I’m not sure what’s come over me, but suddenly, I want to bake. It might just be the New Year, or I’ve been watching too many episodes of “The Great British Bake Off” lately.
I haven’t baked in years. It is something I did only out of necessity, and only then if backed into a corner. But . . . I’ve decided to ride this New Year’s wave as long as it lasts . . . and today when the urge came to bake, I made Blackberry Sweet Rolls.
I’m actually trying recipes to see if I can find a sweet dough that I could use to make poppy seed rolls that I loved as a child. My parents used to drive to the neighboring town to buy them from a German bakery and they were “to die for”.
I didn’t have enough poppy seed on hand to experiment with, so I used blackberries for the filler, since I was really just testing the dough recipe. I used to make pastries with yeast when I was a teenager living at home, and I was amazed at how nice it was to feel the dough in my hands again.
I’ve always been a person driven by how much I could accomplish, and working with yeast dough really took more time and patience than I had to spare. Waiting for the dough to rise, punching it down, and letting it rise again always seemed to be such a waste of precious time.
Now that I’m older, I think I’m more willing to slow down and enjoy the simple things of life. And I found, there is something very rewarding in watching the dough swell with life, and rise to the top of the bowl.
Then came rolling out the dough and adding a blackberry filling.
Only to roll it up again and cut into slices for baking.
Let’s just say, it came out very tasty. A top coating of frosting, and it was perfect with a glass of milk.
One big mistake though . . . I should have waited until Sunday afternoon to make it so I could take it to work to share. I didn’t think this through very well. I cut the recipe in half, but I’m still not sure who is going to eat it all. Any local ladies . . . please feel free to stop by to try it out.
The original recipe can be found at Two Peas and a Pod and is called “Raspberry Sweet Rolls”.
They look delicious! I love your photos of the whole process. I too am really enjoying cooking this January. I remember than from Jan and Feb last year. I channelled my gardening energy/need to create into cooking for a while.
I was thinking the same thing Ali. I don’t always have as much time spring and summer, plus it can often be way too hot for turning on the oven. If someone had asked me if I like baking, my answer would have been a definite “no”. But as I worked the dough, it brought back so many memories of my teens and twenties when I actually loved baking. Maybe my love it it will return, and some of the real joy of baking is sharing it with others.
This isn’t the first time I’ve wished I was one of your “local ladies”!
How I wish you did too Mary!!!
These look delicious – wish I lived in your neighborhood!
They really were very good and moist. I ended up giving most of them away. Way to much sugar and calories for me to eat by myself.
Did this turn out to be a sweet dough?
Yes it did. Mine was slightly under baked, so it was a little doughy in the middle, but a very soft and nice dough with just a hint of sweetness.
Thanks!
Hi I just followed your blog and I loved the blackberry sweet rolls you made and I will also try to make them at home
I hope you get a chance to make them. They were very tasty!