The Bread Baking Babes: my lips are sealed? Pocket book rolls aka hot lips

Oh girls, this is a no brainer, of course I couldn’t get my mouth shut! Let me tell you how this came about. Astrid is our Kitchen of the Month in November, and she picked a recipe called Pocket book rolls. After a couple of mails and pictures it was clear that these pocketbooks were named after the clutches? purses? wallets? ladies used to use some time ago in a more elegant era.

Lien and I first thought of pocket books as in paperback books. That’s how we call paperbacks in Holland and neither of us could see any resemblance in these perky bread rolls. It got somewhat clearer after the explanation that Elizabeth provided us with and the picture of her Mom’s original pocket book that Tanna send us (so elegant!) and look what the fabulous Lien did; she embedded that picture in the November logo!! Kudos Lien!
However… soon after the first rolls were shared among us it was very obvious that the Babes these days aren’t the pocketbook toting type of gals. One by one we produced lips! Hot lips, sour lips, sweet lips… you name it. So many variations are possible.
I know I fiddled around some with the dough, I know some of the Babes mentioned the dough being a tad dry to properly roll out, what I don’t know is where and what I fiddled with. So I would suggest you follow the recipe and your instincts and don’t be afraid to add a bit of liquid when needed.
 
What follows is what Astrid told us about the rolls:
These rolls are so named because the folded dough resembles small purses or pocketbooks.
In the book it says it is essential that you let rise them at least 2 hours to attain the right feathery texture they are famous for.
They also suggest that these rolls are easily stored in the freezer: if you intend to do so you should bake them no longer than 5 minutes, cool them and then store in an airtight container in the freezer until further use. When you want to serve them bake them in preheated oven at 400°F about 5 minutes or until golden.

Pocketbook Rolls

(makes about 2 dozen rolls, recipe adapted from The Glory of Southern Cooking by James Villas)
1 packet active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm whole milk
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar-
1/2 cup boiling water
1 large egg, beaten
3 cups all purpose flour (as always I am using white spelt flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Proof the yeast in the lukewarm milk until bubbly. Should take about 5 minutes, depends on your yeast though. 
2. Meanwhile cream the shortening, butter and the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Gradually beat in the boiling water. 
3. add the yeast mixture and stir until well blended. 
4. add the egg and stir until well blended
5. add the flour and salt and mix very well.
   --- from here you can keep the mixture up to one week in the fridge covered lightly with plastic wrap for further use
   Three hours before ready to use: 
6. Roll out the dough. About 1/2 inch thick.
7. Cut into rounds with a 2 to 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. 
8. Fold each round in half and place on greased baking sheet. 
9. Brush each roll generously with melted butter, cover with a towel.
10. Let rise in a warm place for about 2 1/2 hours. 
11. Preheat the oven to 400°F
12. Bake the rolls until golden brown. Should take about 7-8 minutes

Notes:

- Wow.. I used a cutter and they retreated to a tiny circle faster than I could pick ‘m up!
- mine rose way faster, I didn’t need 2 hours
- I think they’ll benefit from a little more liquid, easier to roll, easier to cut (and not shrink back)
- I found it very difficult to keep my lips closed
- maybe that was because I filled with orange curd, and the lips slipped open?
- then again, the ones I smeared with mustard butter stayed closed or more closed than the others ;-)
- fillings I used: orange curd / mustard butter / cinnamon sugar
- we loved, no adored the mustard butter filled ones –> so yummy!
- all of them GONE in about 1 hour out of the oven
- we were surprised by the airiness and the bit of crunch on top of the rolls.
- absolutely something to try again, maybe with soup for a dinner party?

Since we are Babes and do no obey to rules, there are nearly no rules for Buddies, except these two:

1. Bake the featured bread, snap a pic & share your thoughts about how you liked it (or not liked it)
2. Send an email to the Kitchen of the Month (see form below) to notify  us and make it easier to write the round up.

Your Name
Your Email
The name of your blog
...and the URL of your post
A photo of your bread

Do you want me to send you a notification once the Buddy round up is online?  yes no

 Don’t forget to visit my fellow Babes and see what they did with this lovely Bread this month.
Oh and don’t forget to visit Katie our BBBBB (Bitchin’ Bread Baking Babe Bibliothécaire) who writes up such lovely round ups of all the BBB Breads every month!