Buttermilk Fantails
Elegant and deliciously buttery, these golden fantails are an obvious choice for entertaining. Their shape resembles a blooming flower, with each petal forming a perfect pull-apart bite. But they are surprisingly straightforward to put together in a muffin pan.
Elegant and deliciously buttery, these golden fantails are an obvious choice for entertaining. Their shape resembles a blooming flower, with each petal forming a perfect pull-apart bite. But they are surprisingly straightforward to put together in a muffin pan.
- Carbohydrate 26 g(9%)
- Cholesterol 26 mg(9%)
- Fat 10 g(15%)
- Fiber 1 g(4%)
- Protein 4 g(8%)
- Saturated Fat 6 g(31%)
- Sodium 153 mg(6%)
- Calories 212
Step-by-step
- Butter muffin cups with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
- Stir together yeast, warm water, and honey in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.)
- Mix flour, salt, buttermilk, and 6 tablespoons melted butter into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and knead, dusting surface and your hands with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is elastic and smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball.
- Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Punch down dough (do not knead), then halve. Roll out half of dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 12-inch square (about 1/8 inch thick; keep remaining half covered with plastic wrap). Brush dough with 1/2 tablespoon butter and cut into 6 equal strips. Stack strips, buttered sides up, and cut crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Turn each piece on a side and put into a muffin cup. Make more rolls with remaining dough in same manner. Separate outer layers of each roll to fan outward.
- Cover rolls with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and dough fills cups, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Bake rolls until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Brush tops with remaining 2 tablespoons butter, then transfer rolls to a rack and cool at least 20 minutes.
- Rolls are best the day they're made but can be frozen (cool completely, then wrap well) for 1 month. Thaw, then reheat on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes.
My Unexpected Baking Adventure: Buttermilk Fantails
Baking has never been my forte. I'm more of a "throw-it-together-and-hope-for-the-best" kind of cook, someone who thrives on simple, quick meals. The idea of precise measurements, rising times, and perfectly golden-brown results always intimidated me. But recently, a friend challenged me – a challenge that involved these delightful Buttermilk Fantails.
She described them as elegant, buttery, and surprisingly easy. Knowing my limitations, I was skeptical. I envisioned a kitchen disaster involving sticky dough, unevenly baked pastries, and a significant amount of frustration. However, I accepted the challenge, armed with my trusty recipe and a healthy dose of apprehension. The process itself was surprisingly therapeutic. The rhythmic kneading of the dough was meditative, the scent of warm butter and yeast filling my kitchen with a comforting aroma. It's incredible how such a simple act could be so calming.
The dough, initially a bit sticky, transformed into a smooth, elastic ball under my hands. It was surprisingly forgiving, yielding to my somewhat clumsy kneading. The instructions were clear, leading me through each step with confidence. To my astonishment, the dough rose beautifully, proving that even I could master the art of yeast-based baking.
Shaping the fantails was the most fun part. Rolling out the dough, cutting it into strips, then stacking and arranging them into perfectly formed little flowers in the muffin tin—it felt like a creative endeavor. I was amazed at how a simple process could yield such an aesthetically pleasing result. They resembled tiny, delicate blossoms, a far cry from my usual culinary creations.
The baking time was like watching a slow transformation. The dough gradually turned golden brown, the scent of freshly baked bread filling the kitchen once more. After the cooling period, I carefully removed them, the buttery aroma now intoxicatingly strong. It was a moment of pure pride, a testament to my newfound baking prowess.
The taste? Oh, the taste! These Buttermilk Fantails were everything my friend had promised—and more. They were soft, buttery, subtly sweet, and incredibly delicious. The delicate pull-apart texture was delightful, each bite a moment of pure bliss. They were far from the disaster I had envisioned. Instead, they were a symbol of my own unexpected achievement – a testament to the fact that anyone, even someone as baking-challenged as myself, can create something truly beautiful and delicious.
This baking experience taught me more than just a new recipe; it taught me the value of stepping outside of my comfort zone. It showed me that even in the realm of seemingly complex culinary arts, there's room for the novice to shine. And most importantly, it proved that the joy of baking lies not just in the final product but also in the process itself—the calming rhythm, the wonderful smells, and the undeniable satisfaction of creating something delicious from simple ingredients.
I now understand why bakers often speak of their craft in such passionate terms. It's more than just a recipe; it's an experience, a journey from hesitant novice to surprisingly accomplished baker. And the Buttermilk Fantails? They're the perfect symbol of that journey, a testament to the delicious possibilities that await when we dare to try something new.
