Move over Sister Schubert… there’s a new roll in town! While a smidge time consuming these rolls are reasonably hands off and virtually impossible to mess up. Definitely something for slightly the baking challenged like moi. They really are so delicious. There is a slightly sweet yeastiness to their taste but it doesn’t overpower. Juxtapose that with a salty crisped-brown buttery crown atop a soft pillowy center that is just begging to sop up Thanksgiving gravy. Yes this recipe makes a lot of rolls – but trust me you're going to need a lot of rolls.

Ice Box Pull Apart Rolls

Yield: 36 rolls

Author: Bebe Clement

Pillowy soft pull apart rolls that are a staple at any holiday table.

Time

Prep: 30 minutes + min 5 hours of rise time
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 5hrs 45mins minimum

Ingredients

2 ½ packets rapid rise yeast
1 cup warm water
1 cup Crisco
1 cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
6 cups all flour (can use Better for Bread or All Purpose)
2 eggs, beaten, at room temp
2 sticks butter
Flaky salt
3 x Cake pans - I use disposable

Recipe

Pour warm water into a Pyrex measuring cup. Add yeast and 1 TB of sugar. Set aside and don’t fiddle with it! It will start to foam and froth a bit which is what you want.
In a large mixing bowl put 1 cup sugar (minus the 1 TB you just used on the yeast) and your salt. Melt Crisco on the stove in a small pot. When Crisco is melted pour into the sugar and salt mixture whisking vigorously to dissolve the sugar. In the same pot boil 1 cup of water and pour that over the Crisco and sugar. Set aside to cool. You want it to be cool enough that you can whisk in the eggs in a minute without cooking them.
When mixture is pretty cool, whisk in eggs. Then add in yeast and water concoction and whisk.
Now add the flour, cup by cup, still using a whisk, until all the flour is incorporated. This is an arm work out but you need it because of all the rolls you’re about to eat. When everything is mixed evenly cover with saran wrap and place in the fridge to rise for a minimum of 3 hours but can be overnight or even a day or two. Note: this is the beauty of this recipe – the lion share of the work can be done in advance.
When ready to bake the rolls, lift dough out of the bowl and roll on a floured surface until ¼ inch thick. You may need to do this in bits. Take about a 3inch cutter or glass and cut out little circles of dough. Repeat until you have used up all the dough.
Grease your cake pans.
Melt the 2 sticks of butter on the stove. Using a brush or a spoon or whatever you have, paint one side of the circle with butter. Then fold the circle in half and pinch around the edges, pinching in the butter and clamping tightly to seal. Now place in the greased pan, but allow for growth in the pan. You want them touching but not jammed in. Repeat with all the circles. You should fill about 3 cake pans (which is why I often buy disposable). Once all rolls are in the pan, brush the tops with a little butter.
Allow dough to rise again for 2 hours at room temperature. You could put them on the counter next to the oven while you make something else.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the tops again with any butter you have left over and sprinkle with a little flaky salt (I use Maldon). Bake for 12-15 minutes or until tops are browned but the middle is cooked through nicely.

Ice Box Pull Apart Rolls