These rolls make a beautiful compliment to anyone's Thanksgiving table. If timed properly, these can be baked right when the turkey is about to come out of the oven to provide a wonderful accent to the meal.
This recipe is inspired by the Buttermilk Cluster recipe in Country Breads of the World. I made a few minor modifications, such as including a little bit of honey, but in general it is the same thing.
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Combine the warm water and yeast in a small cup and allow to proof for 10 minutes.
Pour the yeast, buttermilk, and honey into the flour mixture and mix well. If the dough is so dry that some of the flour won't stick, add a bit more buttermilk or water. If the dough is too sticky to knead, more like a batter, add more flour by the tablespoon until the correct consistency is achieved.
Knead by machine or hand for approximately 10 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth, and set aside to rise until the dough has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.
Divide the dough into 12 to 18 pieces. If you are a stickler you can scale them so that they are even, but I just cut them roughly the same size. Shape each piece into a neat ball and place in a round dish or spring-form pan close together.
When all of the rolls are in the pan, cover again with plastic or a damp towel and set aside to rise again for 45 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425.
Uncover the rolls and brush gently with the egg wash. Sprinkle on the grain topping, if you like. I used cracked wheat.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the rolls are firm and spring back when tapped.
Unmold the rolls from the pan and serve warm.
This recipe is inspired by the Buttermilk Cluster recipe in Country Breads of the World. I made a few minor modifications, such as including a little bit of honey, but in general it is the same thing.
Buttermilk Cluster
Makes 12 to 18 rolls, depending on size
6 to 6 1/2 cups (750 grams) bread or all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 envelope (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry or instant yeast, or 1 15 gram cake fresh yeast
1 tablespoon warm water
1 3/4 to 2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon honey
Glaze:
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Topping:
1-2 tablespoons seeds (poppy, sesame) or grains (cracked wheat, rolled oats)
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Combine the warm water and yeast in a small cup and allow to proof for 10 minutes.
Pour the yeast, buttermilk, and honey into the flour mixture and mix well. If the dough is so dry that some of the flour won't stick, add a bit more buttermilk or water. If the dough is too sticky to knead, more like a batter, add more flour by the tablespoon until the correct consistency is achieved.
Knead by machine or hand for approximately 10 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth, and set aside to rise until the dough has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.
Divide the dough into 12 to 18 pieces. If you are a stickler you can scale them so that they are even, but I just cut them roughly the same size. Shape each piece into a neat ball and place in a round dish or spring-form pan close together.
When all of the rolls are in the pan, cover again with plastic or a damp towel and set aside to rise again for 45 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425.
Uncover the rolls and brush gently with the egg wash. Sprinkle on the grain topping, if you like. I used cracked wheat.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the rolls are firm and spring back when tapped.
Unmold the rolls from the pan and serve warm.
Comments
Oooh, I love those (thought I don't think you're thinking of boolochki as they're typically not stuffed, at least not where I'm from). Do you have a recipe handy?
Wow!!!! All the pics are wonderful!!! I'm gonna have to try this recipe. YUMM-O!!!
These were the first recipe that I tried from this site in time for Canadian thanksgiving in October.
Mine were very appreciated by the guests and looked wonderful. I also used buttermilk powder, which was a gift from someone coming to mexico from the states.
Thank you Floyd for the great recipe.
How many loaves would it make?
Thanks,
Trish
I made this today. It came out really good. Only my fourth try working with dough, two of the other times were making pizza dough.
Anyway, my dough was initially too dry, I added about 3 addtional ounces of water to be able to work the dough properly.
I was really happy with the bread, I topped it with sesame seads. I think it could have baked maybe 5 minutes or so more, the crust was perfect, but had a slightly yeasty/doughy tasting crumb. Although the texture seemed perfect. Maybe I'm not used to eating such fresh bread.
But after it fully cooled, that yeasty taste went away. Am I correct in thinking it should have baked a little more? I should have stuck a thermometer in it, oh well, next time. This bread was pretty easy to make.
