Happy Thanksgiving!

It's finally here! I love Thanksgiving! This year we are going to the Brain's parents house for dinner. Actually, we are supposed to leave in minutes, so I will be brief. My job this year is rolls. The Brain's sister's kids really like crescent rolls rolled around marshmallows. But I made something for the adults. These are Poppy Seed Dinner Rolls from Bon Appetit. I sprinkled half with poppy seeds and the other half with sesame seeds. Of course I used the blog as an excuse to try one and they're pretty tasty!

Today I'm thankful for a loving husband, a roof over my head, and good food like this when so many people in the world are hungry for food, love and shelter.

Poppy Seed Dinner Rolls

from Bon Appetit

1 cup warm water (105°-115°F)

2 envelopes dry yeast

1/4 tsp plus 1/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup whole milk at room temperature

1 large egg

2 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter melted and cooled

5 1/3 cups (about) all purpose flour

1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter cut into thin slices

1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp cold water

poppy seeds (and sesame seeds)

Place warm water in large bowl. Sprinkle with yeast and 1/4 tsp sugar over and stir to blend. Let stand until yeast dissolves and mixture is slightly foamy, about 8 minutes.

Whisk milk, 1 egg, salt, and remaining 1/3 cup sugar into yeast mixture.

Add melted butter and whisk until smooth. Add 1 cup flour and mix until smooth. Combine 4 cups flour and 1 cup chilled butter in processor* . Using on / off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add to yeast mixture and stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Knead in bowl until smooth dough forms, adding more flour if dough is sticky**, about 5 minutes.

Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight. ***

Butter 24 muffin cups.

Turn dough out onto floured surface; knead briefly until smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Place 1 dough portion on work surface; cover and chill remaining dough. Roll out 1 dough portion on floured surface to 13x11 inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). Cut rectangle lengthwise into 6 strips, each scant 2 inches wide. Stack strips atop one another, forming 6 layers and pressing slightly to adhere. Cut strips crosswise into 6 equal stacks, each about 2 inches long. Place 1 dough stack, 1 cut side down, into each muffin cup (dough will fan out slightly and fill muffin cups as dough rises). Repeat with remaining chilled dough pieces.

Cover rolls with kitchen towel.

Let rise in warm draft-free area until rolls are puffed and doubled in volume, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 350°F.

Brush rolls gently with egg glaze. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake until rolls are golden brown, switching top and bottom baking sheets halfway through baking, about 25 minutes.**** Transfer pans to rack and cool rolls 5 minutes. Remove rolls from pans and cool on racks. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Wrap in aluminum foil and freeze. If desired, rewarm thawed wrapped rolls in 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.)

* I did two batches in the food processor because mine is small. One batch was 2 cups flour and 1 stick of butter.

** My dough was crazy sticky so I had to add a LOT of flour. It could have something to do with the rain and humidity yesterday.

*** Yeah, there's no room for that big bowl in my fridge so I left it on the counter overnight.

**** I put my muffin pans right next to each other, but my oven heats unevenly so I still rotated halfway through.