Catfish Out of Water

I didn't start out making eggnog dinner rolls. Rather, I had this rather odd dilemma on Christmas where everything that I was planning on making required milk! I did have milk for exactly this purpose. But not quite that much milk!

This is because I don't tend to cook with a lot of milk. I would absolutely eat cheese with every single dish! But milk isn't something that I have just lying around. And I entirely failed to take this into account going into the day. I just kept thinking that I have milk. How much could I possibly need??

Apparently more! So, in a lot of my holiday recipes this year, I substituted the milk for eggnog and just drank whiskey straight up.

Baking is a very exacting science that I have absolutely no patience for! This is adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction's Soft Dinner Rolls recipe. With the obvious addition of eggnog, instead of milk. I also baked the rolls in cast iron because that's what I predominantly cook in and I also ran out of other baking dishes.

Gallery

Holidays can be a tough time to get adequate photos of! I ended up eating all of the rolls before getting a good picture. The next time that I make them I'll add in some better photos! But for now? You'll just have to trust me that they were delicious! We tend to eat with our eyes before or mouths and "final photos" don't look nearly as appetizing as they should. But holidays are more for eating than food blogging!

What to Make Along w/ Eggnog Dinner Rolls

For the rest of the recipes that I made during Christmas this year, along with a breakdown of how to get them all in and out of the oven in time for dinner! Check out my blog on the pandemic holiday season. I also have a fun Christmas burritos to make with the leftovers. As well as a rundown of Thanksgiving this year as well.

Coronavirus Christmas

Christmas Leftover Burrito w/ Pumpkin Rice Mashed Potatoes

Pandemic Thanksgiving

Dinner Rolls w/ Eggnog

Eggnog dinner rolls are a combination of holiday spirit and running out of milk! But milk, cream, and even eggnog, in this case, are are quite similar. The main difference is different fat content. In some recipes you cannot substitute them, but it does work with rolls here! And I have made similar swaps with other breads before. Nevertheless, they ended up a delicious addition to my Christmas feast! One that I will definitely have to repeat for years to come. The subtle extra creaminess a festive addition. Great served with additional eggnog.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Proof Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 14 rolls

Equipment

• Microwave (or other way to heat milk)
• Large Bowl (or Mixer w/ Dough Hook Attachment)

Ingredients

  

• 1 c. eggnog (or whole milk), warm
• 2 ¼ tsp. yeast (1 packet)
• 1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. unsalted butter softened (60 g.)
• 2 tbsp. sugar granulated or baking
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 + 2 c. all-purpose flour (400 g.)

Instructions

 

Make Dough

• Heat the eggnog until warm, but not hot. It should be just above body temperature at around 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

  This doesn't have to be exact. It just has to be warm enough to activate the yeast without being so hot that it kills it.
• Whisk together the warm eggnog, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, or until the yeast has bubbled and created a light foam on top.

  If the yeast doesn't rise, let proof in a slightly warmer location, such as in the warm sun or near a heater.
• Once the yeast has proofed, add yeast mixture, softened butter, egg, salt, and 1 cup flour to a large bowl. Mix either by hand or with a mixer with a dough hook attachment until incorporated.
• Add the remaining 2 cups flour and beat until soft and pliable. This should take at least 2 minutes in a mixer and far longer by hand! The exact time of which will vary depending on the amount of elbow grease that you put in. You're really just mixing until a pliable dough is formed. It should still be a little bit sticky, but not so much that you can't work with it.

  If the dough is still too sticky to knead, add in 1 tablespoon of flour at a time and beat until incorporated. This tends to happen on particularly humid days or at various altitudes.

  If you're doing this by hand, it will help to turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

First Rise

• Once the dough is soft and pliable, place in a lightly greased bowl and cover. Let rise in a warm area for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Shape Rolls

• After the first rise, punch down the dough to release air bubbles and divide into 14 roughly equal-sized pieces.
• Lightly roll the dough into a ball and place about an inch apart on a greased baking dish or cast iron skillet.

Second Rise

• Cover the rolls and let rise for another hour, or until puffy.
• When the rolls are about halfway through the second rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

  It can help to place the oven rack on the lower part of the oven to prevent the tops of the rolls from browning too quickly.

Bake

• After the second rise, melt an additional 2 tablespoons butter and lightly brush the tops of the rolls.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops of the rolls are golden brown.

This recipe is adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction's Soft Dinner Rolls.