Recipe: Orange Cranberry Rolls

Makes 16 servings

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

2 cups warm water, divided

7 tablespoons sugar, divided

6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup instant nonfat dry milk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup dried or frozen cranberries

2 teaspoons orange extract

Zest of 2 oranges

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast, 1 cup of the warm water and 4 tablespoons of the sugar. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, dry milk and remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar. Add the butter and cranberries, then use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture together. As you mix, pour in the yeast mixture, orange extract and orange zest.

3. As you mix the dough, be sure to scrape up any dry flour from the bottom of the bowl. Add the remaining 1 cup of water and mix well. Use wet hands to knead the dough in the bowl until elastic but not sticky, about 10 minutes.

4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 30 minutes, or until it doubles in size.

5. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Punch down the dough and divide into 16 balls.

6. Place a 12-inch-round Dutch oven over low heat for about 30 seconds. Let the pot get just barely warm to the touch. Do not let the bottom get hot. Remove from the heat. Coat the pot with a little vegetable oil.

7. Arrange the balls of dough in the Dutch oven; they will touch. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the rolls double in size and do not readily spring back when poked with finger, at least 1 hour.

8. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 350 F. Cover the Dutch oven with its lid, then bake the rolls for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake until the rolls are browned, about another 15 minutes. Carefully remove the rolls from pot, cool and serve.

Adapted from Vernon Winterton's "101 Things to do with a Dutch Oven," Gibbs Smith, 2006)