I am the Thrift Store Queen. I love the stuff you can find, from clothes, to shoes, cookware, furniture and the variety of strange and amazing things. Another man’s trash really can be your treasure. Part of the reason for my fascination with Thrift Stores is to show others that you can dress stylishly, find amazing deals and feel no shame in the fact that you’re using previously owned things. I work with newly arrived refugees. Most families when they arrive have very little in terms of material possessions. Not only does an entire apartment have to be furnished but often clothes (especially here in Salt Lake we need clothes for four DISTINCT seasons) are desperately needed. Thrift Stores are a must when buying entire wardrobes for a family all at once and picking up kitchen tools and small furniture items. I like looking at my clients in the eyes and telling them that everything they see me wearing is from the Thrift Store and that we need to begin a new adventure by having a shopping fashion show. Over the years we’ve had a lot of fun. A few weeks ago, while taking a family of four from Burma through the Thrift Store, I came upon two cast iron skillets. They were $4 each. I was almost hyperventilating with joy. I bought both. One for the Burmese family and one for me.
The Burmese family love their new skillet. I love mine as well. I’ve already cooked with it on the grill outside, used it to press down on paneer as a heavy weight and made a pineapple upside down cake in it. It’s time to make rolls. This was my first attempt at making rolls in the cast iron skillet. I loved how evenly they cooked and how long they stayed warm. The roll recipe is QUICK. There is extra yeast added to make it rise in 20 minutes so while you’re getting other things ready for dinner, you can put these rolls together. They were just the right texture, warm, buttery and delicious. The batch makes two dozen rolls, so I ended up with a dozen rolls in the cast iron skillet and pan full of garlic breadsticks. Not a bad deal at all!!
Mix dough until a soft dough forms
Divide dough and shape into 12 round balls and place in a cast iron skillet
Let it rise for 20 minutes until doubled in size and brush with melted butter before placing in oven.
Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown
Serve warm with butter
Other half of dough can be made into breadsticks…
Quick Rise Rolls
1 3/4 cups warm water
3 packets active dry yeast (2 tbsp plus 1 tsp)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup melted butter and a little extra for brushing
2 tsp salt
Kosher salt for sprinkling on top
2 large eggs, beaten
4-6 cups flour (more if needed due to humidity)
Pre-heat oven to 400° F. If using a stand mixer, attach the paddle attachment and in the mixing bowl, mix together water, yeast and honey and let it sit for about 5 minutes until foamy. Mix on low speed and slowly add in the melted butter and eggs. Add in 3 cups of flour and continue to mix on low for a minute or so. Add in salt and flour as needed until a soft dough is formed and it begins to form a ball. Divide dough in half. Portion half of the dough into 12 balls and roll smoothly. Place in a cast iron skillet and cover with a dish cloth or plastic wrap. Shape the remaining dough into rolls or bread sticks (can also be used as a pizza dough) if desired. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes. They should double in size during that time. Brush with melted butter and place the skillet in the pan. Bake for 25 minutes until tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with more melted butter and sprinkle each roll with a small amount of kosher salt. Serve warm with butter, jam or any other topping!
Source: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/kelsey-nixon/rapid-rolls-recipe/index.html
Since I didn’t pay enough attention to my Mamaw when she tried to teach me how to make her rolls…I am going to try these out in Her cast iron skillet….I inherited all of her cast iron and then a girlfriend GAVE me all her grandma’s because she doesn’t cook. Really? WHO does that? But, I happily took them off her hands! I can’t wait to see how they turn out! I’m with you…Trift stores are the Best.
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Congrats on you cast iron purchase.
I bought one for my wifes birthday a few years ago and without a doubt, it is one of the most veristal kitchen tools that we have !!
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Rolls are in the oven…ohhhhhh the aroma! Can’t wait to eat @ almost ‘midnight.
Hahaha, you gave in! You gotta tell me how you liked them
They tasted delicious although not as soft as I thought they would be, but I think I added too much flour. I am definitely going to try them again, because I know it was operator error. I think I ate 5 before I went to bed. haha
The dough should be pretty soft to begin with. I go to 5 cups and then slowly add in a little to get it past the sticky stage. They turn out really soft and tasty.
Simply gorgeous rolls and score on the Silpat!
Thank you! I’m feeling quite smug and victorious. The family I was with this time, from Nepal couldn’t figure out why I was doing a victory dance in the middle of the store. I was trying to explain to them what it was but they didn’t care. My nepali is not that great and their English is minimal. They really enjoyed my excitement
I think of you every time I visit my local Savers and Goodwill. I have one of each within a mile from my house. You taught me the art of the treasure hunt many, many years ago. Argh. . Pirate Chicks!
