Everything Thanksgiving, I go a bit hard on the menu planning, but I’m always plagued with the thought of “is it extra enough?” and “it’s Thanksgiving, so who is going to stray from the classics?” But I feel like these bay leaf butter rolls are at once both classic and extra, so for this Thanksgiving menu, I feel like my work is done. Will they be forever keepers and ones to repeat? I hope so, and I know at least on my table, they absolutely will be. Please note, this is a new and improved version of a recipe from 2023, for the old recipe, scroll to below the recipe box!
Now here’s what you can expect with these bay leaf butter dinner rolls:
- They’re big, a good portion for one person, but you can size them up or down as you prefer!
- They are fluffy and moist and buttery – the trifecta of dinner roll! And yes, it took a lot of trial and error to get them to the right bay leaf butter bread level for that.
- I will suggest you use a stand mixer, but you can accomplish this bread by hand. It will just take kneading… a lot of kneading.
- I’ve included a swirl in the center, which concentrates the herby, seedy flavor of these rolls in a way that’s wonderfully everything-bagel-reminiscent, but with a hint of the holidays!
Table of contents
Why these dinner rolls taste like straight butter
As with any dinner roll, the saltiness and buttery-ness are a major factor. I want them to taste buttered even before they’re buttered if that makes sense. It’s all in the dedication to my favorite salted butters, and I insist on letting them shine.
These rolls have butter in the dough, butter brushed on top, and to round it out, yes, I encourage you to serve it with butter. They end up tasting like an everything bagel meets butter…meets Christmas. And in a world where rolls can tend to be a little dry and sad, making sure they were as soft and nearly moist as could be was my HIGHEST priority.
Shaping the bay leaf butter rolls
The shaping of this bay leaf butter bread is super simple. I always recommend getting a scale to help portion your dough (you’ll also need one for the baking of the bread… so just, get a scale).
But when the dough is still pliable, I like to portion it into 12 pieces, depending on the size of your egg, this should make each piece 88 grams.
I try to handle the dough as little as possible, stretching them into a long rectangle that is four inches long, and then placing them down on my work surface.
From there, I add a heaping tablespoon of my seedy swirl mixture, spread that evenly, and then roll it up! I like to tuck in the edges so that none of the filling escapes.
This makes a wonderful swirl in your dough, while also letting it keep a super delicate and fluffy texture.
What is bay leaf butter?
Bay leaf butter (for this Bay Leaf Butter Bread!) is butter that has been slowly steeped with bay leaves, then gently brought up to a brown butter level of toastiness. It captures all that earthy, peppery flavor of a bay leaf, and concentrates it into your butter. In this updated version of the recipe, I like to make a small amount of this steeped butter and use it in lieu of egg wash.
While egg wash gives a glossy finish, I find this gives the rolls more depth of flavor, especially when you are looking for those nice, holiday-friendly flavor notes!
FAQ
Absolutely, the bay leaf butter bread works very well with flax egg, vegan milk and vegan butter. They might not be as tender, and you will see some flax flecks in them, but these can be made plant-based!
You absolutely can, but you will need to portion it the same day you make the dough. Once the rolls are portioned, you can put them in the freezer which will halt the proofing. When you take them out and thaw them, you can continue the recipe as normal. Another option is to do a slow proof in the fridge, where instead of letting them rise for an hour, you will pop them in the fridge and let them rise for 12 hours, which is a great thing to do if you want to make them a day ahead!
These rolls are freezer-friendly! You can freeze them for up to 6 months. To reheat, simply spray with water using a spray bottle, then pop them in an oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, or until warm.
