Wheat Yeast Rolls

Hunting camp set up in the Crazies. Cattle work this week. Patrick rode in the truck. He pointed out two heifers I had not noticed. He sees things I do not. The work is shared.

Patrick on the porch in the afternoon. Coffee in the good cup. The cottonwoods.

Pot roast Sunday. Chuck. Five hours low and slow. Onions, carrots, celery. The kitchen smelled like winter.

I went to bed at ten. Slept seven hours. The body said thank you.

Worked on the truck Saturday afternoon. Plugs and wires. Two hours. Hands black with grease. Came in. Showered. Ate.

Wrote a blog post Friday night. The first one in two months. About making chili in a snowstorm. Short. Practical. Posted it. Forgot about it.

The Musselshell was clear Sunday. Could see trout in the deeper pools. Did not fish. Just watched.

A neighbor's heifer was choking on a corn cob. I drove over with my emergency kit. Cleared the cob with a length of garden hose. The heifer recovered. The neighbor brought a pie the next day.

Hauled three bull calves to the auction yard Wednesday. Got a fair price. Came home. Counted the cash. Put it in the ranch account.

Drove to Billings for parts Friday. Stopped at the cemetery on the way home. Stood for ten minutes. Came home.

Truck started cold Tuesday. Twelve below. Battery is the original. I will replace it before next winter. I always say I will replace it before next winter. I never have.

Mr. Whelan from down the road came over Saturday with a story about a horse he sold in 1979. The story took an hour. I listened. He needed someone to tell it to.

Took a walk to the river before supper Tuesday. The cottonwoods were silver. The water was running. I did not think much. I just walked.

Three days of horses this week. The work is meditative. The horses know. The owners pay. The cycle holds.

A reader emailed about the elk chili recipe. Asked what beer to use if non-alcoholic was not available. I wrote back: any beer is wrong if you don't drink. Use stock.

Storm came through Friday night. Thunder. The dog hid under the bed. The kids slept through it. The cattle bunched up by the windbreak. Standard.

The wood pile is half what it was at Thanksgiving. I will split another cord on Saturday. The cord will be ready by next winter. The wood always is.

Drove the back fence line Saturday. Two posts down from elk. Replaced them in the morning. The fence held the rest of the week.

The barn cats are doing their job. Down to one mouse this week, in the feed shed. The cats brought it to the porch as proof. They are professionals.

The Tuesday Roundup AA meeting was eleven this week — three new guys from a referral. The room was full. The coffee was strong.

Listened to the cattle market report on AM radio while I worked the shop. Beef is up. Feed is up. The math is the math.

Hank, the dog, herded the chickens by accident. He apologized in the way dogs apologize — eyes down, tail low. The chickens were unimpressed.

Mended the chute hinge Wednesday. Welder was finicky. Got it on the third try. Patrick used to do this. I do it now.

The pot roast was already doing its work — five hours, low and slow, the whole house holding that smell — and it needed something alongside it. These wheat yeast rolls are what I make when I want the kitchen to keep going after I’ve stepped away. Simple dough, honest ingredients, and they come out of the oven just as the roast is resting. That Sunday, after the week of cattle work and fence posts and a trip to the cemetery, I needed the kind of meal where nothing is rushed and everything lands on the table warm.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 2 hr 15 min (includes rise time) | Servings: 16 rolls

Ingredients

1 package (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110°F), divided
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
1 tbsp butter, melted (for brushing)

Instructions

Proof the yeast. Combine yeast with 1/4 cup of the warm water in a large bowl. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
Mix the dough. Add remaining 3/4 cup warm water, honey, softened butter, salt, and beaten egg to the yeast mixture. Stir to combine. Add whole wheat flour and mix until incorporated.
Add all-purpose flour. Stir in all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is soft but not sticky.
Knead. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add flour only as needed to keep dough from sticking.
First rise. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Shape the rolls. Punch dough down. Divide into 16 equal pieces and shape each into a smooth ball. Place in a greased 9x13-inch baking pan.
Second rise. Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes until puffy and rolls are touching.
Bake. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown on top and hollow-sounding when tapped.
Finish. Brush tops with melted butter immediately out of the oven. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Wheat Yeast Rolls — The Thing You Make Alongside the Pot Roast