Fantans: A Fun Yeast Roll Made with Yogurt and a Bread Machine
Sneak Preview: These Fantans (with yogurt) are easy to mix in a bread machine or stand mixer. I’ll show you how to transform the dough into amazing pull-apart dinner rolls. Your family and friends will be amazed that you made these yourself.
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My husband’s family always had “Brown and Serve” rolls for holiday meals. So he gets excited when I pull these golden brown fantans out of the oven.
They remind him of the inexpensive grocery store rolls his mom served with a big pat of butter melted in the middle. But leftover rolls with cold melted butter are soggy, greasy, and look like something the baby has been teething on. A-hem.
Three Reasons Why Have Fun with These Rolls
- All those vertical layers in a fan shape (aka fantans) are so satisfying to pull apart as you eat them!
- They contain yogurt. What a great way to use up some of the yogurt you’ve been making lately
- Make these with the DOUGH cycle of your bread machine. If you don’t have a bread machine, you can make these rolls by hand or with a stand mixer. See the notes at the bottom of the recipe.
Happy Cooks Speak Up:
“I did half w butter between the slices, and half without. There are a couple missing cause my teenager grabbed before I snapped the pic. Either way they were delicious, thank you again for all the recipes! I have thoroughly enjoyed making different types of rolls and loaves with them, and my family loves them all! “– TIA
How To Use a Bread Machine To Make Fantan Yeast Rolls
When making dinner rolls with a bread machine, use the DOUGH cycle to mix, knead, and proof the dough. At the end of the DOUGH cycle, remove the dough, shape it, and let it rise again. Then, bake the rolls in your conventional oven.
If you haven’t fallen in love with bread machines yet, read about the five reasons why I love my bread machine.
Go ahead. Pull out your bread machine. It’s a miracle worker if you know how to use it. If you don’t have one, they are available for cheap at many thrift stores, garage sales, and E-bay.
A stray remark about bread machines might even uncover one in somebody’s cupboard they never use. It doesn’t need to be fancy. I don’t recommend baking in them anyway, so only a dough cycle is required.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- WATER: Cool tap water works best.
- SUGAR: Use granulated sugar or mild honey. I haven’t tested any other substitutes
- YOGURT: Unflavored regular yogurt is called for in the recipe. If you only have Greek yogurt, thin it out with yogurt whey or milk to match the consistency of buttermilk. Or use buttermilk if that’s what you have.
- SALT: I always use table salt or sea salt. If you want to use Kosher salt, add ¼ teaspoon extra. Please don’t leave the salt out. It regulates the yeast and keeps the bread from being bland.
- BUTTER: Don’t melt the butter before adding it to the bread. It doesn’t need to be warm. I like to chop it up finely using a table knife. The heat of the dough will melt the butter. I usually use unsalted butter, but if you have salted butter, that will work, too
- FLOUR: You can use either all-purpose flour or bread flour in this recipe. I use the same amount either way. Please weigh the flour with a digital kitchen scale for the best results.
- YEAST: I always use bread machine yeast or instant yeast (they are the same). If you want to use active dry yeast, see the notes at the end of the recipe.
How To Make the Dough for Fantan Dinner Rolls with Yeast
How To Shape and Bake Yogurt Fantans
FAQ About Yogurt Bread
Yogurt tenderizes bread dough and will help your rolls rise a bit higher and a little faster. Yogurt also adds protein to the nutritional profile. Four wins! Besides that, I always have yogurt on hand since I make it myself.
Make the dough a day ahead of time using the DOUGH cycle on your bread machine. Deflate the dough. Use a container double the size of the volume of your dough. Cover tightly and store in the fridge overnight.
Two to three hours before baking the rolls, remove the chilled dough from the fridge and shape the rolls. If you prefer, allow the dough to come to room temperature before shaping. I think the dough is easier to handle when it’s cold.
Let the rolls rise until almost double. Bake in a preheated oven.
Another option: Shape the rolls when you remove the dough from the bread machine or mixer. Cover and chill overnight. The next day, allow them to come to room temperature, rise until double the original size, and bake.
Roll the dough into a circle, then cut the circle (like a pie) into 6 equal pie shapes. Start rolling from the wide end to make butter horn rolls. You can see rolls shaped like this on my Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls Recipe. Place your rolls on a baking sheet. Let rise and bake as directed in the recipe.
Check to see if you have a yogurt cycle on your machine. If so, you can make yogurt. Refer to your owner’s manual for specific directions.
Parting Thoughts: In the past, I used smaller muffin pans. Now that I have the larger USA muffin pans, I find that cutting the dough into 4 long pieces fills the cup better than cutting it into 6 pieces.
I’ve also deleted the directions to butter the dough before cutting the strips. With butter, the rolls tend to fall apart. Without butter, the layers hold together better. I still brush them with butter after the rolls are baked.
Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.
Fantans: A Fun Yeast Roll Made with Yogurt and a Bread Machine
Video
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (76 g) water, cool
- 1 tablespoon (21 g) mild honey or sugar
- ¾ cup (170 g) plain yogurt or buttermilk
- 1-1/2 teaspoons table or sea salt
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) butter, chopped
- 3 cups (360 g) unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
- 2 teaspoons bread machine or instant yeast
Instructions
Assembling the dough
- Place 1/3 cup (76 g) water, cool, 1 tablespoon (21 g) mild honey or sugar, 3/4 cup (170 g) plain yogurt or buttermilk, 1-1/2 teaspoons table or sea salt, 4 tablespoons (56 g) butter, chopped, 3 cups (360 g) unbleached all-purpose or bread flour, and 2 teaspoons bread machine or instant yeast into the pan of a bread machine in the order given. Select the DOUGH cycle and press START.
- Open the lid and take a peek in the first minute of the DOUGH cycle. Make sure the paddle(s) is engaged correctly and that the dough is starting to clump.
- Recheck the dough after running the machine for about 12-15 minutes. The dough should stick to the sides, then pull away cleanly. If the dough is a firm ball that rides freely on the post or bounces around, add water one tablespoon at a time. If the dough is very sticky and gooey, add a flour a tablespoon at a time until it begins to take shape and cleans the pan but is still tacky.
- At the end of the dough cycle, the dough should be doubled in size. If it has not doubled, leave it in the bread machine until it does before proceeding.
Shaping the rolls:
- Remove the dough from the pan and divide it in half. Form each half into two smooth, round balls and let them rest (covered) for 5 minutes.
- Roll out each dough ball on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin into a 10-inch square. Keep the remaining dough ball covered while you work.
- Cut it into four equal strips. A pizza cutter works well for this. Stack strips, buttered sides up, and cut crosswise into six equal pieces. (See pictures in the post if you’re confused.)
- Turn each layered section on its side and lay it into a muffin cup. Repeat the same steps with the other ball of dough.
- Cover rolls with a kitchen towel or clear cellophane and let them rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and dough fills cups. It usually takes 30-45 minutes.
- Bake rolls at 375˚F (190˚C) until golden brown for 20-25 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter, if desired.
Notes
- If using thick or Greek yogurt, add milk to thin it closer to the consistency of buttermilk. Then measure out 3/4 cup.
- To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer: Add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on LOW to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Then, using a dough hook, turn the speed to 2 or 3. Continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic (about 5-10 minutes). Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
- If making by hand: Combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead with your hands until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Kneading will likely take 10-20 minutes, depending on your experience. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate the dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
- Please note: If you only have active dry yeast, use 1/4 teaspoon more than called for in the recipe. It no longer needs to be dissolved first, but you can if you prefer.
Equipment
Nutrition
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Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.