Anise Seed Rolls

This is one of my favorite roll recipes. Everyone gets excited when I tell them I’m making these for Thanksgiving. They are sweet and have just the slightest hint of anise. They’re definitely worth the work, and I hope you love these as much as my family does!

Step: 1

Pour the milk into a pan, and heat just until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm (110 degrees F/45 degrees C).

Step: 2

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup lukewarm (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) water. Allow to rest 5 minutes.

Step: 3

Beat the shortening with the sugar, eggs, salt, and anise seeds in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the milk and yeast mixture. Gradually mix in the flour, stirring to make a soft dough (dough should not be sticky). Add more flour if needed. Cover bowl with a clean cloth, and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Step: 4

Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Punch down dough, divide into two pieces, and roll out each piece into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into 8x1 inch strips. Twist each strip into a simple knot, and place on prepared baking sheet. Cover with a clean cloth, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Step: 5

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Step: 6

Pour 1 quart water into a pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Dip each roll quickly into the boiling water, and return to baking sheet.

Step: 7

Bake rolls in preheated oven until tops are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Per Serving: 169 calories; protein 3.8g; carbohydrates 27.6g; fat 4.6g; cholesterol 11.4mg; sodium 75.6mg.

The quality of the flour could make a real deal to your bread. Different brands do vary. Extra-strong or Canadian flours, which are naturally higher in gluten, may give you a better rise than standard dough flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal dough , which doesn’t always getting bigger as well as clear bread.

To make this in a breadmaker , add all the menus to your breadmaker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

A dough’s first rising can be done in the fridge overnight . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great timesaver , as you can work it night before , then finish it off the next day.