Skillet Rolls — The Bread That Comes Alongside

The yard cleaned up Saturday. The mums on the porch. The pumpkins on the steps. Tuesday at the church. Bernice's Table fed eighty this week. The kitchen team handled it. I am the conductor and they are the orchestra and we are getting better every week.

Calvin preached Sunday on the Beatitudes. The church said amen. A new face at Bernice's Table this week. A young woman with a baby. I gave her two plates. She thanked me. I told her, baby, come every Tuesday.

Oxtails Sunday. Browned. Slow-braised. Served over rice. The bone-in stew that holds the table.

I went to bed at ten. The kitchen was clean. The day was the day.

Calvin Jr. called Tuesday night. He was tired. He had been at work twelve hours. I told him, baby, eat something. He said, Mama, I will. I said, what did you eat last. He said, a granola bar. I said, baby, that is not eating. He laughed.

Doris called Thursday. Three times a week, the standard. We talked about Calvin's health. We talked about Harold's health. We talked about the family. We talked about what I was cooking.

Bernice's Table Tuesday. The team was sharp. The food held. The room held.

I made coffee at five Tuesday morning. Strong, with cream, no sugar (the diabetes). I stood at the kitchen window. The yard was still in dark. The day ahead was the day ahead. I went into it.

I have been thinking about heaven a lot lately. I do not know what I think. I know what Calvin preaches. I know what the AME doctrine says. I know what my Mama believed. I am at the age, sugar, where heaven is more than a Sunday school answer. I am working on it.

A new young wife joined the Saturday cooking class. Twenty-two years old. She does not know how to make rice. I will teach her. The chain extends.

Sister Patrice's husband had heart surgery this week. I drove a meal over Tuesday — chicken and rice, cornbread, peach cobbler. She cried at the door. I told her, baby, eat the food. The food was the saying.

I drove to the grocery Saturday morning. Greens, three pounds. Onions, two big ones. Buttermilk, half gallon. Cornmeal, the good kind. Salt, because I always run out of salt.

The kitchen smelled like garlic and onion all afternoon Wednesday. Calvin came home from his Bible study and stood in the doorway and said, Loretta, what are we eating. I said, baby, you will see. He said, that is a yes from me. He has been saying that for fifty years.

I stood at the kitchen window with my coffee Tuesday morning. Six o'clock. The light just coming. The yard quiet. Talking to Mama about the day ahead. The talking is its own prayer, sugar.

A young woman from the new members class came to me Sunday. She was nervous. She said, Mother Simms, my husband and I are expecting our first and I do not know how to cook. I said, baby, come to the Saturday class. She said, I'm coming. The chain extends.

Sister Beulah came by Tuesday afternoon to drop off the bulletins. She stayed for coffee. We talked about the church, about her grandbaby, about the heat. The visit was the visit.

I had a small cry Wednesday morning at the kitchen window. No reason in particular. The grief comes when it comes. I made coffee. I went on. That is how this works.

Sunday after service Calvin and I drove past the new sanctuary site. The choir loft windows were going in. We sat in the car and looked. He did not speak. I did not speak. The watching was the prayer.

Sunday was oxtails — browned and slow-braised, the kind of pot that holds the whole table together — and a pot like that needs bread beside it, something soft enough to catch the gravy and humble enough not to compete. These skillet rolls are what I reach for. They come together without fuss, they go in one pan, and when Calvin walks through the door and says, Loretta, what are we eating, I can say, baby, you will see — and I already know he is going to be satisfied.

Skillet Rolls

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min (plus 1 hr rise) | Servings: 12 rolls

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the skillet
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, for brushing

Instructions

1. Activate the yeast. Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Stir gently and let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy. If it does not foam, the yeast is not active — start again with fresh yeast.
2. Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture, warm milk, melted butter, and egg. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Knead. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky. Alternatively, use a stand mixer with the dough hook on medium speed for 6 minutes.
4. First rise. Place dough in a lightly buttered bowl, turn to coat, and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
5. Shape the rolls. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball by cupping your hand over it and rolling against the counter in a tight circular motion.
6. Arrange and second rise. Generously butter a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet. Arrange the dough balls in the skillet in a single layer — they should touch but not be crowded. Cover and let rise 30 minutes until puffed.
7. Bake. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake rolls 20–25 minutes until the tops are deep golden brown and the rolls sound hollow when tapped.
8. Finish with butter. As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, brush generously with melted butter. Serve warm, directly from the skillet.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 185 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 28g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 210mg