Parker House Rolls

Note: The milk shouldn't be hot for this bread—just at that point of warm when you realize it's not chilled any more. 30 seconds or so in the microwave is just about enough. If it still seems chilly, microwave in short increments, until it feels just warm—not hot.

Special equipment: Stand mixer

Ingredients

serves Makes 12 rolls, active time 25 minutes, total time 2 hours, 25 minutes

• 1 1/4 cups (about 10 ounces) warm milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 11 1/4 ounces (about 2 1/4 cups) bread flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt

Procedures

1. Put the milk, yeast, bread flour, sugar, and potato flakes in the bowl of your stand mixer. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough will be quite stiff at this point.
   
2. Add the butter and salt and continue kneading until the butter is completely incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until the dough has doubled in size, about an hour.
   
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Turn out the dough, pat it down to flatten it. Fold the left side towards the middle, then the top, then the right side, and the bottom to form a rough square.
   
4. With a rolling pin, roll the dough to about 9 by 12 inches. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into three 12-inch strips, then cut each strip into 4 equal pieces, so you have 12 squares.
   
5. Using a chopstick, the handle of a wooden spoon, or a similar object, press a line onto each square going straight across (not diagonally) so it's not quite across the center of the square. This will help keep the dough from unfolding when it bakes. Fold the dough over at the crease, with the larger portion folded over the smaller one, like a clam with an overbite.
   
6. Arrange the folded dough on the baking sheet, leaving space between them if you don't want them to touch, or placing them nearly touching if you prefer pull-apart buns. Cover the buns with plastic wrap and set aside until doubled in size, half the time it took for the first rise (about 30 minutes).
   
7. When the buns have doubled in size, bake at 350°F until the buns are nicely browned, about 25 minutes. Remove the buns from the pan and let them cool on a rack. Serve the same day.

Cranberry Sauce Cinnamon Rolls

Special equipment: stand mixer, 9- by 13-inch pan, or two 8-inch cake pans, rolling pin, saucepan

Ingredients

serves Makes 12 cinnamon rolls, active time 30 minutes, total time 2 hours, 30 minutes

• For the Rolls
• 2 cups all purpose (about 8 ounces) flour
• 3 cups (about 24 ounces) whole wheat flour
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks) at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups (about 10 ounces) milk
• 1/3 cup (about 2.33 ounces) granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 can (14 or 15 ounces) cranberry sauce, divided
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (about 3 3/4 ounces) light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
•  
• For the Glaze
• 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce
• 1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups (about 12 ounces) confectioners' sugar

Procedures

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook or paddle attachment, combine the flour and yeast. Set to the side for the moment.
   
2. In a large saucepan, combine the butter, milk, granulated sugar, salt, and 1 tablespoon of cranberry sauce. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted and the milk is warm.
   
3. Add the warm milk mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer. Mix on low speed for just about a minute, until incorporated. Add the eggs. Continue to mix on low for about 6 minutes, or until the dough is shiny and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
   
4. Transfer the dough to an oiled or buttered large bowl, and cover with a towel. Allow to rise in a warm spot for an hour.
   
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch pan, or two 8-inch cake pans.
   
6. Remove the dough from the bowl and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle (about 18- by 14- inches).
   
7. Remove the remaining cranberry sauce from the can. Separate 2 tablespoons (you'll use that for the glaze). Now, spread all the rest (most of the can) on top of the dough.
   
8. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly on top of the cranberry sauce.
   
9. Carefully roll the dough into a long roulade type log, starting on the long end.
   
10. Use a large, sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Place the dough into the greased pan or pans.
    
11. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the buns are browned on top and not sticky in the center. If you're in doubt, either insert a wooden skewer to test, or remove one pan from the oven and lift one of the rolls using a small spatula. It shouldn't be sticky on the bottom.
    
12. Remove from the oven. While the buns cool, make the glaze. In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberry sauce, milk, and butter. Once the butter is melted, remove from heat. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar.
    
13. Once the buns have cooled, add the glaze. Serve lightly warm.

Mini Muffin Tin Cinnamon Rolls

Special equipment

24-cup mini muffin tin, whisk

Ingredients

serves makes 24 mini rolls

• For the Cinnamon Rolls
• 1/2 17.3 ounce package frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 6 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
•  
• For Glaze
• 2/3 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoon heavy cream, plus more if needed

Procedures

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 24 cup mini muffin tin with butter. In a small bowl, whisk together light brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon; set aside.
   
2. For the Cinnamon Rolls: Place puff pastry, long side facing you, on a lightly floured surface. Brush with butter. Top pastry with cinnamon sugar mixture, leaving a 1/4-inch border around all sides. Roll pastry up, jellyroll style, into a log. Brush top with butter and cut into 1/2-inch rolls. Place a roll cut-side down in each muffin tin. Bake until pastries are puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool then run a sharp knifE around sides of pastries and release from pan.
   
3. For the Glaze: Whisk together confections sugar and heavy cream, adding cream by the teaspoon until a thick yet pourable consistency is reached. Drizzle over cinnamon rolls. Let sit for 15 minutes or until set.