Cinnamon roll fan? (Aren’t we all?) Well then you’ll be a big fan of Southern Butter Rolls, which are very similar to cinnamon rolls, but up the ante with a sweet and buttery sauce that surrounds the rolls as they bake. They’re tender and pillowy, even though the dough used here is closer to a quick biscuit dough than the yeast dough you generally see with rolls. That means they’re quicker to make – there’s no rising time at all! – which is good news since their straightforward sweet and buttery flavor is one you’ll want to come back to again and again.
FOR THE ROLLS:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk, chilled
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
FOR THE SAUCE:
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
How To Make Southern Butter Rolls
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Unwrap one stick of butter and set on a plate near the oven to come to room temperature. Cut the second stick into cubes and freeze for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add the chilled butter and toss to coat.
- Using your fingers, pinch the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir until no dry flour remains.
- Turn out dough onto a flour-dusted surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour and roll out into a 12×18-inch rectangle.
- Carefully spread soft stick of butter over the top of the dough and sprinkle with remaining sugar and cinnamon.
- Starting at a long end, roll the dough up jelly-roll style and slice into 12 even slices.
- Place rolls in a 9×13-inch baking dish and set in the refrigerator to chill while you make the sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the condensed milk, milk, powdered sugar, butter, and salt over medium-high heat.Stir gently until mixture starts to bubble and sugar has dissolved.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Pour over rolls; they’ll float but that’s okay. Bake until puffy and golden brown, 40-45 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle with sauce and enjoy!