Once I started making my own dinner rolls and realized what a snap they are, I knew I had to try Cloverleaf Rolls next. They’re so buttery and pretty, and you can peel them apart—they’re a food and an activity!
Cloverleaf Rolls begin with the same dough as my original Fluffy Dinner Rolls. The recipes are identical until after the first rise when the dough is punched down and divided into twelve pieces.
Each piece is further divided into three pieces (or four if you want four leaf Cloverleaf Rolls). Those little pieces are rolled into balls and sorted into a buttered muffin tin three at a time. They’ll rise up and the balls will fuse into “leaves” before baking. This is how they get that perfect peelability, not unlike Monkey Bread.
When the rolls are baked and golden, they get brushed with butter and sprinkled with flaky salt—fancy! Served warm, they’re the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving or holiday spread. I like to make them at random throughout the year as well—surprise Cloverleaf Rolls, anyone?
Cloverleaf Rolls
makes 12 dinner rolls
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast*
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
For brushing & garnish:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
flaky salt (I used Maldon)
Read the recipe all the way through before beginning. Instructions for using instant yeast and mixing by-hand are in the notes at the end of the recipe.
In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the buttermilk until it’s between 90-110F (warm to the touch, but not so hot that you can’t comfortably hold a finger in it).
Stir together buttermilk and granulated sugar in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over the top and allow to sit for 5 minutes or until it is a bit bubbly or foamy (sometimes a light stir can help this be more visible). If it doesn’t bubble, your yeast is dead. Discard the mixture, get new yeast, and try again.
In the bowl of a stand mixer* fitted with a dough hook, combine 2 cups of flour and salt. Add butter and buttermilk mixture and mix to combine. Mix in remaining 3/4 cup flour. Knead dough in mixer* for 5 minutes or until smooth and slightly sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free environment for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in bulk.
Meanwhile, heavily butter (or otherwise grease) a 12-capacity muffin tin. Set aside.
Flour a surface. Uncover risen dough and gently punch it down. Place dough on floured surface and pat out into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Flour a large, sharp chef’s knife and slice the rectangle into 12 pieces.
Shape the rolls. Working with one piece at a time, slice it into 3 equal pieces. Working with one smaller piece at a time, use your fingers to pull edges or creases underneath, creating a smooth ball-like appearance. Place in pan, using 3 balls per muffin cup. Repeat until all rolls have been shaped.
Loosely cover the pan of rolls and place in a warm, draft-free environment for 30-45 minutes or until they have puffed over the top of the pan (see pictures).
Meanwhile, place an oven rack in the central or lower position (either will work). Preheat your oven to 400F. Melt the butter for brushing.
Uncover risen rolls. Use a pastry brush to gently brush the tops with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Bake rolls for 19-20 minutes, or until deep golden on top. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter when you remove them from the oven. Sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired.
Let rolls cool 10-15 minutes before serving.
Rolls are best the day they are baked, but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or so.
Notes:
- You may use an equal volume of instant yeast. Add it (and the sugar) directly to the dry ingredients, skipping the blooming step. Add warmed buttermilk and butter directly to the dry ingredients and mix as written above in the paragraph beginning “In the bowl of a stand mixer.” The rises may take about 15 minutes longer than with active dry yeast.
- You may mix this dough in a large mixing bowl with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon.
- You may knead this dough by hand on a floured surface.
Today I’m taking this blog into new territory: bread! You won’t find me feeding any sourdough starters or anything, but I have taken a chance on a few bread recipes over the last year because…well, I had some time on my hands. English Muffin Bread is my favorite by a long shot. It’s got all the craggy structure of English muffins, toasts like a dream, and is so delicious it’s kind of ridiculous.
I first heard about English Muffin Bread when 
My English Muffin Bread is a one bowl, no-knead, single rise situation. By giving this dough just a few minutes of your time and then a bit of patience, you’ll be rewarded with all the craggy texture you love in English muffins, but in a sliceable, toastable loaf. Two of them, actually.
English Muffin Bread couldn’t be easier to make. Simply whisk together flour, a touch of sugar, kosher salt, instant yeast and a little baking soda, then stir in water and melted butter until a shaggy dough forms. Divide your dough in two, then put it in two cornmeal-dusted loaf pans. No, you didn’t miss a kneading step—thanks to the high volume of liquid and the desired texture, there’s no need to knead! <—see what I did there?!
Let your dough rise for about an hour, just until it peaks over the tops of your pans. The combination of yeast and baking soda along with the single rise mean that the oven-ready dough will be very airy and a little delicate. It should be a bit wet looking and a little jiggly—be gentle with the pans so you don’t knock out any of the holey, craggy structure.
Bake your loaves for 25-30 minutes as 400F, until golden all over and hollow-sounding when tapped. If you’re worried about under-baking, a food thermometer should register 190F when the bread is done.
Turn your loaves out onto a rack as soon as they come out of the oven, then let them cool completely. This is supremely important. Do not let the intoxicating smell of fresh-baked bread tempt you to rip into this while it’s cooling or you will find a gross, gummy mess. The hole structure needs to cool completely for maximum English muffin goodness. I find that cooling takes 2-3 hours, but that’s a small price to pay for the quality of toast you are about to consume.
While you can absolutely enjoy a slice of English Muffin Bread without doing anything to it, an extra crispy, golden brown, toasty finish really makes each slice sing. The holes and crags are emphasized, the cornmeal on the edge gets extra crunchy, the minuscule amount of butter in the dough gives it just enough richness. Like a perfectly toasted English muffin, it’s perfect with a smear of soft butter. Or honey. Or jam. Or Nutella. Or peanut butter. Or avocado. Or fried into French toast. Or made into a grilled cheese.
e2 bakes brooklyn 