Booby Rolls Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Christmas

by: Hannah Wilken

November17,2015

5

2 Ratings

  • Makes 32 boob-shaped rolls

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

We spent every one of my childhood Thanksgivings trekking to my aunt Sarah B.'s house in Cambridge from Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The dinner was an all day, thirty-person affair, with my aunt at the helm of the ship in her tiny Boston kitchen. Sarah B. idolized (and looked just like) Julia Child, so the entire event was a trip and a half. Her signature was simple, delicious yeast rolls that she would knot before popping them in the oven. See for yourself: The rolls have a similar resemblance to boobs (nipple and all) so my grandfather aptly coined them "Sarah B.'s Booby Rolls." Obviously the name stuck.

My aunt passed, but we still make Booby Rolls every year to remember her by. This year, I think I'm going to take a stab at them myself. —Hannah Wilken

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cupswhole milk
  • 3/4 cupunsalted butter
  • 2/3 cuphoney, divided
  • 2 1/4 teaspoonsdry active yeast (about 1 packet)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoonssea salt
  • 4 1/4 cupsall-purpose flour
Directions
  1. Heat milk to a simmer on the stovetop. Add 1/4 cup butter to the milk, stirring until the butter melts. Stir in 1/3 cup honey. Pour the milk into the bowl of an electric mixer to cool a bit. When the milk mixture is barely over room temperature, sprinkle the yeast over the top. Swirl the bowl a couple times, then let the yeast sit and foam for at least 10 minutes.
  2. Once the yeast looks foamy, add in the eggs and salt. Then place a bread hook on your mixer and turn the mixer on low. Slowly add the flour until the dough comes away from the sides into a ball but is still sticky. (Only add 4 1/4 cups of flour, unless extra is needed to make the dough pull away from the sides.) Once the dough pulls away from the bowl, stop the mixer; cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, until it has doubled in size).
  3. Punch the dough down and cut into 32 equal pieces with a floured knife. Then gently roll into short ropes and tie into boob knots(!!!). Place the yeast rolls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart, and cover with lightly dampened tea towels. Allow the rolls to rise a second time for 30 to 45 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Melt the remaining 1/2 cup butter and whisk with 1/3 cup honey. Once the rolls have risen the second time, remove the towels and gently brush each roll with honey butter. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Wait five minutes before serving.

Tags:

  • Bread
  • Roll
  • Honey
  • Milk/Cream
  • Winter
  • Christmas
  • Thanksgiving

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Hannah Wilken

  • BavarianCook

  • Denise

  • Jeffrey Bowen

  • Christine Metzger

Popular on Food52

27 Reviews

Kathryn E. November 14, 2019

Holy cow! Those rolls are amazing. I made these as a test run for Thanksgiving and I’m so glad I found this recipe. I’m totally going to win Thanksgiving with these rolls.

Liliane August 22, 2017

I just made those rolls with your recipe and they turned out amazing. Your recipe measurements are right on.
My kids loved it 💞

TonyLatt May 11, 2017

That's funny! My local supermarket carries those roles and my daughter called them booby rolls 25 years ago when she was 3 years old and we buy them every year for Thanksgiving to keep the Booby Roll tradition alive.

Hannah W. December 22, 2016

Yes, Nancy! I don't have a mixer and always make them by hand. You have a better sense of the dough that way too.

Nancy December 22, 2016

Can you make these rolls without a mixer but by hand?

BavarianCook January 15, 2016

Oh Yes! These turned out wonderfully - made them this evening and they are soft, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth irresistible! I skipped the honey-butter glaze and they were still awesome. A definite keeper!

Bob November 26, 2015

This weekend I have to make these cute little booby rolls. They are looking so great.

Jaclyn P. November 23, 2015

If making a day ahead of time, do you suggest cutting the rolls and tying them and then refrigerating them or would you freeze them??

Hannah W. November 23, 2015

Definitely refrigerate if it's the day before. I would tie them though right before you pop them in the oven instead of when you refrigerate.

Jaclyn P. November 24, 2015

Okay thanks! So should I cut the pieces up but wait to tie them? or leave the dough whole and cut them before I bake? (I am an avid dessert baker wanting to take a stab at making breads and rolls, etc.)

Jaclyn P. November 24, 2015

Okay thanks! So should I cut the pieces up but wait to tie them? or leave the dough whole and cut them before I bake? (I am an avid dessert baker wanting to take a stab at making breads and rolls, etc.)

Hannah W. November 24, 2015

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure. This might be the kind of question to bring to the main hotline since it's a general inquiry! Our editorial team will be on call starting tomorrow! https://food52.com/hotline Sorry I can't be more help Jaclyn but I don't want to steer you wrong this time of year :)

Jaclyn P. November 27, 2015

With some help from my chef brother, I made the dough, and immediately put it in the fridge to slow the rising process so it worked perfectly the next day! These rolls were CRAZY delicious! No one believed that I made them from scratch!

Hannah W. November 27, 2015

This is making my day!!! I'm so glad they came out delicious and your family was impressed!! Did you take any pictures, Jaclyn? If you did you should post them here!

Denise November 22, 2015

Can I freeze the dough for a couple of days then take it out and bake the rolls?

Hannah W. November 23, 2015

My aunt didn't freeze them since she made them the day of but since it's a simple yeast roll recipe you should be able to freeze and then bake!

