No-Knead Knot Rolls

My week with the kids. Christmas. Brianna had the kids Christmas Eve and morning. They came to my house at 1 PM Christmas Day with their bags of presents. Aiden had gotten basketball shoes. Zaria had gotten three of the smaller items on her list. They were happy. They presented me with cards they'd made. I put them on the refrigerator.

I'd made a small Christmas afternoon meal at home — hot chocolate with whipped cream, sugar cookies the kids and I had decorated together. Light fuel for Mama's heavy Christmas dinner at 5.

Mama's Christmas was even bigger than Thanksgiving. Standing rib roast. Mac and cheese. Greens. Sweet potatoes. Dinner rolls. Cranberry sauce. Three pies. Cheryl had cooked for two days straight. Pop sat at the head of the table — the medicine was holding, his sugar was steady, his color was good. He led grace. He thanked God by name for each grandchild. He thanked God for Marc. He cried a little. So did Cheryl. So did I.

The kids tore through the presents Cheryl had under her tree. Aiden got a Tigers jersey (Pop had picked it out). Zaria got an apron with her name embroidered on it. She put it on immediately. She wore it for the rest of the night. She was a small Cheryl in apron form. The line.

I drove the kids home at 9 PM. They both fell asleep in the car. I carried them into the house one at a time, put them to bed. I sat in the living room with a glass of bourbon. The world was good. The world was good.

Mama’s Christmas table had everything — the standing rib roast, the mac and cheese, the greens — but the dinner rolls were the thing I kept reaching for all night, the thing that soaked up every last bit of good on that plate. I’ve been trying to recreate that feeling at my own table ever since, and these no-knead knot rolls come closer than anything else I’ve found. Soft, pull-apart, golden on top — the kind of bread that makes a meal feel like it means something, the kind Zaria might learn to make herself one day in that embroidered apron.

Prep Time: 15 min (plus 1 hr 30 min rise) | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 2 hr 5 min | Servings: 12 rolls

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm whole milk (about 110°F)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing
1 large egg, room temperature
Flaky sea salt for topping (optional)

Instructions

Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm milk, melted butter, and egg. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky — that’s correct.
First rise. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Shape the knots. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 8 inches long, then tie it into a loose knot, tucking the ends underneath. Place knots 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Second rise. Cover loosely and let the shaped rolls rest for 25–30 minutes, until noticeably puffed.
Preheat oven. While rolls rise, heat oven to 375°F.
Bake. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown. Rotate the pan halfway through for even color.
Butter and finish. As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, brush generously with melted butter. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

No-Knead Knot Rolls — The Dinner Rolls That Finished Mama’s Table