Every year, several weeks prior to Thanksgiving, my husband and I begin to plan our menu. He usually fries several turkeys, makes green bean almondine, and I usually cover the rest of the meal from side dishes to desserts. The only item we didn’t make were the dinner rolls. We always placed an order for rolls at Great Harvest Bread Company . The Virginia Rolls with Herbs were the best rolls on the planet (trust me that is no exaggeration) and they were right around the corner from my house! It was perfect. On Thanksgiving Day, I would place the rolls directly into the oven to reheat and fill the house with the smell of bread baking. It was a wonderful smell and the added bonus was everyone thought I made the rolls myself.
Last year, several months before Thanksgiving I was driving by my trusted Thanksgiving roll secret spot, and low and behold they were gone. I couldn’t believe it; where would I get my perfect Thanksgiving meal accompaniment? So I decided it was time to make my own.
I dusted off my breadmaker and searched the internet far and wide to figure out what was in the Great Harvest Bread Company Virginia Rolls. I determined the key ingredients were potatoes, basil, and oregano. Below is my interpretation of a beloved dinner roll. I hope you enjoy.
Courtesy of Sweet Home Georgia
For step by step photos visit: Herb Dinner Rolls – Sweet Home Georgia
Ingredients
1 Cup Water
1 Large Egg
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Butter
1 Teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Tablespoons Dry Powdered Milk
2 Tablespoons Instant Potato Flakes
2 Teaspoons Dried Basil
2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
3 1/4 Cups Bread Flour
1 Tablespoon Instant Yeast
Directions
- Add the ingredients in the order listed by your bread machine manufacturer.
- Select dough cycle and push start. (I tried to take a picture of the dough ball but it’s constantly moving)
- When cycle is done, remove the dough to a lightly floured board, divide into 12 – 24 pieces. I usually weigh the entire loaf and divide by 12 so I know how much each individual roll should weight.
- Shape each piece into a roll and place in a lightly greased muffin pan.
- Cover and let rise until double in size (about 50 – 60 minutes). If you have a cold kitchen, your rise time might be longer. I usually place my rolls on top of my stove with the oven turned on to low (I have a stove/oven combo unit).
- Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 12 – 20 minutes (depending on size) or till golden.(smaller rolls will be done closer to 12 minutes – larger rolls closer to 20). I partially baked my rolls in order to continue baking them on Thanksgiving Day.
*Note: You may brush with an egg wash prior to baking (1 egg + 4 Tbls. water) or brush with butter straight out of the oven…or leave plain! You can also add sesame seeds or poppy seeds on the rolls after you egg wash them prior to baking!
