Butterhorns

This recipe from the Scandinavian Baking Book is one of my family's few holiday traditions. This year I made them for family Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving part II!) at Sarah's house. They have a lot of butter in the dough, but it's not a croissant recipe--they end up soft and puffy rather than flaky.

1 c scalded milk
1/2 c warm water
1/4 c sugar
2 t yeast
1/4 t salt
3 eggs
1 stick butter, softened
5+ c all-purpose flour
couple T milk and/or cream and/or egg, beaten together to make a glaze

Make sure the scalded milk isn't too hot, then stir in the water, yeast, and sugar, and let sit for a few minutes until foamy. (If it doesn't get foamy, add some more yeast, and if it still doesn't get foamy keep going anyway.) Stir in the salt, eggs, and butter, then stir/knead in 5 c flour one cup at a time. Turn onto a floured board and knead for a few minutes, incorporating about half a cup of flour to make a dough that doesn't stick to everything but is still quite soft and pliable. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.

Prepare a work surface by oiling it lightly (yes, oil not flour), getting out the rolling pin and a sharp knife, and buttering 2 or 3 baking sheets. Punch down the risen dough and divide into 3 equal-sized pieces. Roll the first piece of dough into a ~12" circle, and cut into 8 wedges. Roll up each wedge, starting with the wide end. Transfer to a baking sheet, making sure the tip of the wedge ends up underneath the roll, and arranging the wide ends into a slightly curved elongated horn shape. Repeat with the rest of the dough, then let rise until puffy.

Preheat the oven to 375F and brush the rolls with the glaze. Bake for 15-18 minutes until light golden. Serve warm with a holiday dinner (possibly with even more butter).