Honey Cornbread Rolls

This recipe is written for very experienced bakers only! I wrote this recipe in the deep south in the summer. If you’re making this in the north or west, especially in the winter, you’ll most-likely need to add more milk and know what type of texture you’re looking to achieve.

I moved down to the deep south and cornbread must be served with certain meals. I’m not a huge fan of cornbread, although strawberry jam on cornbread is quite tasty. But when I’m forced to make it, I always try to throw in extras for us northerns who don’t crave it.  

For the rolls pictured, I used Tillamook chili cheddar, and a local lightly smoked bulk/pan sausage. You can also use chopped candied jalapenos instead of poblano, but I recommend going easy on the honey drizzle or omitting it altogether. For my hot honey, I used hatch chili flakes from Trader Joes. Use whatever chili flakes you like best. I don’t recommend skipping the hot honey, you can skip adding the butter, but I think the sweet heat really enhanced the flavor of the rolls. 

Please do not take my recipe ideas for your social media. My recipes are meant to encourage communion, thank you. If you’re taking them anyway, at least give the money earned to a community outreach type church or a charity that supports the needy.

Ingredients

Hot honey butter:
2 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
2 tablespoon butter

Dough:
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon honey
1 package instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour (270 grams)
1 cup cornmeal (166 grams)

Fillings:
1-1/2 cups of grated cheese from a block
1 fire-roasted poblano, chopped
3/4 cup crumbled and drained sausage Hardware
Wooden spoon, standing mixer with dough hook or awesome muscles
Parchment paper or Crisco for greasing the pan
9×13 pan
Rolling pin
Dental floss or sharp knife

Hot Honey Butter
In a small heatproof dish warm honey. I use a cheap candle warmer from Walmart. If the bottom of your coffee pot has a warmer, that works too, but be careful that can get HOT! You can use the microwave, but please be careful as honey gets really hot really fast. Once it’s fairly warm, add your favorite hot pepper flakes and set it aside to steep. While your rolls are baking, rewarm your honey, and strain through a fine mesh strainer. It’s not necessary, depends on if you like the flakes in or out. Add the two tablespoons of butter. It will separate while your honey is hot, but it will come together once it cools down a little and is stirred.

Making the dough
Heat the milk in a small saucepan. Weigh out the flour so you’ll have the same results. I have a light hand on my flour measurements; if you’re not weighing, stir then gently scoop the flour. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of weighed flour into the milk, whisk just until thick, and remove from the heat. Add 4 tablespoons of butter, and honey. Let it cool until cool to the touch, about 110° F. Too hot and it will kill the yeast.

In a large mixing bowl, add about half the flour, cornmeal, salt; give it a stir. Add the milk mixture and egg; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well with a wooden spoon after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together into a ball, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. If you have a standing mixer, give everything a quick stir and use the dough hook or use the paddle attachment and then switch to the hook (extra clean up). For the standing mixer, about 8 mins in total. It should feel like a soft bread dough.  

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean damp towel. Put the dough in a warm place, my favorite is the oven with the light turned on, but some people like to use the microwave with the door cracked open. Allow dough to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. While you wait, prepare your fillings and let them come up to room temperate. Prepare your 9×13 with parchment paper or grease.

The dough is oily, you won’t need to flour anything. Roll out the dough into a 12×9 inch rectangle. Evenly distribute the cheese first, pat it down, top with sausage and pepper. Roll up the dough from the long side, and pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 equal sized pieces and place into the prepared pan. Cover and let rise until doubled in size. Mine took about 30 mins. Preheat your oven at least 15 mins before baking, 20 mins is better.

Baking
Bake rolls at 350° for about 25 minutes and the temperature in the center of the roll reaches 195°. The rolls will not be dark in color, I was going for a softer result, you can always do 375° and check at 18 mins if you want a drier and browner roll. Remove from the oven. Place what you’re going to eat on a serving dish, then drizzle with hot honey butter. I served them with extra honey butter and pepper flakes.

Leftovers
For leftovers, store them in the fridge to be safe from pets sampling in the middle of the night or just because you have meat in the bread. When you’re ready to eat, just warm them in the microwave, for me 20 seconds works well, and they taste just like fresh baked. Yes, you can freeze them too! Wrap them individually before placing them in a freezer bag.

Communion

Philippians 4:4 _NKJV

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.