These buttermilk rolls are not just for dinner. They make a delicious breakfast too. Spread a thick layer of cream cheese add some veggies, like a crisp red bell pepper and baby tomatoes, and it makes a simple and satisfying breakfast. You will find yourself enjoying every minute, every bite, of this breakfast because there is just no better way relax and take in the day ahead. If you are imagining Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love lounging on the floor, eating a beautiful plate of asparagus and eggs, that is exactly where I wanted to take you. On quiet mornings when you feel like indulging yourself I recommend you toast a sweet buttermilk roll and I dare you not to feel better.

Buttermilk Bread:

Dissolve 2 tsp. active dry yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.  Mix 3/4 cup very hot water with 1/4 cup agave nectar and add 1 1/4 cups cold buttermilk. The temperature should be just slightly warm.

Combine 5 1/2 cups bread flour and 2 tsp. salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix for 30 seconds. Make a well in the center of the flour and switch to a paddle attachment. Pour the yeast and buttermilk mixture into the well. Knead on low speed for 10 to 15 minutes, until smooth. You may need to stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Test the dough to see whether more flour or more water is needed and adjust accordingly. For rolls, the dough should be quite soft. Add 2 to 4 tbsp. butter in cold bits at the end of the kneading time. Form the dough into a ball and place it smooth side up in a large bowl. Cover and keep in a warm, draft-free place. After about an hour and a half, gently poke the center of the dough about 1/2 inch deep with your wet finger. If the hole doesn’t fill in at all or if the dough sighs, it is ready for the next step. Press flat, form into a smooth round, and let the dough rise once more as before. The second rising will take about half as much time as the first.

Press the dough flat and divide in two. Round it and let it rest until relaxed, then deflate and shape into rolls. One round makes 9 large or 15 small dinner rolls. Place the shaped dough in greased pans or baking sheets and let rise in warm place. Sprinkle sesame seeds or poppy seeds on top of each roll. Bake the rolls 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size, at 400 F. Brush the rolls with butter when they come out of the oven.