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PALM LEAF ROLLS (SOUR CREAM ROLLS)
About 36 rolls

Sweet enough for a dessert if you add a bit more sugar. Serve with coffee and fruit.

Combine in a small bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes:

  • ¼ cup (60g) warm (105° to 115°F) water
  • 1 envelope (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast

Stir together in a large bowl until blended:

  • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt

Cut in with a pastry blender or your fingers until reduced to pea-sized bits:

  • 1 stick (4 oz or 115g) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Stir in:

  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup (230g) sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend in the dissolved yeast. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 2 to 12 hours.

Have ready:

  • 1 cup Vanilla Sugar

or a mixture of:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Sprinkle a work surface with half the sugar mixture. Divide the dough in half. Roll one half into a 6 × 18-inch rectangle. Fold the 2 short sides of the rectangle in toward the center (as shown top left, below), bringing the ends to within about ¾ inch of each other. Repeat this folding again (as shown top right). Fold the two halves together, slice into ¼-inch-thick “palm leaves,” and arrange 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough, first sprinkling the board with the remaining sugar mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about 20 minutes.

While the rolls rise, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer the rolls to a wire rack to cool.

Own a physical copy? Find this recipe on page 619–20.

Breads and Coffee Cakes