Patience pays off when it comes to the best yeast rolls
I was one of those kids wholoved camp! I loved being away. I loved all of the activities. And I loved the food!
Well, at least I loved the homemade yeast rolls that graced the table at every meal. I atethemin pairs, hot out of the oven, their tops salty with butter and the aromasoheadythat Iwould inhale as deeply as I could before devouring them. To this day, yeast rolls can transport me. They are like a warm blanket that envelopes you in pure comfort.
Ihave tried a lot of rolls in my adult life trying to find one that would come even close to my camp experience. But each one has come up short. That is, until I walked into the Harrison Smith House, a small restaurant in Bardstown, Kentucky.
Bardstown is famous for bourbon. Several distilleries — including Jim Beam, Heaven Hill Distilleries and Maker’s Mark — operate in and around Bardstown. But it is now famous to me for the best yeast rolls I’ve had since camp. And believeme, they are worth the trip! But while you’re there, you might aswell also partake in a littleBourbonexploration.
The rolls are the handiwork of Josh Smouse, who is the chef de cuisine of the Harrison SmithHouse. Like the owners, Newman Miller and Justin Hughes, he previously cooked in Louisville and Chicago. The three have been friends, roommates and colleagues throughout their culinary careers. Now back in their home state of Kentucky, they are bringing a traveled palate to their Southern table.
But the rolls, offered as a side dish, never traveled out of state. Josh startedmaking them first for his family at Christmas. He later decided to try them out at the restaurant, where he substituted them for the more common cornbread, and the rest is history. Smouse makes a minimum of 60 rolls a day, butmy version of his recipe will produce a more reasonable 16. If you want to make more, no problem; the recipe doubles easily.
This recipe is pretty foolproof and doesn’t need very much attention or kneading. The real secret is patience, as you will have to go through four rises and lots of waiting to make these tender, flaky and delicate buttery yeast rolls. Just remember what your mother said: “Good things come to those whowait!”