Scottish Kitchen Butter Rolls, Butteries

Scottish Butter Rolls was a recipe I was going to make for our thanksgiving feast. (Yes, I call it a feast instead of thanksgiving dinner. Let’s be real, the word feast better describes these special occasion meals) Anyways, I found this recipe of my grandmother’s. I was picturing light and round pillowy bread rolls enriched with butter. Kind of like a brioche.

Well, that is not at all what this recipe is! To my surprise, these are more aptly named croissant rolls. Scottish butter rolls are made the same basic way as croissant dough. You just shape them into rolls instead of crescents.

So, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but I feel like it was a happy accident. Now I have a great shortcut to make a great puff pastry style bun! And since croissants are my daughter’s absolute favorite bread. I can get these going in no time!

Butteries

What are these little buns? Well, they are originally from Aberdeen, Scotland, where they are fondly called Rowies or Butteries. They are commonly eaten as a snack with jam or just plain with tea. They are shaped as a circle or oval. (Mine turned out more like little rectangles.)

Full disclosure, I have never made these before. I have never been to Scotland, and I have never eaten a real Rowie before. Hopefully I pulled these off okay and didn’t totally disgrace myself in the eyes of Scotland.

Scottish butter rolls differ from croissants

Croissant, and other puff pastries, consist of dough layers and butter layers, laminated together in a series of turns, rolls, and folds.

Scottish butter rolls are made in the same basic way except, instead of an entire layer of butter, you put little pats of butter down on top of the dough and then fold it in thirds. Chill for 30 minutes. Then you roll out and put another layer of pats of butter, fold, and chill. You do this a total of 3 times (at least in my recipe).

With croissant dough, you put all the butter in at one time, then continue to turn, roll, and fold a few times over the course of about two days.

The longer rest time for the croissant dough does give the dough richer flavour. Croissant dough also has more turns and folds than rowies. So in the end croissants have more thin delicate layers on the inside.

Scottish butter rolls, however, are very similar and can be made is less than half the time!

Regardless of the differences and similarities, as someone who has made more croissants than I can count; I was pleasantly surprised with butteries!

Butteries are definitely worth a try!

Ingredients for Scottish Butter Rolls

1 3/4 cups warm water

1 Tablespoon sugar

2¼ teaspoons dry active yeast

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups all-purpose flour

1½ cups butter

Method

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the dough hook attachment, add the water and sugar.
2. Sprinkle the yeast on top. It will become foamy in about 5 minutes.
3. Add the salt and the flour.
4. Mix until everything is incorporated, and then knead for 5 minutes. The dough should form a ball that cleans the inside of the bowl.
5. Cover and let rise, in a warm place, until doubled in bulk. About 1 hour.
6. Once the dough has risen, tip out onto a floured surface and roll out into a rectangle. (It should be three times as long as it is tall. When folded into thirds, it should fit onto your baking try.)
7. With 1/3 of the butter, place little pats of butter all over the top of the dough layer.
8. Fold into thirds, enclosing the butter inside the dough.
9. Place onto a baking sheet. (The folded dough should now be slightly smaller than your baking sheet.) Cover, and place in the refrigerator to rest, and rise, for 30 minutes.
10. Remove from the refrigerator and place back on a floured counter.
11. Roll out the opposite way than it was rolled the previous time. (It should be rolled out to the same dimensions as the last time.)
12. With the next 1/3 of butter, place little pats of butter all over the top of the dough.
13. Fold in thirds, cover, and place in the refrigerator to rest, and rise, for another 30 minutes.
14. Remove from the refrigerator and place back on the floured counter.
15. Roll out the opposite way than it was rolled the previous time.
16. With the last 1/3 of butter, place little pats of butter all over the top of the dough.
17. Fold in thirds, cover, and place in the refrigerator to rest, and rise, for another 30 minutes.
18. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 20 pieces.
19. Shape into rolls.
20. Place the rolls, spaced on baking sheets, so they have room to rise. Cover and let them have a final rise, in a warm place, for about 30 minutes.
21. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
22. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.
23. Cool slightly and serve

Scottish Butter Rolls, Butteries

Light and flaky with delicate layers in between. A savory bread to have as a snack with jam and tea!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course bread

Cuisine Scottish

Servings 20 Rolls

Calories 406 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 ¾ cups warm water
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2¼ teaspoons dry active yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1½ cups butter

Instructions

 

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the dough hook attachment, add the water and sugar.
• Sprinkle the yeast on top. It will become foamy in about 5 minutes.
• Add salt and flour.
• Mix until everything is incorporated, and then knead for 5 minutes. The dough should form a ball that cleans the side of the bowl.
• Cover and let rise. in a warm place, until doubled in bulk. About 1 hour.
• Once the dough has risen, tip out onto a floured surface and roll out into a rectangle. (It should be three times as long as it is tall. When folded into thirds, it should fit onto your baking try.)
• With ⅓ of the butter, place little pats of butter all over the top of the dough layer.
• Fold into thirds.
• Place onto a baking sheet. (The folded dough should now be slightly smaller than your baking sheet.) Cover, and place in the refrigerator to rest and rise for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the refrigerator and place back on a floured counter.
• Roll out the opposite way than it was rolled the previous time. (It should be rolled out to the same dimensions as the last time.)
• With the next ⅓ of butter, place little pats all over the top of the dough.
• Fold in thirds, cover, and place in the refrigerator to rest and rise for another 30 minutes.
• Remove from the refrigerator and place back on the floured counter.
• Roll out the opposite way than it was rolled the previous time.
• With the last ⅓ of butter, place little pats all over the top of the dough.
• Fold in thirds, cover, and place in the refrigerator to rest and rise for another 30 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 20 pieces.
• Shape into rolls.
• Place the rolls, spaced on baking sheets, so they have room to rise. Cover and let them have a final rise, in a warm place, for about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 ℉ (200 ℃).
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.
• Cool slightly, and serve.

Keyword bread, kid-friendly, snack