buttered cookie sheet, retaining larger half on top.
6. Muffin Tin method: Place in buttered well of muffin tin with the fold down, and the roll leaning over on so the smaller side rests against the well.
7. Cover with damp cloth and let rise until double in bulk.
8. Brush tops with melted butter; bake in preheated oven 15 minutes.

Butterhorn or Crescent Rolls

1. Butter a heavy baking sheet; preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Roll dough into a 12″ diameter circle, about ¼” thick. Cut like a pie, into 16 wedges. Brush with melted butter.
3. Roll-up each wedge starting at wide end (outside of the circle), toward pointed end at middle of circle.
4. Place on buttered baking sheet, laying so that the point is underneath.
5. Cover with damp cloth and let rise until double in bulk.
6. Brush tops with melted butter; bake in preheated oven 13 minutes.

Knots

1. Butter a heavy baking sheet; preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Pinch off small sections of dough and roll to a long, thin stick about ¼” in diameter and 8″ long. Tie into a loose knot and place on buttered baking sheet, tucking the ends under the knot.
3. Cover with damp cloth and let rise until double in bulk.
4. Brush tops with melted butter; bake in preheated oven 13 minutes.

References

1. Home Baking Made Easy, by Virginia Roberts, Director Occident Home Baking Institute (also called Occident Family Flour Baking Book, in this blog).