Honey, don't forget the dinner rolls!

Thanksgiving…is TOMORROW! I’m sure all of you are running around like turkeys, getting things sorted for the big day: brining the bird, prepping the sweet potatoes, and getting those cranberry shrubs ready for cocktail o’clock tomorrow. BUT…wait. I’m just checking in to make sure you guys also have dinner rolls on the menu.

I know it may seem really intimidating and much easier to just go to the store and buy them. But I promise you, the taste and satisfaction is well worth the effort.

Well, BenGingi? When the heck do I have time to make these cute buns…you may ask.

Here is how it works, dearest Gingi. These buns require a few hours of waiting time, but the actual time spent in physical labor over these cuties is only about 15 minute. So, I suggest the following timeline for the next 24 hours.

Run of Show…

1. PREPPING THE PREP: You weigh the ingredients the night before (like tonight) and set them aside for quick and easy combining first thing Thanksgiving morning.

   • This is the time to make a firm decision: I am making TWO batches. (I promise it’s worth it.)

   • Pull out your mixer from the back of the closet!

   • Make the Garlic Confit (45 min on lowest heat).

2. KNEAD & PROOF #1: Wake up bright and early, on #TGmorning and throw all of your ingredients into the stand mixer. After 12-14 minutes mixing, you are ready to round the dough and set it into a big bowl so it can double in size. This will take anywhere from 1-2 hours.

   • This 1-2 hour wait time, is an excellent time to get started on all the other things that need to go into the oven like the sweet potato casserole and the stuffing. The goal here is to get these warm dishes 90% done before you bake the buns and start the roasting of the turkey. That way, an hour before service all you need to do is pop them into the oven for the big finish!

     

   • Be ready for next step. You’ll need: a scale and parchment paper lined 9 in cake pan.

3. WEIGH, ROUND, PROOF #2: Once the dough has doubled in size, weight out your little rolls, round them, arrange them in your parchment paper lined cake pan, and let them proof a second time.

   • This second waiting period is much shorter, so this is where I recommend prepping any salads or fresh dishes you may have for dinner service.

   

   • For example, Zikki is making her Winter Immunity Salad for tomorrow’s dinner and it comes with lots of yummy crunch things. So we prep all the salad add-ins during this 15 minute proofing window, including the quick and easy Maple Dijon dressing.

4. BRUSH & BAKE: Now, we are ALMOST there. Imagine it is about noon on Thanksgiving Day and all you gotta do is just brush ‘em buns and place them into the oven.

   

   • Once they finish baking, make sure to immediately cover them with a kitchen towel so that they do not dry out before dinner. This allows you to bake the buns several hours before the meal, freeing up the oven for other treats.

   • Additionally, this is now the time to regret not making a second batch. Because 1 batch goes for dinner and the second batch is for my Ultimate Thanksgiving Leftover sliders. (Video coming Friday!) 😉

Just in case you forgot dessert…

…HERE is our Classic Apple Pie recipe.