Maddox Ranch Rolls

If you have lived in the Beehive State for any length of time, you've been to the Maddox in Perry, Utah. My favorite meal at Maddox is fried chicken, a Ranch Roll with honey, and a slice of fresh strawberry or peach pie with whipped cream.  I know- grease, carbs and sugar. I didn't say it was healthy.

 Maddox has been around for a looong time-

Maddox Ranch Rolls are famous in our state. They're light and fluffy. Best served warm from the oven with some honey or raspberry butter.  I wanted to recreate the Maddox roll at home, so I set out to find a recipe that baked up like the rolls at the restaurant.  After one failed attempt (the rolls tasted alright but not similar in shape),  I remembered my blogger friend, Bonnie, at City Home Country Home posted a recipe for Maddox Ranch Rolls a while back. I gave it a try last Sunday. Jackpot. This is it. The same roll I've scarfed in my car while driving back from trips to Logan. 

If you want to attempt making rolls for Thanksgiving, but are looking for an alternative to traditional shaped rolls, this is the recipe for you.  No rolling or cutting out. Just mix, raise and plop into muffin tins. 

Thanksgiving. It's coming. 

Maddox Ranch Rolls

Adapted from Bonnie at City Home, Country Home

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To insure success, read all of the tips below the recipe before starting the process of making rolls

2 cups whole milk ( I used 1/3 cup of powdered milk and 2 cups lukewarm water)
1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks
1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup of warm water

1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon yeast
3 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 - 6 1/4 cups flour

Warm milk in microwave for 2 minutes. Place butter in milk and let melt. Add sugar and mix with whisk or fork to dissolve. Set aside and let cool a bit. The butter will continue to melt as the milk cools.
Pour 1/2 cup of warm water into a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over top of water, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon sugar on top of yeast. Let sit for a few minutes until yeast bubbles.
Pour the the cooled milk, (the milk should be warm- not hot), butter and sugar into the yeast mixture (never add a hot liquid to yeast).  Add beaten eggs and salt to yeast mixture. Mix in flour  with a large spoon one a cup at a time, just until blended and no lumps of flour remain. Do not over-mix. 

Let the dough raise until doubled, about 45 minutes in a warm kitchen.

Spoon or scoop dough (grease the scoop for easier handling) into greased muffin tins and let the dough  raise again for about 30-45 minutes. 

Place rack in middle of oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown.

Loosen rolls by running a table knife around the edge of muffin cup.
Yields about 30 dinner-size rolls.

Tips, aka Si's epistle on Maddox Ranch Rolls made at home:

-I often use powdered milk when making rolls or breads that call for milk. It's a good way to use up the dry milk I have in my food storage. I buy the dry non-fat milk at the LDS Dry Pack Cannery, and have found it mixes up best with warm or lukewarm water and a whisk.  

-Make sure to grease the muffin tins, this is a sticky dough. 

- Use a large cookie scoop to fill the muffin tin. I greased the scoop a few times with cooking spray to prevent dough from sticking to the inside of scoop. 

-The first recipe I tried for Maddox Rolls had too much liquid and not enough flour in the dough. I believe this is why the rolls tasted good, but didn't bake up into a nice dome shape. Also, after the rolls cooled a bit, they shriveled, which I believe was a result of not enough flour in the dough in relation to the liquid. I wanted a roll that looked beautiful even after cooling a bit. Not asking too much, right?  The recipe from Bonnie had two tablespoons of yeast, I reduced it to 1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon, because I wanted the dough to have a little less of a rise and hold its shape better. If you are looking for a roll that is a bit puffier, use two tablespoons of yeast. 

-Add just enough flour to take away the wet look of the dough. This should be between 5 1/2 to 6 cups of flour total. I added about 6 1/4 cups of flour total, keep in mind I live in a very dry climate. The dough should still be "scoopable".  The dough will be very soft. Do not add too much flour, or you will not be able to scoop the dough out of the bowl. When in doubt, use less, not more flour. See the photo below to see what my dough looked like during the rise in muffin pan. 

- To create the perfect place for dough to raise, I use a trick Frieda taught me in a bread making class. Place a cup of water in a microwave. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. Remove cup of water. Place covered bowl (I use plastic wrap) in microwave, close door and let dough raise. I have an oven with a "proof" setting, but prefer Frieda's method. This is also a great tip for making bread in a small kitchen! 

-Of course, It may be easier to just jump in the car and pick up rolls at Maddox :)

This photo was taken just before the rolls were placed in the oven. 

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