Okay, here’s my attempt at a blog post about making beer yeast rolls, written in a casual, personal style:
So, I’ve been on this baking kick lately, right? And I had some leftover beer yeast from… well, from making beer! I figured, why not try some rolls? I’d seen some recipes floating around, and honestly, they looked pretty easy.
First thing I did was gather up all my stuff. You know, the usual suspects: flour, a bit of sugar, some salt. I warmed up some milk – not too hot, just enough so it wouldn’t kill the yeast. I think I stuck my finger in it to test it? Yeah, that’s what I did. The pinky test, classic.
Mixing It Up
I dumped the yeast into the warm milk with the sugar and let it sit for a few minutes. It got all bubbly and foamy, which is how you know it’s alive and kicking. Then, I poured that into a big bowl with the flour and salt. I started mixing it with a spoon, but that got old fast.
So, I ditched the spoon and went in with my hands. It’s way more fun, anyway. It was pretty sticky at first, but I kept kneading it, adding a little more flour as I went. You just kind of feel it out, you know? Eventually, it turned into this nice, smooth ball of dough.
Letting It Rise
I greased up another bowl (I hate doing dishes, but what can you do?), plopped the dough in there, and covered it with a damp towel. Then, the waiting game began. I put it in a warm spot – near the oven, actually, since I had it on low for something else – and let it do its thing. It’s amazing how much it rises! Double the size easy. Like seriously.
Shaping and Baking
After about an hour, maybe a little longer (I was watching TV, lost track of time), I punched the dough down. It’s kind of satisfying, punching dough. Then I divided it up into little balls – I wasn’t super precise about it, just eyeballed it. I got, like, a dozen-ish rolls, I think.
I put the rolls on a baking sheet that I’d greased up with some butter. Let it rest some more, about 20 minutes to rest and proof a little more. I preheated the oven to, uh… I think it was 375 degrees Fahrenheit? Yeah, 375. Then I popped them in and baked them until they were golden brown. Again, I kind of just eyeballed it. Maybe 20 minutes? 25?
The Finished Product
They smelled amazing! Seriously, the whole house smelled like freshly baked bread. I let them cool for a few minutes (the hardest part!), and then I slathered one with butter and took a bite. The tasted delicious and I really enjoyed them. They were soft, a little bit chewy, and had that nice, yeasty flavor. Definitely a win!
I don’t make that much bread, but this was very fun to do and I recommend you give this a shot, it’s not as hard as you think.
