This is my grandmother’s bran roll recipe. She made them every holiday. She would set some of the dough aside to make pecan rolls in the morning, using the rest for dinner rolls. They are also perfect little baked morsels for post-meal snacking on turkey or ham. Unlike most of the recipes that I post, there is no green chile involved. However, there’s no reason not to modify the mix, adding a tablespoon or so of chile powder or ground chile. It is easier to add a strip of roasted green in there with the turkey or ham, but I have no issues with recipe modification if you need a chile fix in your baked goods.
Bran Refrigerator Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 packages of dry yeast
- 1 Cup warm (not hot) water
STEP 1: Activate the yeast. Water should be about 110 degrees if dry yeast is used, 85 degrees if compressed yeast is used. Dissolve yeast in warm water to activate. Set aside.
- 1 Cup shortening
- ¾ Cup sugar
- 1 Cup bran
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 Cup boiling water
STEP 2: Combine shortening, sugar, bran, salt, and water in a large bowl. Stir until shortening melts and allow it to cool to lukewarm.
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 6 ½ Cups flour
STEP 3: Add 1 cup of flour to the shortening mixture and beat until smooth.
STEP 4: Add yeast mixture and beaten eggs. Mix well. Add remaining flour.
STEP 5: Place in a large, greased bowl. Grease surface of dough by flipping the ball of dough in the bowl. Cover the dough to keep it from drying out and chill in refrigerator until you are ready to use it. The dough will rise in the refrigerator.
Dough can be used for pecan, cinnamon rolls as well as dinner rolls. The directions below are for dinner rolls.
Baking Bran Rolls
STEP 1: Form dough into rolls and place into greased baking pan. When forming dough, make 1 – 1.5 inch balls. Flatten into a circle. Dip top in lukewarm (not hot) melted butter. Fold in half with butter to the inside and pinch edge to seal.
STEP 2: Let rise until they double in size (1 ½ – 2 hours). To speed up the process, put a small bowl of hot water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Put pan of rolls on the top shelf and close the door.
STEP 3: Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until brown. The bottoms brown better in metal pans. The rolls tend to brown on top before they brown on bottom when baked in glass.
Please leave your recipe modifications, or any questions that you may have, in the comments.