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Butter Rolls
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As featured on our show “Milk Street’s My Family Recipe,” these soft-yet-rich butter rolls were recreated from Royce Tanaka’s memory of his grandfather’s version. While growing up in Hawaii, Tanaka’s grandfather, Masao Teruya, owned and operated M’s Bakery in Wahiawa, on the island of Oahu. Tanaka has fond memories of spending time at the bakery on the weekends while his mother helped out. A World War II veteran, Teruya graduated with the inaugural class in the baking program at Honolulu Vocational School, now Honolulu Community College. One of his classmates was Robert Taira, who later founded King’s Hawaiian Bakery, now famous for its Portuguese-style sweet bread. At M’s Bakery, which was frequented by locals and folks from Wheeler Air Force Base (now Wheeler Army Airfield), Teruya sold a baked good that was and still is extremely popular in the Aloha State: the appropriately named butter rolls, made by baking a rich, lightly sweetened yeasted dough in muffin pans with a pat of butter at the bottom. Teruya didn’t invent the butter roll—other bakeries made them, too—but his were Tanaka’s favorite. The “intense caramelization of the butter into the bread” is what Royce remembers most. “I peeled off the top layer, crispy and hot, and added more butter.” Tanaka’s wife, Terry, would like to re-create these rolls for her husband, but unfortunately, Teruya did not leave any record of his recipe or techniques. Terry said butter rolls are mostly a bakery item—the most famous version is from Liliha Bakery—and people rarely make them at home, which explains why she was unable to find recipes. That’s when she contacted Milk Street. Butter rolls are reminiscent of Parker House rolls, so we used them as our jumping-off point to develop this recipe. To achieve the soft, tender, pillowy crumb and rich, sweet flavor characteristic of butter rolls, we use a combination shortening and butter, as well as both milk and water. The rolls are best served warm, but leftovers keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
12
Rolls
¾ cup whole milk
71 grams (⅓ cup) white sugar
155 grams (11 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces, room temperature, divided
85 grams (6 tablespoons) vegetable shortening, cut into chunks, plus more for the pan
650 grams (5 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more if needed and for dusting
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon table salt
Ingredients
-
¾
cup whole milk
-
71
grams (⅓ cup) white sugar
-
155
grams (11 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces, room temperature, divided
-
85
grams (6 tablespoons) vegetable shortening, cut into chunks, plus more for the pan
-
650
grams (5 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more if needed and for dusting
-
1
tablespoon instant yeast
-
1
teaspoon table salt
Recipe
Coconut Layer Cake
Directions
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01In a 1-quart liquid measuring cup or medium microwave-safe bowl, combine ¾ cup water, the milk, sugar, 57 grams (4 tablespoons) butter and the shortening. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring once or twice; the butter and shortening should be almost fully melted. Remove from the microwave and stir until the fats are fully melted and the mixture is no hotter than 110°F; set aside.
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02In a stand mixer with the dough hook, mix the flour, yeast and salt on low until combined, about 1 minute. With the mixer running on low, slowly pour in the milk mixture. Knead on low until the dough is smooth and elastic and clears the sides of the bowl, 7 to 10 minutes; if the dough sticks to the bowl, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it clears the sides.
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03Grease a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in the prepared bowl, turning to coat with the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
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04Grease the cups of a 12-cup nonstick standard muffin pan with shortening. Cut each of the remaining 6 pieces of butter in half and place a pat in each prepared muffin cup.
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05When the dough is doubled in bulk, lightly flour the counter. Gently punch down the dough, then turn it out onto the prepared counter. Using a chef’s knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into 12 portions. Using your hands, flatten and shape one dough portion into a rough 2-by-3-inch rectangle, then fold in half crosswise. Place the dough in a prepared muffin cup, the seams facing the sides of the cup; gently tuck in the edges as needed. Shape the remaining dough in the same way. Cover the muffin pan with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot until the rolls have risen above the top of the pan, 30 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the lower-middle position.
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06Bake until the rolls are deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer the rolls directly to the rack. Serve warm.
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Reviews
February 28, 2023
Very good butter rolls
This is a special recipe, so I had to make it. I watched a video after I made it on Roku. The video is great for following the recipe and understand how to fold it exactly in each cup. I forgot to put butter on the bottom, but they still came out very tasty. I will try baking this again and not forget the butter. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
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