Thanksgiving stuffing rolls

I came across this recipe a couple weeks before Thanksgiving. It was sent to me in one of my Domino emails. I thought these looked unbelievable and I promise, they were. I had never made my own bread before but this recipe explains everything perfectly. The recipe is not mine, but I'll be making it every year from here on out!

Ingredients

for the tangzhong:

6 tbsp chicken stock

2 tbsp bread flour (at least 12-14% protein content is ideal)

for the dough:
1 cup chicken stock (to be reduced to 1/4 cup glace)
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tsp Fleischmann’s active dry yeast
2 3/4 cups (about 350 grams) bread flour
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt, depending on the saltiness of your stock
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp butter

for the “stuffing”:
2 tbsp butter
2-3 shallots or 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 stalk celery, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
4 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 bouillon cube (1/2 tsp granulated bouillon)
salt and pepper, to taste

for egg wash:
1 egg
a splash of milk (optional)

to serve (optional):
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley

Method

1. First, make the tangzhong — a “water roux,” or flour paste that helps keep the bread fluffy and extra-soft. In a small saucepan, whisk together 6 tbsp chicken stock and 2 tbsp bread flour until no lumps remain.  Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly.  The mixture should thicken quickly to a gel-like consistency in no more than 1-2 minutes.  As soon as lines appear in the mixture when stirred, remove from heat and transfer to a small, clean bowl.  Cover and set aside.

2. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the cup of chicken stock over medium heat.  Let simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until reduced to about 1/4 cup glace.  Let cool.

3. In a medium bowl or Pyrex measuring cup, warm the milk briefly to just above room temperature, about 110 degrees or lukewarm to the touch.  I do this simply by microwaving it for 10-15 seconds.  Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and set aside for 5-10 minutes for the yeast to activate.  For my yeast, I prefer Fleischmann’s — yeast can be a tricky, mysterious thing, but I’ve found their yeast to be consistently reliable and the flavor to be more fragrant. My experiences with other brands have sometimes involved dead yeast or over-proofing, and that’s never happened with them. Either way, the best trick for knowing whether your yeast is active is to wait for your milk to foam — if it does, you know you won’t be wasting your time and your flour.

4. While the yeast activates, taste your stock to decide how much salt to add to your flour mixture — if it’s storebought or particularly salty, decrease the salt to 1/4 tsp or omit it altogether. Sift together bread flour, sugar, and the amount of salt you decide on.

5. When the yeast mixture is ready, add 1/4 cup of your chicken glace, tangzhong, and egg to the mixture and whisk to combine.  If there’s a little less than 1/4 cup of the glace, just dilute with a little more chicken stock or water til you have 1/4 cup. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a loose, shaggy dough, then switch to using your hands.  Knead for 4-5 minutes, or until the dough forms a semi-smooth ball.  The dough should be tacky and sticky but not gloppy or wet.  If the dough becomes unwieldy, sprinkle flour over your hands and the dough as needed to keep kneading, but try to avoid overflouring.  One tablespoon should be enough.  I also find that a bench scraper helps immensely to keep the kneading process going without having to flour the surface excessively.

6. When the dough is semi-smooth, add the butter to the dough, one tablespoon at a time, and knead vigorously to incorporate.  Add the second tablespoon of butter only after the first has been fully incorporated into the dough.  The kneading will be slippery and messy at this point, and it might seem like you’ve just greased your dough into mess of layers.  Don’t worry — just keep kneading, and it should eventually form a soft and pliable dough that’s easy to work with.  (I actually find it oddly satisfying.)  Knead for an additional 4-5 minutes after the butter has been incorporated, or until dough becomes pillowy, smooth and elastic.

7. Place the dough in a large bowl with plenty of room and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel.  Let proof for 1-2 hours, or until well-doubled.  Alternatively, let the dough proof overnight in the refrigerator.  I prefer the latter — it gives extra time for the gluten to develop, and yields a better flavor, in my opinion.  Plus, dividing the labor over two days makes the process much more manageable.  The dough should be fine for up to 24 hours.

8. While the dough is rising, or just before you’re ready to bake the rolls, make your filling.  Melt 2 tbsp butter in a saucepan.  Add the shallots, celery, garlic, and sage, and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until vegetables have softened.  Add the fresh parsley and stir to incorporate. Finally, add the bouillon and stir until dissolved.  Season with salt and pepper to your liking, then set aside.

9. Line a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.  Turn out the dough and roll it out into a large rectangle, about 11×15 inches.  Spread the vegetable filling in an even layer across the rectangle.  Cut the dough in half lengthwise and about eight times widthwise, to form sixteen short strips.  Loosely tie the strips into knots or coil them (it doesn’t much matter how you do it) and place them, evenly spaced, into your baking dish.

10.  Let proof again until nearly doubled, another hour or so.  After about 40 minutes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   Test the dough by pressing gently with one finger; when the indentation bounces back slowly but remains visible, the dough is ready to bake.  Whisk an egg with a splash of milk and brush the egg wash over the dough.  Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden-brown on top.  The tops of the rolls should be fairly hard when touched, but should move easily — so you know the innards are still nice and soft.  Before serving, melt more butter and mix with additional chopped parsley, then brush over the rolls while they’re still warm.