Pistachio Rose Love Rolls
A little like a Persian Love Cake and Baklava had a baby…
Sweet, floral, and nutty, these rolls will make you fall in love.
Skill Level- Intermediate
Shopping List:
Rapid Rise/ Instant/ or Active Dry Yeast
Bread Flour
Pistachios (preferably plain- not roasted or salted)
Rose petals (edible, food grade)
Vegan Butter
Plant Milk
Coconut milk or cream (in a can or tin)
Granulated and Light Brown Sugar
Icing/ Powdered Sugar (optional)
Vanilla Extract
Neutral Oil
Salt
Equipment:
Stand mixer w/ dough hook- you can definitely make these by hand, but if you have a stand mixer, I would say use it
Large bowl (if not using a stand mixer )
Liquid measuring cup
Scale, if using ( you should! )
Candy thermometer (optional, but helpful)
Rolling pin
Medium size bowl (filling)
Small bowls ( topping + glaze )
9 x 13 “ baking pan
Cooling rack
Small saucepan
Kitchen towel, bowl cover, or plastic wrap
Very sharp knife or dental floss (for cutting rolls)
Makes- 6, 8, or 12 rolls-depending on your preferred size
Products used:
Links provided below-
Rapid Rise Yeast- I prefer active dry over rapid or instant yeast, but I’ m using it for this recipe because it’s a bit easier and quicker for people because it only requires one rise instead of two. I think the end result is usually more flavorful. That being said, it does require two rises, which Rapid Rise does not (typically neither does Instant, but double check your brand). If you’re short on time and prefer to use the rapid rise yeast (which is perfectly acceptable), see notes on yeast below
King Arthur Bread Flour- Any bread flour will do, King Arthur is just my preference. If you only have all purpose on hand, you can go ahead and use it instead- the result will just be slightly different.
Violife or Miyoko’s or - Unsalted is typically my preference. That being said, if you can’t find unsalted vegan butter, use what you have. Try reducing the salt by about ¾ tsp. and see how that works for you ( it’s hard to say exactly though because all salted butter has different salt levels).
Silk Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk- what type of plant milk doesn’t really matter too much in this recipe, just make sure it’s unsweetened.
Notes:
Pistachios- The easiest option is to find shelled one (I typically find at Trader Joe’s). Plain nuts that are not roasted or salted are preferred, but sometimes a little harder to come by, so if roasted and salted are all you fine, that’s ok. Don’t like pistachios? Try walnuts instead.
Rose Petals- Look for these is the tea section of your health food store or online at places like Amazon- just make sure that they are food grade.
Sugar-To make sure it’s vegan, use organic as it does not use bone char (yes, it’s as bad as it sounds) in the processing like conventional sugar typically does.
Oil- Along with milk, serves as our egg replacer. Butter is flavor, but oil helps with moisture retention after the dough is baked.
Measuring- Listen… just go ahead and get a scale! They’re cheap and the most accurate for baking. I use them to develop my recipes and do the best I can to convert to the cup measurements out of courtesy to those who don’t have one, but trust me, if you like to bake- get one. It will be the best $20 dollars you spend to improve your recipes. If you still refuse, make sure that you use the scoop and level method to measure out your flour to avoid using more than the recipe calls for.
Yeast-This recipe calls for Rapid Rise Yeast, however, if Active Dry is your preference, they both work too. Just know that Active Dry requires two rises and proofing the yeast before you start. See here if you prefer to use Active Dry.
T= tablespoon tsp= teaspoon C= cup g= gram ml= milliliter pinch= around 1/8 of a teaspoon
INGREDIENTS:
Dough
7 g (1 packet) Rapid Rise Yeast- or 3 tsp. Active Dry Yeast
300 ml (1 ¼ C) plant milk, warm (120°–130°F ) * if you don’t have a thermometer, it should be sorta hot, but not boiling or scalding *
63 g (⅓ C) granulated sugar (organic or vegan-friendly)
57 g (4 T) unsalted butter (vegan, very room temp)
30 g (2 T) oil (grapeseed, avocado, vegetable, or canola work best)
480 g (4 C) bread flour (you can sub with all-purpose flour )
1 T rose petals (crushed * food safe*)
1 tsp. kosher salt
Filling
86 g (6 T) vegan butter, room temp and spreadable
100 g (½ C) granulated sugar, (organic or vegan-friendly)
50 g ( ¼ C) light brown sugar
112 g (1 C) pistachios, shelled and finely chopped (not roasted, not salted is preferred, but if that’s all you can get your hands on, that’s fine)
pinch of salt (if not using salted nuts)
Coconut Rose Cream
200 g (½ can ) coconut milk or cream
1 T rose petals, crushed
1 T vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Icing
130 g (1 C ) icing/powdered sugar
29 g (2 T) vegan butter, melted (but not hot)
1 T coconut rose cream
1 T plant milk or heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract or paste
pinch of salt
Recipe Prep:
Bring butter to room temp
Preheat oven to 350° F/ 177°C
DIRECTIONS:
Click here if you prefer to use Active Dry Yeast
Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, add flour, sugar, rose, and rapid yeast.