Hi all-
I'd just your thoughts on an overnight retard of the buttermilk cluster. I was thinking maybe I could put the rolls in the fridge after the first rise and when it's formed. I'd like to be able to pull it out the next morning, let it warm up and rise and then bake. Do you think this would work?
TIA for your ideas...
Trish in Omaha
In the front seat of my Jeep (hee hee). We ran out of refrigerator room so we stored a few things in the Jeep (covered with plastic and then a beach towel, of course). It got down to about 17 degrees here last night so our cold garage makes a perfect second refrigerator when necessary. I just retrieved them. They rose nicely during the night. I'll warm them and bake them while the ham rests. (Yep, we're having ham - not too many turkey lovers around this family...). I'll let you know how they turn out.
Trish
Just wanted to report back on my experiment in the overnight retarding of the buttermilk clusters. Given the fact that they sat in a very warm kitchen for about two hours longer than they should have before being baked and the fact that dinner was running late and we really didn't let them rest properly before serving - they were pretty darn good. Top and bottom crusts were a little chewy but the crumb was quite good (except in the middle which was slighly underdone.) Even with all that - every single one was eaten or taken home by family with other leftovers. I will try this again when my timing is better - but I think these rolls can be easily overnighted in a cool place and still be great the next day.
Trish
Stumbled upon the site while looking for help with a kneading bowl. Astounded by the assistance I've received and totally fascinated by everything! Haven't totally figured out how to move around, but I'll get there.
Spotted this recipe while exploring. Really, it was the pictures that made me drool - and just had to have some. Reminded me of Mom's. They weren't great but good enough to enjoy and strive for better the next time. Here are some questions:
Any help will be appreciated. By the way, I keep dry buttermilk on hand, so that was used. These were kneaded by hand and baked in a 9x13 cake pan. I also made fresh fig jam yesterday, so guess what my dessert consisted of? (I've got a wicked grin on my face right now.) Finding y'all is not going to be good for my waistline!
Micki
Like others, I had to add quite a bit extra buttermilk, about 1/2 C. The dough was still very stiff - as stiff, or stiffer than bagel dough even - so I was worried that they would be too tough. But they rose beautifully (I shaped and let slow rise in the fridge overnight) and baked up perfectly. They had a nice, well browned crust on top and had a soft and perfect crumb. I topped them with a combo of flax and sesame seeds which I think looked nice.
Thanks for the recipe. I'm fairly new to bread baking so this was a great recipe to find in time for the holidays.
Cheers!
Brake for Bread
It was beautiful. I used the last bit of a bag of bread flour - a little less than 6 cups, and threw in a loose 1/2 cup of whole wheat flower, and a teaspoon of wheat germ for good measure. The added wheat gave it a rich flavor that I thought really added to the buttermilk taste. My audience seemed to agree! The bread was gone in about 20 minutes!
Ten Mintues later:
Sorry for the poor quality pictures. My camera batteries are dead and I took these with my cell phone camera.
It
It came out a little dense, but I'm sure it's because I'm a newbie and I also added 3 Tbsp of Vital Wheat Gluten. Tastes great though and I'm enjoying the buns with steak and salad tonight.
i made your buttermilk cluster yesterday and it really turned out great.i made some minor modification like i use sugar instead of honey and i added 1 tbsp of margarine.i also dont have buttermilk at hand so i used low fat milk.I divide the dough into 24 pieces and i use 3 small loaf pan.but still it turned out great.thanks for the recipe its a keeper.
I started it the night before since our kitchen is pretty busy on Thanksgiving day. I made up the rolls and let them rise for just a few minutes, then refrigerated them until the turkey came out of the oven. Then I put on the wash and some sesame seeds and baked the rolls. They were ready just as the rest of the meal went to the table.
Thank you floydm for a wonderful recipe. These came out light and tasty, and baked up to a beautiful golden color. Here are a couple of pictures of the results.
and
We had some left over since we were only three for dinner this year, but I may make these again at Christmas when the whole family will be together.
adjustments, especially if you use bread flour. With AP you might need a few grams more, but I would not start out that way. I think you will be able to tell if you hand-knead a few strokes before bulk fermentation. Add a little flour if you have doubts at that point. I used the bread flour called for and followed the recipe as described, and I think I could have formed a free-form loaf with my dough as it was, without adjustments.
