Cooking Lesson #703: Sweet Yeasties -- Texas Roadhouse Rolls Recipe Hack

… from the Perspectives Kitchen

How you doin’? Are you a bread lover? I am! I know for some people it has been popular to skip the carbs and go right to the meat on the plate, but that breadbasket on the table in restaurants serves an important purpose.
 
One of the symptoms of low blood sugar is hunger—that’s when people go to restaurants, right? Hunger signals to the brain, feed me! When you are hungry you can get a bit grumpy and short-tempered. That’s why so many restaurants like to get some food in their guests while they are having their first drink and looking through the menu. You’ve seen it—chips and salsa at Mexican cantinas, Chinese crispy noodles at Asian restaurants and the proverbial breadbasket at Texas Roadhouse. Today many restaurants skipped the table starters to save a few pennies… that’s so wrong. Well-fed guests are happy guests.

If you’ve ever been to Texas Roadhouse you know how addictive their pillowy soft, honey baked rolls are. These guys are smart to let you fill up on bread long before any of the other food arrives to the table. You are fulfilled, relaxed and as contented as a pig in mud. Guests may not remember the steak, but everyone talks about the rolls!
 
Richard, my Long Island bakery client, was approached by Texas Roadhouse to make a frozen knock-off of their tasty little squares—that’s when Sweet Yeasties were invented, and they were so good and a dead-on match. What we found is they were simple to make, and everyone loves them.
 
So, here’s my hack for Sweet Yeasties. As with most of my recipes, you already have a lot of the ingredients on hand in your pantry—water, eggs, flour, butter, sugar, honey and, maybe even a fresh package of active dry yeast. I love this recipe and I bet you will, too.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Proof time:  2 hours
Bake time:  12 to 15 minutes
Yield:  24 rolls
 
Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water, not over 105⁰ F
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
3/4 cup honey
7-1/2 to 8 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly whisked
2 teaspoons kosher salt
 
Directions

1. Place the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a low boil to scald and remove from heat immediately. Cool to room temperature.
2. Melt the butter and set aside.
3. Using the bread hook attachment in a stand mixer, combine yeast, warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Allow the yeast to bloom. It will become foamy and aromatic.
4. Add the remaining sugar, honey, scalded milk and half of the flour to the yeast mixture. Beat for two minutes.
5. Add 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, eggs and salt.
6. Continue to knead, slowly adding the remaining flour until mixture is fully blended, slightly sticky and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for an additional 5-8 minutes.
7. Lightly coat a large mixing bowl with food release spray. Turn the dough into bowl turning once to cover with cooking spray. Cover the bowl with a moist towel and set it in a warm draft-free place for about an hour—the bread should double in size. Punch the dough down to de-gas it and turn it out onto a very lightly floured surface.
8. Roll the dough to a half-inch thick rectangle. Fold over in half, on top of itself, Roll again, fold one more time.
9. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares, transferring to a lightly coated sheet pan. Cover the cut dough with a moistened towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
10. Preheat oven to 350⁰ F.
11. Bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes, or until tops are very lightly browned.
12. Remove the rolls from the oven and immediately brush with the remaining 3 tablespoons of melted butter.
13. Serve hot.
14. Sweet Yeasties can be stored at room temperature in an airtight plastic bag.

ChefSecret:  In a recent email from Richard he reminded me that we sold the roll at a client’s restaurant FRIED and jelly filled! So, make them either way or both ways for a real restaurant-quality treat right in your own home.
​ 
Quip of the Day:  Q. What is it called when you steal a rich person’s dinner rolls? 
​                                A.  Highfalutin gluten lootin’! 
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross.

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                                                                   ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

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