Cornmeal Pan Rolls

Thanksgiving and MawMaw Shirley's house was full to the walls. The cousins were all home, the neighbors with nowhere else to be had been invited, and the food was distributed across three tables because the dining room could not accommodate everyone simultaneously. This is Thanksgiving as it should be: slightly too much of everything, including people.

The scratch green bean casserole was a success. Not just that people liked it — people sought out second helpings specifically from that dish and asked what I had done differently. The homemade cream sauce with shallots and thyme, the crispy shallots on top made fresh rather than from a can, the green beans themselves blanched properly rather than cooked to mush. MawMaw tasted it and said, "That is better than my version." I said, "I had a better teacher than the person who taught you." She laughed and said that was the correct answer. The old version and the new version both existed at the table that day. That is how traditions stay alive: you keep what is true and improve what can be improved and you do it with love and respect for what came before.

The macaroni and cheese was unanimously declared the best it had ever been — I had adjusted the custard ratio and increased the sharp cheddar content and let it rest longer before serving, which changed the texture in a way I had been trying to achieve for a year. Uncle Terrence had three servings. I consider him my most reliable data point.

We ate until we were past full. The children fell asleep in chairs. The adults talked for hours. I sat at the table long after dinner was done and thought about what a table full of people who love each other actually is: it is not a meal, not a holiday, not even a family exactly. It is a practice. Something you show up for repeatedly. Something that becomes itself only through repetition and time.

That green bean casserole and that mac and cheese took all the glory, and they earned it — but what held everything together on that table, what people reached for with every single plate, were the rolls. I’ve been making these cornmeal pan rolls for a few years now, and they’re the quiet workhorse of the Thanksgiving spread: soft and pillowy with just enough cornmeal texture to remind you someone made them by hand. MawMaw didn’t say they were better than hers, but she had four of them, and that’s basically the same thing.

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes (includes rise time) | Servings: 24 rolls

Ingredients

1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°F)
1 cup warm whole milk (110° to 115°F)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons melted for brushing
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Instructions

Activate the yeast. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. If it doesn’t foam, start over with fresh yeast.
Mix the dough base. Add the warm milk, sugar, softened butter, egg, and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir in the cornmeal and 2 cups of flour until smooth.
Build the dough. Add enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl but is not sticky. The dough should be tacky but not stick to clean, dry fingers.
Knead. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Alternatively, knead with a dough hook attachment on medium speed for 5 minutes.
First rise. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Shape the rolls. Punch down dough. Divide into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange evenly in two greased 9x13-inch baking pans. Cover and let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes.
Bake. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake rolls uncovered until deep golden brown on top, 18 to 22 minutes.
Finish. Immediately brush tops with melted butter. Serve warm directly from the pan.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cornmeal Pan Rolls — The Scratch Side That Belongs on Every Thanksgiving Table