Mix Wet Ingredients: Add warm milk (120°–130°F) and oil to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed with a dough hook attachment until the dough becomes shaggy.
Incorporate Butter: Add room temperature butter and continue to mix on low speed until the butter is fully incorporated into the dough. It may look wet and sloppy, but that’s okay. Increase to medium/medium-high speed and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10-15 minutes). See Top Tip here to know when your dough is properly kneaded.
Rest the Dough: Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on the counter to rest for 10-15 minutes. you only need one rise with Rapid Rise Yeast
Roll Out the Dough: Roll the dough into a 12 x 16-inch rectangle. Spread the filling butter over the surface, leaving about 1/4 inch butter-free at the top.
Add Filling: Sprinkle both sugars and pistachios on top of the buttered dough, reserving about ¼ cup of pistachios for topping the rolls.
Form Roll: Roll the dough away from you, making a tight cylinder. Seal the roll by rolling it onto itself at the end and gently pressing down.
Cut Rolls: Cut the dough into 6, 8, or 12 even pieces using a sharp serrated knife or dental floss. Place the rolls in a buttered 9x13-inch pan.
Rise: Cover the pan with a towel and let the rolls rise until doubled in size, about 35-55 minutes.
Make Coconut Rose Cream: While the rolls are rising, simmer all the coconut rose cream ingredients in a small saucepan on medium/medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until reduced and thickened. Set aside to cool.
Bake Rolls: Once the rolls have risen, pour the cooled cream over them, reserving one tablespoon for the icing. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes.
Make Icing: Mix all the icing ingredients together in a small bowl. Spread over the cooled rolls.
Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle the reserved pistachios and crushed rose petals on top. Enjoy your warm, delicious rolls!
Eat warm and enjoy!
Follow these steps when using Active Dry Yeast:
.
1.Proofing:
Warm ¼ cup of water to 100°–110°F.
Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top.
Let it sit for about 10 minutes until the yeast becomes foamy and puffs up.
2.Mixing:
Warm your wet ingredients to between 100°–110°F * reduce the amount of milk in the original recipe from 300 grams (1 ¼ cups) to 240 grams (1 cup).
Add the proofed yeast to the warm liquid ingredients and mix well with the dry ingredients.
3.First Rise:
Knead the dough with a mixer with a hook attachment or by hand until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a large bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1-2 hours.
4.Shaping:
After the first rise, lightly remove any air bubbles in the dough and roll out according to the recipe, add the filling, then roll into a log and slice into desired pieces.
5.Second Rise:
Let the cut rolls rise again for 30-60 minutes, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
Go to number 10 in the directions above to continue the recipe.
Top Tip: Know When Your Dough is Properly Kneaded
The better your dough is kneaded, the better your final baking product will be!
Here’s how to know when your dough is ready:
Texture Transformation: Your dough should go from shaggy to smooth, with a nice supple sheen.
Minimal Stickiness: The sides of your bowl (or your hands) should be mostly free from any sticking dough.
Mixer Clue: If using a mixer, your dough will often form a tight ball around the hook and "slap" the sides of the bowl.
Stretch Test: The number one sign—your dough doesn’t immediately break when you pull at it. Tear a piece from the ball and stretch it. If you can see through it without it breaking, your dough is properly kneaded and ready to go!
Storage and Use
Rolls taste best fresh, but here is how to handle the leftovers-
If you’re not eating all of the rolls right away, make sure not to ice them until you are ready to eat- this way, you can reheat, then add the fresh icing.
Store rolls in an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
When ready to eat, place in the oven at 320° for 5- 7 minutes to warm through again.
