Let me start this post by saying, that this was my 3rd attempt to make tennis rolls. The first time, the rolls didn’t taste close to tennis rolls. The second time, it had the flavor but was raw on the inside. Finally, I got it to taste right and cook all the way through. The top did get a bit browner that I wanted it to, but I will adjust this the next go around.
Now for the story… Tennis roll, I will assume started out as a dinner roll. But if you’re Guyanese you know it’s an anytime roll and most often eaten with extra sharp cheddar cheese from New Zealand (Anchor cheddar cheese is the best cheddar cheese hands down). As a kid, I used to go to the local neighborhood shop and buy a tennis roll and cheese for $20 (about US 10 cents). Some like their tennis roll and cheese with Mauby (a local drink made from the bark of a tree). I preferred mine with cream soda. Just the thought of this combination is making me salivate.
Tennis rolls, have a rich citrus and vanilla flavor and is semi sweet. It’s dense but soft. Has a nice crumble but holds its own. Before I could only get tennis rolls when I go to NY and buy it from the Guyanese bakery in Queens or Brooklyn, but now I can make my own, and you can too!
The recipe I am using was taken from guyanaoutpost.com
Well, let’s get to it….
First let’s set the yeast. Combine 1 tbsp dry active yeast, 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1/4 cup of warm water in a small bowl and let sit for at least 5 minutes until yeast ferments.
Then let’s prepare the wet ingredients…
1. Scald 1 cup milk in a small sauce pan.
2. Add 1 cup brown sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Add 2 tsp lemon extract and 1 tsp vanilla extract
4. Add 1/4 cup butter
5. Add 1 tsp fresh orange rind.
6. Let cool, then whisk in 3 eggs.
Add the fermented yeast to a stand mixer, then the cooled milk mixture. Sieve 5 cups flour and 1 tsp salt in a large mixing bowl. Then, Add the flour 1 cup at a time to the liquid mixture.
This is after 4 cups of flour. Not quite there yet.
After 6 cups of flour (yes, I had to add an additional cup of flour). It has formed a very, very, soft, stretchy dough.
Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead into a loose ball.
place in a greased bowl, cover with a damp paper towel and let sit until dough doubles in size (about 1 hour).
Place rolls in a (or two) greased baking pan/s, cover with plastic wrap and let sit until doubles in size (about 45 mins)
Then brush with egg whites and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Look at that beautiful texture. Yum!
- 1 pkg. active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water, 110°F
- ¼ cup butter or margarine
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk, scalded
- 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk beaten
- 1 egg white
- 1 tsp grated lemon rind or orange rind
- 2 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4½ to 5 cups flour
- Soften the yeast in warm water.
- Add butter/shortening, sugar, salt, lemon rind, lemon extract and vanilla extract to the scalded milk. Let cool to luke warm.
- When cool add yeast, eggs and enough flour to make a batter. Beat well.
- Add more flour, a little at a time, to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until satiny.
- Place in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let rise until double in size.
- Punch down, shape into rolls and let rise again.
- Brush with egg white mixed with water and bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 min. Makes about 3½ dozen rolls.
2. Patience is key when making this. Make sure you have enough time to let the dough prove twice.
3. The dough has to be soft almost like a thick batter.
4. I always put oil on the top of my dough while it proves the first time, this prevents it from getting crusty.
5. My tennis rolls were a bit browner than I wanted them, so next time I will try baking them at a lower temperature.
Try my simple, Updated Tennis Roll Recipe
Reblogged this on The Sisterhood of the Sizzling Pans and commented:
…good to know someone somewhere is having luck with this! hopefully soon we will be too!
After 3 attempts I’ve realized the secret is in the texture of the dough. Gonna make it again this weekend!!
Thanks for sharing my post!
This is so cool, never thought about making my own tennis roll (which I love) I only ate tennis when I got it from home and that is twice in 5 years. Haven’t tried the recipe yet but I sure will. Keep up the good work.
It did take 3 tries to get it right, but I am glad I kept trying. Making another batch this weekend. 🙂
Omg you rock! Thanks for sharing!
Will be trying this.Got some guests from Guyana they will be with me for a month and seems like they missing it bad lol
Let me know how it comes out. I have a YouTube video I need to edit and post as well.
Thank you ):-()
what flour do you use, is it self raising or strong flour, I love tennis rolls and I live in London, we do not get them over here, my children would be so happy
Regular all purpose flour works best with this recipe. Good luck.
Ok so my first try was not so good, now looking at your photos again I realise I may have added too much flour. I am going to try again tomorrow. I also did not let the yeast ferment, as it said on the packet that I did not need to, but I think I will this time.
Thank you for this recipe, will let you know when I get it right:)
The first two times I made it, it was a big FAIL. I added too much flour and made the dough too stiff. You really need to have a super soft dough, that’s the key. Good luck.
Success, my second try, I ended up with a few extra large tennis rolls but they tasted great, my kids were impressed, thank you. I still need to try again though just to get the size right:)
i want to try this this weekend, but a bit scared about the texture. If the dough is super soft how can it be kneaded ?
I made this 3 times before I got it right (and posted to the blog). First time, the dough was stiff and bread like, the tennis rolls were like rock buns. Second time it was not so stiff and the tennis rolls were very dense, like bread almost. On the third try, the dough was very soft and slinky (best done in a mixer with a bread hook). I kneaded the dough lightly on a heavily floured surface. Next time I make tennis rolls I’ll do a video. But try kneading it on a surface with lots of flour. Also I highly recommend using a mixer. When I tried doing the entire process by hand the tennis rolls weren’t as great.
Hi i enjoy lookin at all your recipes omg will try them very soon, can you please make chicken patties thanks alot for sharing
Hi. I haven’t baked or posted in a while. I went back to being a full time working mom and have had zero free time but I keep planning to get back to it. Will try to make your requests as soon as I get back to it. Thanks for the support.
also please make butterflaps thanks
Hey….thanks for the recipe. I tried it today and the taste was right…but it was a bit crusty. How can I fix this? How long should I be kneading the dough for?
Thanks
Try rubbing the top of the rolls with milk instead of water before you bake it (a tip shared by one of my YouTube followers). I live in Denver where it is very dry and water works well for me but try milk and see if it helps with the crustiness.
hi thanks for the recipe. Can you let me know the name of the flour and yeast you used. thanks
Tried this recipe but my tennis rolls came out still and hard, plus the inside was crumbling. What did I do wrong?
I’ve had that happen before and you really need two things, a stand mixer with a dough hook and to make the dough really soft and slinky.
I added 2 tea spoon of annieseed. it makes the roll pop with flavors.
i have come to the end of the road with this tennis roll. Lol. It is now 4 times i have treid it and can’t understand why it is overdone outside and raw in the middle. i adjusted the baking time to 350 degrees and 30mins. can’t see lowering the temp or baking less than 30mins. sigh.
Oh no. I am so sorry. I an not sure what is going wrong and how you can fix it. Have you tried looking up dinner roll recipes for your altitude and seeing what the recommended temperature and baking time are for those? Maybe that will help.
Second time i’ve tried this recipe and it has come out perfect each time. I bake regularly, so i understand that because this dough is rich, it is better to add a little extra yeast. the result is soft, fragrant and fluffy tennis rolls. thank you so much for this awesome recipe.
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