If Food Is Love, Berry Sweet Rolls Are The Honeymoon!
Every now and then, you want to go all out to show your friends and family the love. Well, like a very popular old slogan, nothing says lovin’, like buns from the oven! I promise you that these Berry Sweet Rolls will get a reaction! If you’ve never made homemade sweet rolls, because you thought it would be too difficult, it’s not. I used to think the same thing. In fact, for many years I had a fear of anything that required baking with yeast. Well, I ‘m certainly over that. Using yeast in baking is super easy. Of all my baking challenges, using yeast is one that’s never failed me. And believe me, I’ve had my share of cooking failures. So, what I’m trying to say is, don’t fear the yeast, give it a try!
Berry Homemade Sweet Rolls Start with the Best Dough!
Instant yeast is sold in the grocery store in little envelopes. They are measured to 2 1/4 teaspoons, perfect. That’s exactly how much you need to make this dough. Warm 1/2 cup milk to 100 degrees. That’s just a guideline, you don’t have to use a thermometer. Basically the milk will feel warm, that’s perfect. Now, sprinkle the top of the milk with the yeast and add a pinch of sugar, Give it a little mix with a spoon. Let it sit about 5 minutes and do it’s thing. It will start to bubble and look “active”. That’s what you want. If you don’t see any action, try again. That’s unlikely to happen unless your milk is just really too hot, like scalding.
Rising To The Occasion – Making The Dough
In a small bowl, add one egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) melted butter. Add the yeast mixture and give it a little stir. In a large bowl, add 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, mix it up. Add the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes together. Take the mixture out of the bowl and onto a floured work surface. I have a wooden board I use for this, but you can put the flour right onto your clean counter top. Kneed the dough until it’s soft and very pliable. This dough is really soft and easy to work with. Pat the dough into a ball. Lightly butter the inside of a bowl. Put the ball of dough into the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic. Set aside. Let the dough rise for about 1 – 2 hours.
Return to the dough, punch it down and reshape it into a ball. Then, cover the top of the dough with more melted butter and cover with plastic. You can use this in about an 3 hours or you can leave it over night, refrigerated.
Making The Berry Sweet Rolls Magic Happen
Now you’re ready to put this together. Preheat your over to 400 degrees. Gather 3 cups of washed, fresh berries, put them in a bowl and mix in 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and set aside. Flour your work surface and roll that dough. You want it to be about 1/4 inches thick and 14 inches wide by about 20 inches long. Now, you can see that mine was far from perfect, that’s ok. Just give it your best shot.
Get Rolling
Once you’ve rolled the dough flat, using a brush, top with the melted butter. Now, sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar evenly across the entire surface. add your berries all over. Now, carefully roll the dough into a long (20 inch) tube. Again, don’t worry if it’s not perfect. Just keep it to that shape as close as possible. Seal the seam.
Cut into one inch pieces. You can bake them any one of a few ways. Either in muffin tins or in cake pans. Make sure the pans are well buttered, then put the cut pieces in the cupcake/muffin pan or if you’re using a cake pan, which I prefer, place them touching, to fill the pan. You can fit about 11-12 in a 8 inch cake pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown. While they are baking, make the icing. In a small bowl add 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 5 tablespoons milk or cream (or optional, use lemon juice and zest of one lemon in place of the milk). Measure a tablespoon at a time, add to milk stirring after each addition. You want it to be a nice thick stream to pour on top of the hot buns. Take the buns out of the oven and immediately top with the icing. Enjoy!
Sweet Rolls with Berry Filling and Icing
Ingredients
For the Sweet Rolls
- 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons melted butter, plus extra for the bowl
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 package instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon)
For the Filling
- 2-3 cups fresh berries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
For the Icing
- 1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons milk (or optional omit milk and use lemon juice and zest of one lemon)
Instructions
- In a saucepan or in a cup in the microwave, heat 1/2 cup milk to 100 degrees (warm). Add instant yeast and a pinch of sugar. Mix and let stand for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, add one egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) melted butter. Add the yeast mixture and mix lightly.
- In a large bowl, add 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, mix it up. Add the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until it comes together.
- Take the mixture out of the bowl and onto a floured work surface. Kneed the dough until it's soft and very pliable. This dough should be very soft and easy to work with. Pat the dough into a ball.
- Melt about a tablespoon of butter and brush the inside of a bowl. Put the ball of dough into the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic. Set aside. Let the dough rise for about 1 1/2- 2 hours.
- Return to the dough, punch it down and shape it back into a ball. Then, cover the top of the dough with more melted butter and cover with plastic. You can use this in about an 3 hours or you can leave it over night.
- Preheat your over to 400 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, add fresh berries, with 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and set aside. Flour your work surface and roll the dough into a shape that is 1/4 inches thick and 14 inches wide by about 22 inches long.
- Using a brush, butter the entire surface of the dough. Then, sprinkle with sugar and add berry mixture. Roll the dough into a 20 inch roll. Seal the seem. Cut into one inch pieces.
- Place pieces into a well buttered 8 or 9 inch cake pan or alternately, bake in a cupcake/muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown.
- Pour icing over top of buns while they are still warm. Serve immediately.
