Best Florek Rolls

This recipe is from a friend, Angel Florek, who lived in our ward while we were in podiatry school. Angel made these rolls along with a curried chicken salad for a friend's baby shower and I seriously thought she bought the rolls somewhere from a bakery. I was stunned to find out she had made them from scratch! They are sweet & remind me of hawaiian bread or milk-and-honey rolls. They are great as sandwich rolls (like for pulled pork or curried chicken salad!) or stand alone (like for Thanksgiving!). Love these!

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2 Tbsp dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 C. warm water

1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C sugar
1/2 shortening
1 C hot milk
4.5 C flour, divided
2 eggs

In a small bowl, combine yeast, 1 Tbsp sugar, and warm water and set aside for 5 minutes or until bubbly. In a stand mixer bowl combine salt, 1/2 C sugar, and shortening. Mix on low with the whisk attachment until combined then add the hot milk, mixing slowly so as not to spill. Once incorporated, add 2 cups of flour. Then add the yeast mixture and mix well. Then add eggs.

Replace the whisk attachment with the dough hook and add remaining 2.5 cups of flour. Mix on high for 5 minutes. Remove the hook and set aside for 15 minutes to allow rising.

Flour the counter and divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Roll out each piece into a circle and cut it into 8 pieces, like a pie. Place rolls on a cookie sheet.

For quick rise: set oven to 170 then turn off. Place rolls in the off-but-warm oven for 30 minutes.

Bake at 400 for 9 minutes. Watch the first batch CLOSELY so they don't burn. Times can vary by oven anywhere from 7-10 minutes.

Artichoke Parmesan Sourdough Stuffing

***I made this dish for Thanksgiving with the Harveys (which was actually at the Ferriera's) in 2011 and it was a hit! Tony Ferriera called it the best stuffing he'd ever had! It takes quite a bit of work to make but since it's such a family favorite, it's worth all the time it takes. :) ***


Artichoke Parmesan Sourdough Stuffing

Recipe by Leslie Jo Parsons via Sunset Magazine

Serves 12, makes approx. 10 cups

1 pound mushrooms, cleaned, ends trimmed and sliced or chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 onions (3/4 lb total), chopped
1 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2-2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 loaf (1 lb) sourdough bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 jars (6 oz each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves or 3/4 tsp dried
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten.

*If desired, first toast chopped bread in a 400 degree oven until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.

In a 12-in. frying pan over high heat, cook mushrooms, butter, onions, celery, and garlic, stirring often, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Pour into a large bowl. Add a bit of broth to pan (a few tablespoons) and stir to scrape up browned bits. Add to bowl.

Pour 2 cups broth into bowl and add bread, artichoke hearts, parmesan, poultry seasoning, and rosemary; mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.  (If you need to add a little more broth at this point, go for it.  I added a bit more because I wanted my stuffing really moist.)  Add beaten egg and mix into stuffing.

Preheat oven to 325° to 350° (meaning the temperature is flexible if it’s going in the oven at the same time as other things.  If it’s going in alone, bake at 350).  Spoon stuffing into a shallow 3-qt. (9- by 13-in.) casserole pan. For moist stuffing, cover with foil; for crusty stuffing, do not cover. Bake until hot (at least 150° in center) or lightly browned, about 50 minutes.

Make ahead: Up to 1 day ahead, make stuffing, put in casserole, cover, and chill. Allow about 1 hour to bake.

And not that I support calorie counting on Thanksgiving at ALL, but I do know many people appreciate nutrition facts, and since they’re available, here you go.  (These are per serving, assuming you’re serving 12 and it makes about 10 cups.)
Calories: 195 Protein: 9  Fat: 6.226  Fiber: 2.7 Carbohydrate: 26