Jeffrey B. November 21, 2015

I was going to make some Hawaiian Rolls for dinner this week but what man could pass up a chance to make a batch of Booby Roll instead.

Hannah W. November 23, 2015

Love it!!

Stacey November 18, 2015

Do the rolls freeze well?

Hannah W. November 19, 2015

Yes! They can freeze or refrigerate for a few days no problem.

Santa C. November 18, 2015

These look a little like my maternal grandmother's zwiebach, a traditional Mennonite bread.

pneely November 18, 2015

"A simple knot tie" doesn't answer Christine's question. Not a square knot, surely, and it looks more like a coil than a knot. A technique picture would have helped.

Hannah W. November 18, 2015

Sorry we don't have a technique picture, pneely! They're definitely not a sailors square knot and are more a simple overhand knot with a solid base (see here for more: http://www.howwhywhere.com/Tie-an-Overhand-Knot/). They're meant to be fun so whatever they turn out looking like I know they will taste delicious :)

Christine M. November 18, 2015

Hannah, these look adorable but I need to know how you actually make it look like a boob!

Hannah W. November 18, 2015

It's a simple knot tie—just make sure that one of the ends pops out significantly so when you bake them it stays visible!

Nicole November 18, 2015

Can the dough of these rolls be made ahead of time? Then baked the next day?

Hannah W. November 18, 2015

I think so!! They're very casual and as long as the boob shape is there I say go for it!

Booby Rolls Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in Wonder Dinner rolls? ›

Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Yeast, Contains 2% Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Salt, Wheat Gluten, Dough Conditioners (Contains One Or More Of The Following: Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, ...

How do you reheat rolls in the microwave? ›

Arrange rolls on a microwave-safe plate. Cover the rolls with a slightly damp, clean kitchen towel. Wrap the entire plate in a dry tea towel. Microwave until just warmed through, 30 to 45 seconds.

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Place warmed heat source in bread basket: If using rice or pie weights, lay them as flat as possible in their paper or foil wrapper at the bottom of the bread basket. Cover the heat source with a clean cloth napkin or dish towel. Add the rolls and then fold the corners of the fabric over the rolls to cover.

How do you reheat frozen buns? ›

Take the foil-wrapped rolls out of the freezer bag and loosen the foil. Heat the oven to 300°F. Place the loosely-wrapped package of rolls directly on an oven rack and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rolls are piping hot to the touch and warm all the way through.

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Wonder bread is impossibly soft and pillowy, and that's because of the process used to make it: The flour is treated and softened, and other special chemicals prevent it from drying out.

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Soft, fluffy, and delicious, Wonder Dinner Rolls are the perfect companion to family mealtime. These dinner rolls are sure to satisfy the whole family.

What is the best way to reheat homemade dinner rolls? ›

Reheat dinner rolls in the oven. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Place rolls in a baking dish or arrange on a baking sheet, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Bake until warm, 7 to 10 minutes.

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Instead of placing bare rolls in the microwave, Kitchn recommends you put them in a container and cover them completely with two clean dishcloths or paper towels — the first one damp and the second dry. This will help keep the rolls soft and prevent them from drying out.

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Didn't eat all of your rolls at dinner tonight? No problem. Warm rolls are always the best and your leftovers don't have to be eaten cold! Simply wrap rolls in foil and place in a 350º oven for 5-7 minutes.

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Though there are bread warmers in stores, create your own, inexpensive version. Simply wrap dried beans in a tea towel, then heat them in the microwave. The bundled beans sit in the bottom of your bread basket and keep your bread warm through the whole meal.

Can I keep rolls warm in a crockpot? ›

1. Slow Cooker or Crock Pot. This is by far my favorite way to warm, and keep warm, any type of dinner roll, whether they're the fluffiest yeast rolls you've made for a holiday meal or challah rolls you've made for sliders. This will even works for store bought rolls.

How long to warm up buns in microwave? ›

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Place frozen Buns in a covered microwave safe container. Microwave on high for approx. 1 min. Buns are cooked when the meat inside is steaming hot.

Can you reheat rolls in an air fryer? ›

Reheat In Air Fryer

Place rolls in a parchment paper liner and place in the air fryer basket and close the door. Alternatively, wrap them in aluminum foil instead of using parchment paper. Using the "reheat" setting, reheat the them at 350°F for 2 minutes.

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Whole wheat flour, water, wheat gluten, high fructose corn syrup, contains 2% of less of: soybean oil, salt, molasses, yeast, mono and diglycerides, exthoxylated mono and diglycerides, dough conditioners (sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium iodate, calcium dioxide), datem, calcium sulfate, vinegar, yeast nutrient ( ...

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Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour, Water, Sugar, Yeast*, Vegetable oil, Salt, Calcium propionate, Vegetable monoglycerides, Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, Sorbic acid, Enzymes, Ascorbic acid, May contain added wheat gluten, Diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides, L-cysteine hydrochloride.

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Ingredients: Enriched wheat flour, Water, Sugar, Yeast*, Vegetable oil, Salt, Wheat gluten*, Calcium propionate, Vegetable monoglycerides,Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, Sorbic acid, Enzymes, Ascorbic acid, May contain diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides. *Order may vary. Contains: Wheat.

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