Good luck, and come back to let us know how it turned out. Happy Thanksgiving!
OldWoodenSpoon
Made these for thanksgiving, they were very good!! The only real issue I had, was by adding the buttermilk straight from the refrigerator, made the dough very cool. It took a very long time to raise (several hours, not the 90 minutes mentioned in the recipe.) When I make this next time, and there will be a next time, I will probably heat the buttermilk slightly. The dough was easy to work, very dense, made very nice rolls. Will probably try a loaf of bread next time, though. I always make a recipe as directed the first time, then modify from there. Very good, just the right sweetness, too.
with the cold buttermilk. I wonder if I had such good luck because I used a very long refrigerated rise? I shaped the rolls into a springform and left them on the bench for a short time, then put them into the refrigerator until time to bake. About an hour before they went into the oven they came out into the very warm kitchen to warm up on the bench. They had gotten to about 90% proofed in the fridge. I might have just escaped the cold milk issue without even suspecting it. Thanks for the heads-up. I'll watch out for that when I don't use the overnight, refrigerated proof.
These rolls are sure tasty, aren't they.
OldWoodenSpoon
Oh, by the way. My bread/rolls don't always look like the gorgeous pictures on the fresh loaf. These looked EXACTLY like the picture.
That looks awesome! oh dear.
I made this bread a few weeks ago and it worked first time around (yeah), as i'm off wheat and dairy, is used white spelt and combined soya cream and lemon juice to create a buttermilky effect, worked quite well. I made another one just now with spelt, buckwheat and ricemilk. Can't wait to try it.
I would be honored to add my latest foret into baking to this thread. I made a practice run of the Cluster that I plan to bring to a pot luck later in the week. After some playing with the dough to bring it from to dry to to wet to just right, I proofed in the oven after pre-warming it for 30 sec at 400*. I made the butter milk using the whole milk and lemon juice method so am glad that it worked great. This is my new go to bread recipe for parties and special dinners.....
The cluster looks beautiful! I used 1% buttermilk when I made it but am happy to hear that milk+lemon juice method works. We don't always have buttermilk in the fridge.
-Elizabeth
(Too bad we can't get real buttermilk anymore. Isn't it virtually 0% butterfat because it's whatever is left over after churning cream into butter?)
If you shop around for it(in a larger city), you should be able to find what you want. I have access to buttermilks made from skim milk, 1 1/2% milk, and whole milk, at least. This is just at the 2 "neighborhood" supermarkets.
Yes, but I believe that's not "real" buttermilk, mrfrost - the stuff on the supermarket shelves is made from milk that has bacterial culture added to it - sort of like yoghurt.
It would be cool to try actual buttermilk (without resorting to churning our own butter).
-Elizabeth
Thanks for sharing. I made some fromage frais late last week and decided to use this recipe to make some bread with the leftover buttermilk.
If anyone is interested, it also makes fantastic dipping toasts/croutons. We had a wee bit leftover that was past its best. I sliced it finely, brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper and re-baked them, which also brought out the taste of the sesame seeds . One of the best things I've tasted in a long time!
I just made these tonight.
First I measured out 6 cups of flour - then I weighed it. What I found is that my 6 cups weighed over 850g instead of the 750g listed and so I had to remove quite a bit of flour from the bowl. Once I did that, the dough was just right, not too dry with a little over 1 3/4c buttermilk. I also used instant yeast and so did not use any water.
I also found that at 425 degrees, the tops of the rolls got very dark very fast and I think in the future I would drop the temp a little. However, the texture was great - very light and fluffy.
Lastly, I didn't find them to have a lot of flavor; somewhat bland. Perhaps more honey or some sugar next time?
Maybe try shaping it and putting it in the fridge overnight to rise in the fridge to develop the flavour.
-Elizabeth
That's a great idea, ejm, I will try that the next time I make it.