I LOVE this recipe too. . .what don’t I love about your cooking? I’m thinking of a project like Julie and Julia and work my way through all of your recipes. I can call it: Me and Mina. . .<3
I miss you so much. When are you coming to visit? I’ll feed you amazing, organic, low glycemic index foods with flavor.
Can not wait to try these!! I will let you know if mine turn out! Thank you!
I can’t wait to hear back on how they turned out. They are pretty fool proof!
I love thrift stores too. I feel like I’m no a treasure hunt every time I go into one. Great deal on your cast iron pan. And those rolls look so delicious!
I know it! Yesterday I scored a brand new Silpat in it’s box for $3. What a deal! Aren’t carbohydrates so delightful? Give me a warm roll with butter anyday!!
Those rolls look mouth wateringly delicious…and great to catch up with someone who works with Burmese families too. Lovely blog. Phillipa
Thanks Phillipa! I am an asylee and over the years I’ve worked in refugee resettlement of refugees from all over and it’s been a great blessing. BTW, your kids are the cutest!
I am so bookmarking this! My grandmother used to do what she called angel or feather rolls in her old, old cast iron pan and these look very like hers, but I’m wiling to bet hers had lard! I have a beloved cast iron skillet that I paid an arm and a leg for but I think it’s more than paid for itself in years of cornbread, mini paellas, tart tatins and – like you – upside-down cakes. I wish I had the patience for thrift stores. I can’t even do TJ Max! I don’t have money to throw around mind you, but I just don’t shop very often. You would be able to intuite this by my wardrobe!
Thrift store shopping is an art form. I love the sense of discovery, plus I have to go almost every other week with new families in tow so I’m always discovering stuff. I especially love it when I find unusual kitchen stuff!
Yummy rolls! I love my cast iron skillets and fryer. Best pans I have in the house.
I know it! You can do anything with them and TO them and they survive!!
Just had to share this at Facebook and Twitter! Fully 85% of what I own came from thrift shops! 50 cent shirts, 25 cent shorts, 1 dollar pants! Found 2 cast iron skillets for 3 bucks each and scarfed them up. They make gorgeous biscuits and cornbread, too. I’m definitely doing these rolls at the weekend. Thanks so very much for sharing this one with us! Terry1954, feel free to ship any cast iron you consider “excess” to me, it’s hard to find it in this part of the world (Middle East)!
Hey where in the middle east are you? I grew up in Yemen and also lived in the UAE and travelled all over the middle east!
I am so glad that I’m not the only one who enjoys hunting through thrift stores. There’s no challenge in shopping at a mall. The sense of mystery, discovery and eventual triumph when you score a deal can’t be beat!
I’m in Amman, Jordan. Been here three years and loving it! Traveling and living in the Middle East is a dream come true.
those rolls look good. i have way too many cast iron skillets. i love to cook and bake in them! i will try this recipe!
Can you have too many cast iron skillets? They are so awesome. Heck you can use extras as a self defense tool in case burglars break in and you have brain someone!
i love that idea!!!!! i can keep one under my bed, and one in my car!!! love your way of thinking!
Gotta multitask with those kitchen tools…LOL!
Reblogged this on afternoon popcorn snack and commented:
This bread from Tahmina looks so yummy to me right now and it’s 11pm here! Do I dare?
OMG! This bread…I want to go make some NOW! It looks so good, I’m not even joking.
<3 the thrift store too and I love it that you're getting others hooked.
You can make it now, it takes 20 minutes to rise and you can be eating it in about 45 minutes start to finish! Midnight snack with butter….
Now you know what your killer nacho recipes did to me at midnight…
I am so inspired! …need to go thrifting
The rolls look so yummy too!
You should make it. They are fast, easy and soooo good!
I am going thrift store shopping with you! Thrifting is hard to do in NYC because there is a whole group of professional thrifters who hit up all the stores and grab all the good stuff to resell at hipster boutiques for a million times what they paid for it.
I just can’t compete. So thrifting is always better out of town. Like way, way, way out of town!
These rolls look amazing too! I love any trick to get lovely, yeasty rolls into my mouth faster. Thanks for the tip about the 20-minute proof!
Thrift stores here are the bomb. Today I got a brand new Silpat in it’s box for $3 and a Pampered Chef 13 inch pizza stone still in its box for $5. I am in hog heaven.
WHAT?!
A brand-new Silpat for $3?!?!?!?
People in Utah have no idea what they are giving away!
Exactly!! I also found a size 4 Ann Taylor slacks and it fit me beautifully and the original tag was still on it. $5. That master cleanse and p90X has made me fit into size four again….hallelujah.
Wow. Congratulations!
On the slacks score and the size 4!