THE RECIPE

Butternut Squash Dinner Rolls

serving size:  10 dinner rolls

prep time:  45 minutes

rising time:  overnight, plus 1 hour

baking time: 15-20 minutes

 

1/2 cup pureed butternut squash

1/8 cup white sugar

1/8 cup turbinado sugar

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup scalded milk

1/8 oz, or 1 1/8 teaspoon, or 1/2 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 1/8 cup lukewarm water (100-110 degrees F)*

4 tablespoons butter

2 1/2 cups flour

 

First, peel squash and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.  Steam or boil until tender.  Gently mash with a fork.  Cool.  Add to sugars, salt, nutmeg, allspice, butter and scalded milk.  Cool to lukewarm and add dissolved yeast, then flour.  Mix to distribute ingredients, and barely knead.  Cover dough with a cloth on a large baking sheet or in a large bowl and keep in a warm place to rise overnight.  (I left mine in an unheated oven which stays fairly warm from the pilot lights.  Just don't forget your rising dough in the interim and turn on the oven!) 

 

The next day, your dough should have doubled in size.  Remove from bowl and turn onto a floured board or table top.  Shape into biscuits by hand, or roll out and cut.  Place rolls side by side on a greased baking sheet and allow to rise again in a warm place, about 1 hour.  When the cuties have doubled in size again, bake them in a preheated 375 degree oven.  This could be the last of your recipes to complete before sitting at the table.  It makes perfect sense to remove the turkey from the 325 degree oven, increase heat for your rolls and bake for 15-20 minutes.  You can brush with butter or sage butter about 5-10 minutes before they're done and they'll arrive buttery hot to the Thanksgiving table.

 

*Using active yeast in breads can be daunting, but have faith.  It is easy to proof the yeast:  simply proof this amount of dissolved yeast with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and subtract that amount of sugar from the amount required in the recipe.  In ten minutes, the mixture should double in size by foaming.  That means the yeast is active and you can proceed!

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