Olive Oil & Black Tea Rolls

Yeasted breads—like tender dinner rolls, crusty loaves, or soft brioche—have a delicious capacity for sopping, mopping, and wiping up the last delectable bit of gravy, sauce, or vinaigrette. Simply put, they’re a mandatory component of any feasting table. But with their lengthy rising times and seemingly fussy proofing schedule, it’s just another roadblock to a smooth oven schedule, especially over the busy holidays. So if you’re headed to a Friendsgiving celebration this year, ease the host’s load and make these soft, squishable, pull-apart dinner rolls—they’re scented with earthy black tea and fresh orange zest and loaded with rich, luxurious olive oil. Set them out with a dish of orangey olive oil, and watch them disappear. 

For the rolls:

Ingredients

1 cup (240g) whole milk

3 tablespoons finely ground Dona Amber Assam tea

¼ cup (60g) water, warm

1 tablespoon (7g) dry active yeast

2 tablespoons (40g) honey

3 tablespoons (45g) Graza sizzle, plus more to finish

1 egg

1 orange

3 ½ cups (420g) bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 egg white

For the orangey dipping oil:

Ingredients

¼ cup Graza drizzle 

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

Freshly ground black pepper

Flaky sea salt 

In a small pot, combine the milk and the finely ground Amber Assam and set over medium-low heat. Allow the tea to infuse, 3 to 4 minutes, until fragrant and warm. Remove from the heat. (If necessary, cool until warm, but not hot, to the touch.)

Combine the warm milk mixture, warm water, honey, and dry yeast, and let the mixture sit for a few minutes, or until the yeast looks foamy and bubbly.

Stir in the Graza sizzle, the egg, and the zest of one orange, reserving one teaspoon of orange zest for the dipping oil. 

Either kneading by hand or using the dough hook attachment of a stand mixer, add the bread flour and kosher salt and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes in a mixer at medium speed, or about 8 minutes if kneading by hand. 

Shape the dough into a ball, then transfer to a large mixing bowl well coated in Graza drizzle. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and let rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes. 

Chill the dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. 

When ready to shape the rolls, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. (This dough is easy to work with when well chilled and rested!) 

Using a rolling pin, shape the dough into a large rectangle about 30 inches long and 20 inches wide. 

Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, slice the dough into five strips lengthwise, and then again into six strips widthwise, yielding 30 small rectangles. 

Roll each rectangle up into a small ball by cupping the palm of your hand and using a light touch. 

Generously grease two 8-inch round pie tins or cake pans with Graza sizzle. Divide the balls between the two pans, spacing them evenly, then cover with plastic wrap or a lid and let rise for a second time, another 90 minutes. The rolls should be nearly doubled in size, bulging, and feel light and buoyant to the touch.  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  

Brush the egg white all over the surface of the rolls. Transfer to the oven and bake until deeply golden brown, rotating halfway through, about 30 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and immediately baste in the Graza drizzle. 

To make the orangey dipping oil, whisk together the Graza drizzle, orange juice, and orange zest. Add a pinch of flaky sea salt and black pepper.