~jonalisa
I just baked this as a practice round for thanksgiving, where I'm supposed to bring the bread. I saw the picture on the front page and had to try it. Delicious and gorgeous. I wish everything I made came out this way. The only problem for my test drive is that the bottom came out a little hard. I could say that I should cook it a bit less than 30 minutes, but I don't think that it would be cooked enough. I have so little experience with this kind of bread that I don't know what correction to make. I followed instructions above completely, but ended up having to add a bit more water on top of the 2 cups of buttermilk - no more than a quarter cup.
Have noticed several comments here about the dough being too tough, overly dense, under-proofed,etc. I'm making these rolls for Thanksgiving, and know that I will have to be prepared to adjust the moisture based on the feel of the dough as it comes together in order to get it right.
The great and brilliant Danielle Forestier said it best when it comes to bread recipes: "There is no formula for water." In this case, that would cover buttermilk, or in any liquid, whatever recipe you're using.
Her lesson -- and I have learned to take it seriously after years of experimenting -- is that the measurement for flour should be treated as an exact requirement while the liquid can adjust up or down within a very broad range.
This is where the feel you have developed for the dough becomes critical. There is no exact amount; it totally depends on the hydration of the flour (which varies much more than I ever imagined). The only way to know when you have added enough is by literally touching the dough and feeling if it is in the right range for the kind of bread you want to make. It's art! If the dough feels tough and unyielding, it's too dry, regardless of what the recipes says. (Unless you're making bagel or something else that calls for a very stiff dough.)
This is why we love bread-baking, yes?
Good morning all...
I have been eyeing this recipe for some time and finally decided to try it last nite, for today's Thanksgiving Dinner. BTW, Bravo to all you folks who test recipes before the 'big day'. I never do and just hope for the best. i figure others can learn from my mistakes if it gets messed up. And ok it's immediate family only so no need to impress : )
I have absolutely no idea how this will come out. I made it in my Viking Stand Mixer as one of my last recipes of the nite. So the verdict will come to you all later this evening!
I read and re-read all comments before starting. Then I just made what I hope were a combination of good changes (?) along the way. Funny I've read so many comments and books about building flavor and character that i can't remember what process, goes with what bread type. So my thoughts may be way off base, feel free to laugh, and then please educate me. : )
Starting with Floyd's original recipe I stuck to the recommended amount of flour; using a little over 6C. I didn't have bread flour so I used KAF all purpose.
I have no idea if this will help with tenderness; but I SIFTED all of the flour before I began. (Gosh it looks like silk once sifted) anyway, no, I didn't re-measure I just went with that amount. I used the SAF Red Instant Yeast... so I didn't moisten the yeast I just added it at the beginning with dry ingredients.
And utilizing what I gathered from the comments I changed the liquid amount. I decided to go 2 full cups of buttermilk. (Oh remind me to post on authentic buttermilk in new topic - so much easier than you would imagine if you use a stand mix.) I used store bought buttermilk for this. I also used two Tablespoons of Honey instead of one, hoping to counteract the 'blandness folks wrote about.
Now I'm a 'year old' newbie to bread baking and that is intermittent at best. So my thoughts may not be correct, I will definitely post after we, hopefully, devour it...OR after we laugh, about the brick I made ~time will tell.
Because it was so late at nite I did the first 90 minute proofing as you normally would. It did not double in bulk, about 1/3 I'd say at best, it was smooth but heavy! (This is the texture it was after kneading with dough hook after initial mix)
Then I kneaded a tiny bit by hand using the 'folding' technique you use with French bread (hoping to add flavorful character)? I cut into 12 pieces (no weighing, just by eye). I rolled them and placed in a PAM sprayed round cake pan.
Ok I was falling asleep, so skipping the next 45 mins rise before cooking I proofed in fridge overnite....covered it with a damp cloth first and went to bed. (actual fridge time 6 hours.) Took it out this morning and was pleasantly surprised at the rising that took place. Prior to this it hardly proofed at all.
Now it is sitting on the stovetop with a large bowl over it. I don't want to cook until last minute, so it will sit there until 1pm (yikes) PLEASE DO TELL if this is a mistake. Then I thought I'd cook it while turkey is 'setting'.
