We infused this dough with a light amber ale because it offers subtle notes of toasty malt and sweet citrus that balance out the savory Parmesan and roasted garlic. A hoppy beer (like an IPA) would make the bread too bitter. Place three dough balls into a muffin cup to yield a charming clover shape.
Clover Beer Rolls
Makes 24
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons (450 grams) warm amber ale* (105°F/41°C to 110°F/43°C), divided
- 1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons (14 grams) active dry yeast
- 1½ tablespoons (31.5 grams) honey
- 5⅔ cups (680 grams) bread flour
- 10 ounces (280 grams) coarsely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- Roasted Garlic (recipe follows)
- 2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (4 grams) chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon (9 grams) kosher salt
- ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- Garnish: flaked sea salt, chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup (240 grams) warm beer, yeast, and honey. Let stand until mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine flour, 8 ounces (225 grams) Parmesan, Roasted Garlic, sugar, parsley, and salt. Add yeast mixture and remaining ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (210 grams) warm beer, and beat at low speed until a smooth, elastic dough forms, 8 to 9 minutes.
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Spray 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cooking spray.
- Punch down dough, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 24 (60-gram) portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (keep remaining dough covered to prevent it from drying out), divide each portion into 3 (20-gram) pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place 3 dough balls in each prepared muffin cup. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. (Alternatively, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.)
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Brush rolls with melted butter, and sprinkle with remaining 2 ounces (55 grams) Parmesan.
- Bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 190°F (88°C), 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Brush with melted butter again, and sprinkle with sea salt and parsley, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
*We used Bell’s Amber Ale, but any amber or brown ale will do. You can also use a pale ale, but it does have more hops than amber ale, so it will affect your rolls’ flavor slightly.
Pro Tip: For these rolls, we greased our baking pans with cooking spray because it doesn’t brown the edges of the bread like butter (with its higher fat content). Feel free to grease your baking pans with butter, if desired. It won’t affect the rolls’ flavor.
Pro Tip: For these rolls, we greased our baking pans with cooking spray because it doesn’t brown the edges of the bread like butter (with its higher fat content). Feel free to grease your baking pans with butter, if desired. It won’t affect the rolls’ flavor.
Roasted Garlic
Makes 1 head
Ingredients
- 1 large (2½-inch) head garlic (about 73 grams)
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Cut ¼ inch off top end of garlic, keeping cloves intact. Place garlic, cut side up, on foil. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt; wrap garlic in foil.
- Bake until soft, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Squeeze pulp into a small bowl, and mash with a fork.
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These rolls are unreal! I made them for our family’s Thanksgiving dinner last year and was told on no uncertain terms that I would be making them again this year.
if i didn’t want to use an ale, could i use a cider?
or do you have other suggestions for the clover beer rolls?
Hi Cathie,
Thanks for reaching out! A cider may be too acidic for this particular application, and could change the way the yeast reacts or the gluten forms. Lighter beer styles will typically work the best for these kind of recipes. I love a good hefeweizen, as well. The citrusy-notes heighten the multitude of flavors in the rolls– from the honey to the parmesan.