When you want to spend minimal time in the kitchen, but still turn out good food, timesaving appliances are the key. Case in point: I rarely bake bread in my automatic bread machine, but use it for mixing and proofing dough unmonitored. Recently there was a large container of cottage cheese in my fridge that was almost to the expiration date, so I searched and found a recipe for dinner rolls that would use it up. The recipe turned out pretty good – the rolls were very light and rose high, but the crust on the rolls was tough. A few ingredient changes and a couple of trial batches later, the following Cottage Cheese Butter Rolls were devoured by the Official Hancock Tasters, and leftovers made great sandwiches.

If you’re searching for an easy dinner roll recipe for a special family gathering or dinner party with friends, these buttery rolls are perfect. Of course, you can make them the old fashioned way if you have lots of spare time, but the automatic bread machine will make the dough and call you when it is finished and ready to roll out. The shaping is easy, since the dough is rolled out into a large rectangle and cut into squares with a pizza cutter. The squares are then folded over with buttery hands and placed fairly close together on a baking sheet (similar to the famous Parker House Rolls). Once risen, baked, and removed from the oven, they are again slathered with butter. Warning: this is not diet food.

48 Small Rolls; 32 Larger Rolls

3/4 cup water
2 cups cottage cheese, (2% is best, but full-fat can be used)
2 eggs
1/4 cup softened butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 to 5 cups flour
1 tablespoon dry yeast

1/2 cup melted butter

1. Measure the ingredients in the order given into the pan of an automatic bread machine.
2. Set the machine to the dough cycle and start.
3. After the cycle has run about 5 minutes, check to make sure the ingredients are forming a ball. Because this is a fairly large batch of dough, you may have to scrape the sides down while the machine is running. If the ball is too soft, add a little more flour; if the ball is stiff, add a little more water.
4. When the cycle is finished, transfer the dough to a lightly floured pastry cloth (or other floured surface).
5. Roll the dough to a large rectangle; use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 48 squares (32 if you prefer larger rolls).
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment or Silpat. Dip the fingers (impeccably clean, of course) of one hand in butter, pick up a square, and stretch it, covering it with the butter on your fingers.
7. Fold the dough in half and place it on the baking sheet.
8. Repeat until all the dough squares have been folded over and placed on the baking sheet.
9. Let the rolls rise until doubled in bulk, depending your altitude, 30-45 minutes.
10. Heat the oven to 350°.
11. Place the rolls in the oven and let bake until golden brown.
12. When they are baked, remove from the oven and brush with the remaining melted butter. Serve Immediately.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 81 Calories from Fat 32
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 40% Protein 12% Carb. 48%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 18 mg
Sodium 173 mg
Total Carbohydrate 10 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 1 g
Protein 2 g

Vitamin A 3% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 1%