#84: Stuffing Rolls
Just in time for Thanksgiving
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I gained a handful of new subscribers (Hi!) thanks to a Reel I posted recently. It was the first cooking Reel I had posted since June and it did quite well. A friend of mine texted me out of the blue telling me I needed to make more video content. I brushed the comment off but then couldn’t stop thinking about it and ended up making that video.
Recently I decided this is my year of “yes.” I wanted to do a supper club, I made it happen. I want to work with brands for these dinners, I’m sending emails. You want to have a private dinner, let’s do it. Pints of ice cream? Working on it!! I've just decided to put myself out there and see what happens. So far, so good and I’m really excited for what is to come. So do I want to make more video content? Not really but if it will help expose me to more people, I’ll make it happen.
That being said, my brain is frazzled right now because after our last Backyard I jumped right into planning our next one coming up in two weeks. This upcoming one is brunch and will be a change of pace but I need all my time to bang out my quiche and pear tart recipes.
If you are here from the Stuffing Rolls Reel, you can find that recipe below. And if you want to come to our Backyard Brunch on 11/18, you can buy a ticket below. Can you do me a favor? Please tell a friend to help spread the word about Backyard far and wide. I love seeing new faces at these events and am grateful for all your help!
Oh, one more thing! You guys loved the Brussels Sprout Bowl I mentioned in the last newsletter. Here is another good weeknight meal I revisited this past week: Tofu Tikka Masala! I let the tofu marinate only while I prepped the other ingredients and it was fine! The dish comes together in one pot and I made rice and steamed veggies in the rice cooker. Great for a cozy fall dinner.
The world’s best cheese has just been crowned for 2023 – Spoiler: It’s a blue cheese!
The First Shabu-Shabu Restaurant in the U.S. Closed in Little Tokyo After 32 Years – This one hurt!! My grandpa took me here as a kid and it was on my list to revisit. 😭
Choosing the Right Salt Just Got More Complicated – Once I asked my chef friend Sam what his thoughts were on salts and he said “Just pick one and stick to it.” That’s what I tell everyone now. The point of all this fuss around types of salt is that some are saltier than others. So just pick one and stick to it. Get to know it and you’ll be fine.
I have always used Morton and write my recipes specifying Morton but…I have quietly shifted to using fleur de sel for everything 🤭. Don’t worry my recipes are sticking to Morton for now.
I like this series from Bon Appétit where they follow a chef for a day. It’s inspiring to see how much goes into it, for me at least.
I could listen to Sam Fragoso talk all day. Also, Alison Roman has a podcast.
Did you know H&M has a home line? They do and it’s affordable. This is where I get all my tablecloths for Backyard. Now, they are not the nicest tablecloths out there but they are cotton/linen and get the job done! No one knows they were $26ish from H&M and if they get ruined I can easily replace one. Worth checking out!
That ⬇️ tablecloth on H&M, here.
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Stuffing Rolls
It hit me this week while reading that La Brea Bakery Cafe is closing, these are inspired by La Brea Bakery take-and-bake holiday rolls!!!! I was obsessed with them for a few years and always had them on holidays. I have been making this version for a few years now and completely forgot about the OGs that inspired me.
A little different than the holiday rolls, these are super soft and moist. They almost pull apart in delicate layers and they are loaded with all the flavors of stuffing. They are, of course, perfect for Thanksgiving but other holidays too! We enjoyed them on easter when I smoked a ham. They were layered with ham, pickles, and mustard for mini sandwiches.
These rolls are very straightforward and I added some key details to help you make them successfully. This recipe starts with a tangzhong. This is an Asian technique which yields soft moist bread. You just cook some water (and/or milk) and flour before adding it to the dough. This is super simple and takes about 3 minutes over medium heat. Once it is the consistency of thick past, you are done.
The most important part of this recipe is the celery seed. There is also sage, thyme, black pepper, and onion powder BUT nothing screams stuffing like celery. Celery seed is essential and worth a trip to the store to buy some for this recipe.
I mention warming some ingredients to 110º and actually checking to make sure you are not over 110º…do that. That detail is in there to make sure you don’t heat your ingredients too high and kill off all your yeast. Your rolls will not rise if you kill your yeast.
Don’t overwork your dough and don’t add too much flour. You want the dough tacky…what the hell is tacky? Tacky is NOT dry, wet, crumbly, or sticky. Tacky is when you press your palm on the dough and go to pull it away there is a little resistance. It makes a little noise as it lets go of your hand. The dough is supple and hydrated and if you rolled it in flour it would stick but it won’t stick to your hand. Tacky is a weird thing to describe but think of touching a piece of regular tape, that’s tacky.
Watch the Reel to get a visual of each step. As always, leave a comment if you have a question! I’m happy to help. Enjoy!!
P.S. Always test a recipe before Thanksgiving.
Stuffing Rolls
20 rolls • 3.5 hours
Ingredients
75g whole milk
75g water
30g AP flour
113g butter
227g whole milk
50g granulated sugar
84g honey
12g Morton kosher salt