Pocketbook Rolls

Name: Pocketbook Rolls
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 7 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 1 package active dry yeast; ½ cup warm water; ¼ cup vegetable shortening; ¼ butter,, at room temperature; ¼ cup sugar; ½ cup boiling water; 1 large egg,, beaten; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 ½ teaspoons salt; ½ cup butter,, melted

Pocketbook Rolls have a tender crumb and a golden crust. With a hint of sweetness, this old-fashioned homemade roll recipe is perfect for a holiday meal.

Prep15 min
Cook7 min
Serves24
Rating5.0

Pocketbook Rolls have a tender crumb and a golden crust. With a hint of sweetness, this old-fashioned homemade roll recipe is perfect for a holiday meal.

Pocketbook Rolls piled up on a wooden cutting board.

I love these Pocketbook Rolls! Everyone does. They will literally disappear right before your eyes.

My family growing up was a little different than most southern families in that we rarely had biscuits with meals. But whenever we had meals at my grandparents house, we had little rolls that these pocketbook rolls remind me of. They are so delicious and buttery and have a little hint of sweetness. With a light and feathery texture, you’ll be able to eat a whole basket of them.

Make Ahead and Freeze

Also called icebox rolls, these little yeasted rolls are perfect for freezing and the dough can be made up to a week in advance and kept in the refrigerator. So convenient for the holidays when there is so much to get done.

Pocketbook Rolls are the southern version of Parker House Rolls and are made by rolling the dough out and cutting it with a biscuit cutter. You then fold each one in half into half-moon shapes.

I just made this recipe for the first time in about 10 years. I don’t bake a whole lot of bread/roll recipes. Yeast isn’t always my friend 🙁 .

But this is a super easy recipe for those nonbakers out there. It’s from one of my favorite southern cookbooks, My Mother’s Southern Kitchen: Recipes and Reminiscences by James Villas and his mother Martha Villas who has since passed away. It’s an oldie, but a goldie. Martha was from my home town, Charlotte NC, and her cookbooks are full of traditional, homestyle southern recipes.

Use Fresh Yeast and Don’t Kill It

To ensure your dough rises, make sure you are using fresh (not expired) yeast and that the temperature of the water you proof it in is no hotter than 115 degrees F. The yeast mixture should form bubbles on top after sitting for a few minutes. If it does not, the yeast is no good.

The biscuit cutter that I used was slightly smaller than the recommended 2 to 2 ½-inches so mine came out almost bite-sized and I made at least 3 dozen of them. I thought there would be plenty leftover to reheat the next day, but my kids and husband ate every single one of them. Ok, maybe I had 4 or 5 myself.

How To Freeze

They freeze really well. Just undercook them slightly so that when you defrost and reheat them, they don’t get too brown. They can be frozen in feezer bags for up to 2 months.

How Do You Refresh Old Rolls?

To refresh old rolls, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place the rolls on a baking sheet or in a cake pan abd brush with melted butter. Cover with foil and bake for 5 minutes.