Overnight Cloverleaf Rolls

Overnight cloverleaf rolls are the perfect time saver.  You do half the work the day before so you don't need to get up extra early for fresh bread in the morning.  Or, it saves you time and energy on during big holiday meals. 

I love fresh bread in the morning.  I also love it served for lunch and dinner.  If there is a basket of bread on a table I'm sure be eating some of it, especially if there are dips and spread as well.

However, making bread can be time consuming.  First you create the dough, let it rise for a couple of hours, bunch it down and shape it, then let it rise again before baking it. 

This can be especially problematic if you want fresh warm bread for breakfast as I do.

So, to solve this problem I began making overnight breads like these overnight cloverleaf rolls.  Overnight breads divide the world load.

The the day before you create the dough and let it rise overnight in the fridge. 

By doing this, all you have to do in the morning is to shape it, let it rise a second time, and bake it.

Overnight cloverleaf rolls can be especially helpful when planning big family dinners like Thanksgiving

During the holidays and large family meals there is enough to do that anything time saver is a blessing.

So, these overnight cloverleaf rolls are my gift to you.

I never intend to have another big family dinner without these overnight cloverleaf rolls I can tell you that!

If you like these overnight cloverleaf rolls, you may also like my overnight cinnamon rolls and my overnight oats.

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How to Measure Flour and Other Dry Ingredients

The best way to measure dry ingredients is with a scale, but in the United States, dry measuring cups are usually used instead.

Weighing ingredients is useful for home bakers, but it's especially important for professional bakers because they work with huge batches. 

I usually use dry measuring cups when baking too, because I didn't grow up in a country that generally weighs ingredients, so please don't feel like you can't use them.

To measure most dry ingredients, first spoon them into a dry measuring cup and then level off the measuring cup with an upside-down butter knife.

Make sure not to pack it down because this will cause you to use more of the ingredient than the recipe calls for.

Brown sugar is the exception to the rule, though. To measure brown sugar, pack it into the measuring cup and then level off any excess.

To measure chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit, just pour them into the dry measuring cup and then level them off.

What are dry measuring cups?

Dry measuring cups are the set of cups that usually come with measuring spoons. Each cup is a different measurement, just like each spoon is a different measurement.

Liquid measuring cups, on the other hand, are the cups that usually hold more than one cup and have lines on the side that mark the measurements.

The problem with using liquid measuring cups to measure powdery dry ingredients, like flour and cocoa, is that you shake the cup to level them off. This causes the powder to settle, and you end up with more than you need.

I tested this with a friend who didn't believe me, and we ended up with a quarter cup more flour than the recipe called for.

Should I sift the flour and other dry ingredients?

It's usually recommended to sift your powdery ingredients, like flour and cocoa, before using them.

Sifting aerates the flour and removes any lumps, which helps make baked goods fluffier.

It also helps you get a more accurate measurement than when you use flour that's been packed tightly in a bag.

And sifting dry ingredients together, like flour, cocoa, and baking powder, helps make sure they're evenly distributed in the batter. Which honestly, I think is probably overrated, so I personally never bother with it.

Which Type Of Oil should i use?

I don't specify in the recipe which type of oil to use because it's mostly personal preference and I don't want anyone to feel they have to use specifically that type of oil. For the most part, you can use whatever oil you feel most comfortable using.

I use neutral oils like canola oil, safflower oil, and vegetable oil.

You can also use stronger oils like olive oil and coconut oil, but keep in mind that they may change the taste somewhat.

If you're going to use olive oil, use the one labeled pure olive oil because it has the mildest flavor. This should make the flavor a lot less noticeable.

Is It Better to Use Canola Oil or Olive Oil?

Canola oil is relatively cheap and, due to its lack of flavor and high smoke point, is very versatile.

Olive oil, on the other hand, is generally considered a healthier choice.

So, really, it's whatever you prefer.

How to Store Oil

Store oils in a cool, dark place to prevent them from becoming rancid.

If you store them in the fridge, some oils, like olive oil, may solidify and look strange, but don't worry, they'll return to normal at room temperature.