And that’s everything for the Bay Leaf Butter Bread!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Bay Leaf Butter Rolls
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 bench scraper
- 1 9"x13" baking dish
- 1 sheet parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk 234 grams / 8 ounces
- 1/2 cup water 117 grams / 4 ounces
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 55 grams / 1.9 ounces
- 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast 7 grams / 0.25 ounces
- 1 large egg
- 4 cups all-purpose flour 530 grams / 19 ounces
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt 12 grams / 0.4 ounces
- 1/4 cup salted butter, cubed 57 grams / 2 ounces
For the seedy swirl
- 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 6 tablespoons everything but the bagel seasoning or 2 tablespoons each of garlic flakes, white sesame seeds and onion flakes, 2 teaspoons of poppy seeds and 2 teaspoons of flaky salt
- 1 large egg
For the bay leaf brown butter
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons salted butter 28 grams / 1 ounce
Instructions
- Whisk together the 234 grams of milk and 117 grams of water. Either on the stove or in the microwave, bring it up to 110°F-115°F.
- Whisk in 55 grams of sugar until it dissolves. Evenly sprinkle 7 grams of yeast over the top and whisk that in as well. Let this sit for five minutes or until foamy. Then whisk in the egg.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 530 grams of flour and 12 grams of salt. Pour in the yeast mixture. Using the hook attachment, being to mix on medium speed.
- Add 57 grams of butter a few pieces at a time, allowing it to mix into the dough before adding the next pieces. Mix the dough for a total of 8-9 minutes, or until it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Test the gluten by taking a golf ball-sized piece of dough and stretching it apart with your fingers. If it stretches thin enough that you can see light shine through it, but doesn't break, that means it's ready to rest.
- Cover the bowl with a lint-free towel. Leave in a dry, warm place to proof for one hour or until double in size.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, lightly flour your hands and gently punch out any excess air. Gently move the dough to a smooth surface. Flour it if you prefer, but I find the dough is strong enough that I do not need to.
- Using a scale, portion the dough into 12 equal pieces, 88 grams each.
- Stretch each piece into a rectangle that is four inches long.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the seedy swirl.
- Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the seedy swirl mixture into the center of each roll and spread it into an even layer. There should be a small amount of the seed mixture left, just leave that in the bowl.
- Gently roll up each roll, then pinch in the sides and tuck them under the roll to hide the swirl. Place these on a 9 by 13-inch parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Cover and proof for another 45 minutes to an hour, or until 50% bigger in size.
- Set a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
- Set a small sauté pan over medium-low heat and add two bay leaves and 28 grams of butter. Let the butter melt, fizz and foam, allowing it to brown with the bay leaves, about 3-4 minutes. Pour the butter into the bowl with the remaining seed mixture and give it a mix.
- When the rolls are proofed, brush an even layer of the bay leaf butter on top of them, some seeds will come along, which we love!
- Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes at 375°F, or until golden.
- Serve warm!
Notes
Watch the recipe version from 2023 here
The video is the recipe version from 2023. The full recipe is written below.
Bay Leaf Butter Bread (2023 Version)
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 bench scraper
- 1 9"x13" baking dish
- 1 sheet parchment pape
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk 234 grams
- 1/2 cup water 117 grams
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 55 grams
- 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast 1 packet, or 7 grams
- 1 large egg
- 4 cups all-purpose flour 530 grams, plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
- 1 tablespoon dried sage
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves finely grated
- 1/4 cup softened salted butter 57 grams, cut into small pieces
- Any kind of oil for greasing the bowl
For the egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- For the bay leaf butter/serving
For the bay leaf butter
- 2-3 dried bay leaves
- 1/2 cup salted butter 113 grams
- 1 teaspoon flaky salt such as Maldon
Instructions
- Whisk together the milk and water. Either on the stove or in the microwave, bring it up to 110°F-115°F.
- Whisk in the sugar until it dissolves. Evenly sprinkle the yeast over the top and whisk that in as well. Let this sit for five minutes or until foamy. Then whisk in the egg.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, salt, fennel, caraway, sage, pumpkin seeds, nutmeg, pepper and grated garlic and mix. Pour in the yeast mixture, and using the hook attachment, being to mix on medium speed. Add the butter a few pieces at a time, allowing it to mix into the dough before adding the next pieces. Mix the dough for a total of 8-9 minutes, or until it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Test the gluten by taking a golf ball-sized piece of dough and stretching it apart with your fingers. If it stretches thin enough that you can see light shine through it, but doesn’t break, that means it’s ready to rest.
- Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover. Leave in a dry, warm place to proof for one hour or until double in size. Once the dough has doubled in size, flour your hands and gently punch out any excess air.
- Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and form it into a smooth ball.
- Using a scale, portion the dough into 12 equal pieces, around 85 grams each.
- Stretch each piece into an oblong shape, around 4-5 inches long, then wrap it around your fingers to create a loop. Set each loop seam-side-down, and position them on a parchment-lined 9″x 13″ baking sheet. Cover and let them proof another hour, or until puffed and 50% larger in size.
- Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
- Whisk together the egg wash ingredients and set aside. When the rolls are ready, brush them with the egg wash, then bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
- Make the bay leaf butter. Set a small pan over low heat and add the bay leaves and butter. Let the butter melt, and “steep” the bay leaves in the butter for 15-20 minutes, or until fragrant, before increasing the temperature to medium and allowing the butter to brown. When the milk solids have toasted to a golden brown, remove the bay leaves and transfer the butter to a small bowl. Set aside.
- When the rolls are out of the oven, let them cool for 10 minutes, then brush on about two tablespoons of the bay leaf butter. Sprinkle with flaky salt.
- Keep the remaining bay leaf butter in its small bowl. Add that small bowl to a larger bowl of ice water and whisk until the bay leaf butter cools to a smooth paste. Transfer this to a serving dish, sprinkle with any remaining flaky salt and serve alongside the rolls for spreading.
These were excellent!! I got a wild hair to bake these tonight at 6ish, so we had them for dessert 😂 No regrets
I LOVE THIS ENERGY – rolls for dessert is my dream
Can I do the first proof in the fridge? Make the dough in the morning and finished the recipe after work?
So glad I tried these, excellent! Will be on the Thanksgiving table this year and any many other meals to come.
This makes me so happy – I’m so glad you liked these!
Mine are currently in the oven! Can’t wait to try. I ended up making two batches because I forgot the egg the first time around. I only let them rise once. Dough is a lot heavier so we’ll see. I used jarred minced garlic and I’ll have to use regular salt for the tops.
I’ll be making these for a large crowd for Friendsgiving. Can I double the recipe and make them all in one batch?
Bad luck if you bought your groceries on Thursday and came back here Friday to make these rolls and the recipe is now updated without any use for the caraway, fennel, and pumpkin seeds you bought.
The 2023 recipe is right below the updated one! I got you!
The code has been updated and the 2023 version is now at the bottom of the page! Happy Thanksgiving!
That was a quick reply, thank you! I did make the updated version and despite some substitutions leaving them a little too salty for my taste, the rolls themselves were delicious!
I made the 2023 version last month.
I came today to make 2 batches for Thanksgiving and thought what? The 2023 version is so well liked by my family, I hesitate to make the updated version. I will put the family to the test though, one batch of each.
Could I use buttermilk instead of whole milk? I was going to make my own butter today so I’ll have leftover buttermilk of course, but not sure if it would turn out the same.
I’d use whole milk for the fat value, if you can!
Wowowow the flavors were SUCH a hit. I made a double batch for thanksgiving and will be making them over and over again. We riffed with both version’s fillings with everything bagel seasoning, caraway seeds, and dried thyme and used fresh bay leaves for the butter and I’ve never smelt anything better.
Justine, you never miss! I’ve been following along for quite some time and have never made one of your recipes that hasn’t been fantastic. These were absolutely delicious, so buttery, so flavorful, and a perfect addition to Thanksgiving dinner 🙂
These were amazing!! I made them the night before our Thanksgiving dinner, and they came out great (served at room temp). I much prefer baking cookies over breads, so the idea of making rolls was daunting, but assembly was very simple and had clear instructions. I’d recommend using a thin but even spread of the seed mixture. I plan to keep this recipe on hand for future events and dinners! (They also looked exactly like the pictures, so that was a major plus!)