My family doesn't like poppy, sesame... or any of what I call great toppings, I'll glaze and conservatively sprinkle with sugar before cooking. Please respond with tips, advice, oh no's, etc I'd love to hear from you. Thank you bread baking family, the only other group I'm not concerned about failing in front of. We all learn from each other right! : )))
God Bless, I'll keep you posted and welcome your comments.
-gardenchef
So? I'm dying to hear. Did it turn out?
It sounds like it was going to work (as long as it didn't rise too much before you baked it).
I love that you just went ahead and winged it without testing first. That's MUCH more fun!
As for when to bake the bread, if it had been me, I would have been inclined to bake the bread in the morning before putting the bird in the oven, cool the bread completely on a wire rack and then just reheat it gently just before dinner. But I can't wait to hear that using your method worked out fabulously.
And if you find you didn't love the bread, you can always chop it up, let it air-dry or freeze it and use it to make stuffing for the next holiday feast.
-Elizabeth
(Thank you for dropping by and commenting at my blog.)
Hi E
So sorry for delay. I can't even write at the moment but hated to keep you waiting..
Long story short, with photos and details to follow. It was DELICIOUS, I wouldn't change a spec of measurements I adjusted. And I did an egg white sugar wash on top
My only issues came with the proofing, no problem just too long of a wait and I didn't have a high enough pan. (After my initial 45min proof, into the fridge it went for 5 hours, then brought to room temp with it continuing to rise for 8 more hours due to lack of cooking space. LOL! I kept moving it to larger base but low sided pans resulting in a flatter loaf but with all the flavor and 'crumb' that I would have expected from a higher (much more photogenic) loaf.
You are right, I could easily have baked it the nite before or earlier in the the day...here we are 2 days after baking, one roll left and I had it toasted with butter and drizzled honey last nite -to die for IMHO, will do so today as well.
My 'Country White Bread' doesn't last an hour in the his house. But with all the Thanksgiving food we had and the fact that it had the buttermilk tang (I didn't tell any of my loving bland-palleted family) it lasted longer. I'm determined to expand the palletes of my loved ones!!!!!
So much more to write later. Though I would stand by my adjustments made (a lucky guess), and previously written. Obviously I couldn't have made those adjustments of it weren't for the kind folks on this forum that share their experiences as well!
Elizabeth re: I love that you just went ahead and winged it without testing first. That's MUCH more fun!
You are so right it is more fun, but you have to be willing to expect disasters that are thrown away, as well Such as my first attempt at pastry creme that never thickened this week, my ganache (first attempt) was awesome though.
Talk soon, I'll follow your blog and recommend it, it's lovely. I'd appreciate if you do the same for me; though it'll be a few weeks till I'm writing everyday. There's plenty to read now just not all regarding baking.
http://www.footbridgecove.blogspot.com
Have a Wonderful Day, sending baking hugs your way
`cathy
PS I need assistance...directions on inserting photos? New Macbook and I'm not I-photo literate yet!
It sounds great, Cathy!
And NO need to apologize for any delay in reply! Sometimes I forget for weeks to come back here. Writing every day? Are we supposed to write every day in our blogs?!
-Elizabeth
For inserting photos here, this Posting Photos FAQ might help?
It occurs to me that you may be talking about inserting photos in your blogger blog, Cathy. Here again is the link to how to insert photos on this forum
And here are links to possible sources of help for blogger blogging:
-Elizabeth
I rarely buy buttermilk as I only need a cup or two of it then the rest goes bad. In the past I've frozen left over buttermilk to use as needed but finally got to the point of why bother. I bought buttermilk solid powder now. For this recipe I substituted condenced milk and added some buttermilk powder. It was awesome.
I opened a can of tomato soup and that was my dinner.
I've often used plain yoghurt in place of buttermilk. It works just as well.
-Elizabeth
Just beautiful!I'm going to try them soon.
Thanks for sharing the photos and recipe!
I bake my first BBQ pork fillings pumpkin milk cluster last night. This plate is the electric pot lid.
It's very good looking bread. I like it so much.
Thanks for this good idea!
Happylina
Looks perfect, and the texture is, too...
I subbed kefir for buttermilk -- could this be why there is almost no taste to this pretty bread?