Officially the “High-Protein Rolls” from the More-with-Less cookbook, these are a great addition to a meal because they have a little more oomph—being both more filling and having more nutritive value—than the spongy carbohydrate blobs that typically call themselves rolls. I like to use these for Thanksgiving dinner (see the quote from an 8-year-old Augusta) where they’re also great for making sandwiches with leftovers.

The cookbook is a Mennonite wonder from 1976 that espouses simple but hearty foods and simplified living. It sets the tone with austere but elegant 12-point Univers typography employing just a few weights. Its spiral bound presence in the kitchen played a central role in my mother somehow managing to raise six energetic and busy kids on a budget.

Ingredients:
  • 2 pkg dry yeast
  • ½ cup lukewarm water
  • 2 cups cottage cheese
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • yeast mixture
  • 4-4½ cups sifted flour
Directions

  1. Dissolve dry yeast in lukewarm water.

    2. Avoid heating the water too much or you might kill the yeast. Just nice and warm to activate it.

  2. Heat cottage cheese until lukewarm.

    3. I usually put this in the microwave in a glass 2-cup measure, heating briefly (20-30s), mixing, and repeating until it’s evenly warm to avoid “cooking” it.

  3. Combine in large bowl:

    • cottage cheese
    • sugar
    • salt
    • baking soda
    • eggs
    • yeast mixture

    4. Since the salt and baking soda are inhibitors for the yeast, get the rest mixed together well before adding the yeast/water mixture.

  4. Gradually add sifted flour.

    5. Add flour until the dough is no longer sticky and is a little more puffy and elastic.

  5. Turn onto floured board and knead 5 minutes.

    6. If the dough starts getting stickier while kneading, work in a little more flour as you go.

  6. Put dough in a greased bowl, turning once. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 90 minutes.

    7. I like to put a little oil in the bottom of a bowl, then set the dough face-down into it, then move the dough around to cover it with the oil, and then flip it over, so that the top is evenly covered, and the bottom is now just sitting in the greased part of the bowl.

  7. After letting the dough rise, punch it down. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.

  8. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces and shape into balls. Place balls in two greased 9" baking pans.

    9. To get the 24, I'll first twist the dough into two halves, then do the same to get quarters, then eighths. For each eighth, split into three even pieces, and use your hands to knead (just once or twice!) each dough ball into a nice round roll shape.

  9. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Optional

Replace 1-2 cups white flour with whole wheat flour.