sour cream pocketbook rolls

I have recently been overstuffed with food.  This past weekend we traveled with Gerrit’s family down to Birmingham to see Wicked (which was incredible), and on our way we had Five Guys, which I had totally been craving, and afterwards we went to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner and, of course, cheesecake.  I had actually never been to The Cheesecake Factory before, despite living two minutes down the road from one for all of last year.  And while I found their portions to a bit, uhm, excessive, my salmon was really good and the cheesecake was heavenly.

And on top of all of that, I had made us steak and roasted potatoes on Saturday for no other reason than that it was Saturday (and we had been cleaning and pulling weeds and trimming hedges in the yard for several hours that afternoon).  And to go with the steak, I made these rolls.  And even though I have finally about perfected cooking steak on the stove with butter and olive oil (really, these were probably some of the best steaks I have ever made), what really made my jaw drop about this meal was these rolls.  And considering how much I love steak, that’s impressive.

Of course, in typical fashion, I didn’t really think I would love these rolls.  Because sour cream?  Not my favorite ingredient.  I know it’s needed in all kinds of cakes, and I don’t have a problem with it there, when it’s just in the background for a bit of tang and a lot of moisture.  But as it was going into this bread it smelled extra pungent, as if was going to compete with the flavor of the yeast and the butter.

It turned out to be perfect though.  These rolls were fluffy and light, while still having the weight of a bit of denseness so that they felt substantial.  They were buttery with the perfect hint of something in the background, something that I probably wouldn’t be able to pinpoint if I hadn’t known that they were sour cream rolls.  They still have that coveted risen yeast flavor, and the butter that you brush in the middle of them before you cook them seems to cook into the bread somehow, giving it a golden flavor.

And on Monday night (and Tuesday night), when we were still stuffed from the weekend and scrounging around the kitchen for something light for dinner, I was so glad that we still had some of these rolls.  Even days later, when they had lost that warm magic and were getting a bit drier, they were still perfect with my supper, the exact fluff I want in a homemade dinner roll.

Sour Cream Pocketbook Rolls
from Granny’s Drawers Cookbook via Southern Living Magazine

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Wait Time: 8 hours, 45 minutes (or up to 24 hours)
Bake Time: 15 minutes

Makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen

1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt
2 (1/4 oz.) envelopes active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water*
2 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter

1. In a small saucepan, combine sour cream, butter, sugar, and salt.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until butter is melted and mixture is well combined.  Remove from heat and let cool (it needs to cool down to 115 degrees at a minimum, so as not to kill the yeast later on).
2. In a one-cup liquid measuring cup, combine yeast and warm water.  Stir to combine and set aside for about 5 minutes, until the yeast mixture becomes bubbly.
3. In a large bowl combine eggs, flour, yeast mixture, and sour cream mixture.  Stir with a wooden spoon until well blended.  Then cover and chill for 8 to 24 hours.
4. Divide the risen dough into fourths.  Shape each fourth into a ball and roll it out to 1/4 inch thick.  Using a 2 1/2 inch round cutter, cut rolls out of the dough.  With the leftover scraps, you can re-roll them and cut more, but be aware that these may not rise as much as the first ones you cut because they have been worked a bit more.
5.  In a small bowl in the microwave, or in a small saucepan on the stove, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.  Brush each round roll with melted butter.  Then make a crease down the middle of each one with a knife, and fold each round into half, pinching the edges together to seal it.  Place rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet (preferably a jelly roll pan), with the sides slightly touching.  Cover and let rise for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Once the rolls have risen, bake them for 12-15 minutes, until they are lightly golden brown.  Serve rolls warm with butter.

*The hottest water from your tap should do just fine.