There is something very therapeutic about baking bread. When I’ve had a terrible day, there is nothing I enjoy more than coming home and doing just that.

You may think it would be because there’s a special feeling that comes along with feeding your family home-baked goodies. Or you may think it’s because the feel of bread dough is soothing to me and it makes the house smell simply heavenly. Or you may even think it’s because I just like to bake bread. Well. Although all of those thoughts are accurate, that’s not quite the real reason.

Hold on to your socks. The real reason baking bread is so very therapeutic for me is becuase quite frankly, I can beat the ever-loving @#$% out of that dough! I can throw it against walls, I can scream at it and it never screams back, I can pull it, tug it, roll it, tear it, drop kick the #$%^ out of it across the room, PUNCH IT! Give it a face, and a name, and then PUNCH IT AGAIN! With no legal ramifications. I promise I have no violent tendencies, but MAN that feels good!!! I feel kinda like a dough ninja. And it’s actually a great workout.

The best part is that huge release of your day will result in nice, big, fluffy, heavenly scented, loaves of bread or dinner rolls. How does that even happen? What I do know is that is truly how to take a lemon of a day and make lemonade. I’ll have vodka with mine please 😉

Rosemary Lavender Yeast Rolls

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk
• 1/4 or 1/8 cup sugar – depending on sweetness preference. I use 1/8
• 3 tbsp. butter or shortening
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 package yeast
• 1 egg
• 3 sprigs of Rosemary – Chopped
• 3 tbsp. Lavender
• Zest of one lemon

 

Directions:

Add yeast to the 1/2 cup of warm water. Cover and let sit about 10 minutes or until foamy. Add all other ingredients to your bread pan. Add water with yeast last. Set machine for the dough cycle. When the dough is ready, turn out onto a floured surface. Tear the dough into 12 equal pieces and place in a greased baking pan. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow them to rise 30 minutes in a warm, draft free place. Remove the towel and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

* This recipe can also be made without use of a bread machine by mixing your dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. You may choose to hand knead the dough after mixing if you prefer, or just use the dough hook for kneading. Place mixed and kneaded dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about an hour or until doubled in size. Punch down and prepare your rolls as instructed above.

If you don’t currently have a bread machine, but have an interest, you can find them very handily at most thrift stores. Mine was $10. SERIOUS. SCORE.

These also make great rolls for breakfast biscuits. Just add sausage, egg and cheese or any of your favorite breakfast foods. Try. This. You won’t regret it.

I like beating dough. Bon Appetit y’all!