Coconut oil begins to solidify in temperatures under 76°F or 25°C.

Do Eggs Need to Be at Room Temperature?

The short answer is "no."

While a lot of recipes call for room-temperature eggs, the difference is only noticeable if you do a side-by-side comparison, and even then, the difference is very slight.

How Can I Tell if My Eggs Are Still Good?

Fill a glass with cool water and submerge the eggs.

If the eggs sink to the bottom and lay flat on their side, they're still fresh.

If they sink but stand on one end at the bottom of the glass, the eggs are older but still good to use.

If an egg floats to the top, it's very old and should be checked carefully for signs of spoilage before using.

What kind of sugar should I use?

You should use white granulated sugar, which is also called white sugar, granulated sugar, and table sugar.

If you live in the United Kingdom, you can use caster sugar instead.

You should not use powdered sugar, which is mostly used for dusting desserts and making frosting, icing, and glazes. But it is sometimes used to make fudge.

Can I use honey instead of sugar?

If you'd prefer to use honey instead of sugar, like I do in my honey challah recipe, you can. However, it may change the taste and texture somewhat.

Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you don't need as much of it. As a general rule, use ¾ cup of honey for every 1 cup of sugar.

  • 1 cup sugar → ¾ cup honey
  • ¾ cup sugar → ⅔ cup honey
  • ½ cup sugar → 6 tablespoons honey
  • ¼ cup sugar → 3 tablespoons honey

Honey also adds liquid to the recipe, so you'll need to reduce the other liquid. For every cup of sugar you replace with honey, reduce the other liquid by about 3 to 4 tablespoons.

  • 1 cup honey → remove 3 to 4 tablespoons liquid
  • ¾ cup honey → remove about 2¼ to 3 tablespoons liquid
  • ½ cup honey → remove about 1½ to 2 tablespoons liquid
  • ¼ cup honey → remove about 1 tablespoon liquid

If there isn't enough liquid in the recipe to remove, you can remove it from the egg whites instead, but NEVER remove it from the oil.

Honey also causes baked goods to brown more quickly. For this reason, avoid using honey in recipes that need to be baked at temperatures above 350°F or 175°C.

How To Freeze

Let bread cool completely.

Wrap each loaf tightly in plastic wrap and again in foil or freezer paper. Or, use a zip-top freezer bag with all of the air removed.

Freeze for up to 6 months. After that, the bread may become freezer burnt.

If you do leave bread in the freezer too long, and it becomes a little stale or slightly freezer burnt, don't throw it out.

Instead, you can use it to make French toast or croutons.

How to Defrost

Defrost bread in the oven at 325°F or 163°C for 20 to 30 minutes, until soft and fully thawed in the middle.

Other Recipes You May Like:

Yield: 12 servings

Overnight Cloverleaf Rolls

three overnight cloverleaf rolls
5.0 Stars (8 Reviews)

Overnight cloverleaf rolls are the perfect time saver.  You do half the work the day before so you don’t need to get up extra early for fresh bread in the morning.

Prep Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
  • ¼ cup white sugar (50 grams)
  • 1 cups warm water (235 milliliters)
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 to 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (374 to 420 grams)

Instructions

  1. Place yeast, sugar, and warm water the bowl of a stand mixer.  Let it sit for about 5 to 10 minutes until it foams.
  2. Add egg, oil, salt, and 3 cups flour.  Knead until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.  Add more flour if needed.
  3. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rise overnight in the fridge.
  4. In the morning, punch the dough down (see note above) and let rest for 20 minutes.
  5. Shape the dough into small balls and and place three in each cup of a greased muffin pan.  Scrape the dough with a baking spatula to remove any remaining dough left to be shaped.
  6. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for one hour or until doubled in size.
  7. Preheat the oven to 400°F or 205°C and bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes.  If the top hasn’t browned, switch the heat to broil for the last 5 or so minutes.
  8. Remove and brush the tops with oil or vegan butter. Let sit for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 158Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 184mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 4g

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