Buttermilk Rolls
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups regular or non-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
In a small bowl, combine the yeast water and sugar and set aside until bubbles begin to rise to the surface, about 5 minutes.
Warm the buttermilk, oil and salt in a saucepan to about 115 degrees (about 40oC – warm to touch). Transfer to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together with whole wheat flour, baking soda and 2 cups of the white flour. When the yeast is bubbly and dissolved, add it to the buttermilk mixture. Combine the buttermilk mixture and flour mixture. Beat vigorously 100 strokes. Add enough additional white flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and cover with the bowl for 15 minutes.
Uncover and knead well for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
At this point, roll the dough out into a large rectangle, as if to make cinnamon rolls. Roll the dough evenly to about 1/2 inch thickness.
While the dough is resting for 15 minutes, you can start preparing the filling for the rolls. You can get very creative with what you use for filling, but I'll include my simple recipe below.
Savory Filling
8 ounces cream cheese
quarter of a pack of bacon, cubed
2 shallots, chopped
8 mushrooms, such as Shiitake, chopped
coriander, sage, salt, pepper
Cook bacon, shallots and mushrooms. Season to taste with the herbs. When cooked, drain excess fat and combine well with cream cheese.
Assembling the savories
Once the dough has been rolled out and the filling prepared, it is time to assemble the savories. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a small margin around all the edges.
Roll the dough and filling cinnamon roll-style, into a tube shape. Seal the seam and turn it to the bottom of the roll. Slice the roll into 1 inch pieces and place on cookie sheets or baking pans lined with parchment.
Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour. When the rolls have almost finished rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
When the rolls have risen completely, uncover the rolls and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove from pans and enjoy. They are particularly good with a bowl of soup or a salad. They can also be individually wrapped in plastic and frozen.