Yeast Rolls — For the Days When You Make the Dough Anyway

February arrived the way it always does in this part of Long Island — gray and cold and honest about itself, no pretense of warmth, no promises it cannot keep. I don't mind February. You always know where you stand with February. It says: I am cold, I am short, I have no major holidays until the fourteenth, you will be inside a great deal, plan accordingly. I plan accordingly. The inside-a-great-deal time is kitchen time, and kitchen time is the time when I cook things I don't have time for in September.

I made homemade bagels this week. This is a project, not a recipe — bagels require a sourdough starter if you want the right tang, or commercial yeast if you want them today, and I compromised with commercial yeast and a cold retard overnight in the refrigerator, which adds complexity without requiring me to maintain a starter. The process: make the dough (high-gluten flour, malt syrup, salt, yeast), let it rise, shape the bagels, chill overnight, boil in water with baking soda and malt syrup (the boiling is non-negotiable, it creates the chewy exterior), then bake at high heat until deep brown. My mother bought her bagels from the bakery on the Grand Concourse. She would have found homemade bagels excessive. She would also have eaten three.

Marvin has been sleeping more. Not alarmingly more — the neurologist said increased sleep is common and not necessarily a sign of rapid progression — but noticeably more, the way you notice a change in someone you have been watching closely for thirty-six years. He naps in the afternoon now. He didn't used to nap. I sit in the kitchen while he sleeps and I grade papers and I listen to the house breathe. It is a different kind of quiet than I am used to, a quiet that has weight.

I called Miriam on Friday, as I do every Friday before Shabbat. She is in Tel Aviv, the same apartment she has lived in since 1995, and we talked for forty minutes about Marvin, about the progression, about whether I'm sleeping enough (I'm not, but I said I was). Miriam said, "You sound tired, Ruthie." I said, "I'm fine." She said, "I know. You're always fine. Call me if you stop being fine." The bagels were good. The crust was right. February, as I said, is honest about itself. So, increasingly, am I.

The bagels were the project, but they don’t last long in this house — Marvin had two before his afternoon nap, which felt like a small victory worth recording. When the last one was gone by Thursday, I still had flour on the counter and nowhere particular to be, and so I made rolls: simpler than bagels, faster, the kind of thing that fills the kitchen with the same warmth without demanding the same patience. These yeast rolls are what I make when I need the work of bread but not the full ceremony of it — they rise reliably, they bake golden, and they are exactly what February asks for.

Yeast Rolls

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 18 min | Total Time: 1 hr 45 min (includes rise time) | Servings: 16

Ingredients

• 1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (110° to 115°F), divided
• 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted (for brushing)

Instructions

1. Proof the yeast. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. Mix the dough. In a large bowl, combine shortening, salt, remaining sugar, remaining 3/4 cup warm water, and the beaten egg. Stir in the yeast mixture. Gradually add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
3. Knead. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6–8 minutes. The dough should spring back when pressed.
4. First rise. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5. Shape the rolls. Punch down the dough and divide into 16 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball by pulling the sides under and pinching at the bottom. Place rolls in a greased 9x13-inch baking pan, just touching.
6. Second rise. Cover and let rise until puffy and nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F.
7. Bake. Bake for 16–18 minutes, until rolls are deep golden brown on top and sound hollow when tapped. Brush immediately with melted butter.
8. Serve. Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 165 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 155mg