Jelly Gem Rolls

Jelly Gem Rolls Recipe
Related Post: The Joy of Baking
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Bread
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Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 2 1/2-3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces and at room temperature
• canola oil for greasing
• 3/4 cup jam of any variety
• 1 recipe glaze (see below)

Directions

This recipe will make 18 rolls.

In a sauce pan on the stove, carefully warm buttermilk over low heat to no more than 100F.  Watch buttermilk carefully, so that the whey does not separate.  After warming, stir in one pinch of sugar and the yeast.  Allow yeast to foam, waiting approximately 5 minutes.

In a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 1 cup of the AP flour, all of the cake flour, the sugar, and salt.  Add the buttermilk mixture and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.  Add the butter and 1 cup AP flour and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.  Switch to the dough hook.  Beat in the remaining flour, 1/3 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl sides.  Knead on low speed until the dough is very soft, smooth, and springy, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to a deep oiled bowl and turn once to coat.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until puffy, 45-60 minutes.

Grease two 8-inch round cake pans.  Turn the dough out on a lightly floured board or counter.  Divide in half.  Roll each half into a log 9 inches long and pat the ends to make them neat.  Using a serrated knife, cut each log crosswise into slices 1 inch thick.  Arrange slices in preparred pans, cut ends down; the rolls should barely touch.  With your thumb make a depression in the center of each roll.  Cover with a double layer of plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to let the rolls rise slowly.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.  Gently press each depression, taking care not to deflate it, and put one rounded teaspoonful of jam in each one.  Place the pans in the cold oven and immediately turn the heat to 350F.  Bake until golden brown, 25-35 minutes.  Transfer the rolls to rack and drizzle on glaze.

Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 tablespoons milk (or as much as needed)

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the butter and 1/3 cup powdered sugar.  Add remaining powdered sugar and vanilla, whisking together for even distribution.  Add milk 1/2 tablespoon at a time, whisking together until smooth and desired consistency.  Glaze should be thick, but pourable.

—Photo note:since my camera had a mishap at the beach, I’m stuck with only a cell phone.—