These Savory Corn Rolls are spongy and just a little sweet from molasses. They are the perfect rolls to enjoy any time of the year! The overnight corn soaker is the secret to this incredible bread recipe.

You may think that I have the biggest sweet tooth on the planet. You stumble upon my blog and come across recipe after recipe of sweets. It may be difficult to imagine that I really am more of a savory food lover. This Savory Corn Rolls recipe is a favorite bread recipe!
Savory Corn Rolls
You may think that I have the biggest sweet tooth on the planet. You stumble upon my blog and come across recipe after recipe of sweets. It may be difficult to imagine that I really am more of a savory food lover.
It's true. I really am. I love a bite of a dessert; a few bites at the most. But give me something savory and I have a little less control. Like this month's recipe for Breaking Bread Society: Savory Corn Rolls. These little rolls are fabulous! Looking for a no-knead idea? Try these incredible no-knead dinner rolls!

Breaking Bread Society was launched last month by myself, Nelly and Shulie. Our inaugural post was focaccia! We had an overwhelming response with more than 30 bakers breaking bread with us in May.



Savory Corn Rolls baking notes
The recipe calls for corn kernels in the dough. I decided to leave out the corn kernels from the rolls. I love corn on the cub, but not too much baked in recipes. If you'd like to make yours with corn kernels, you can check back to Nelly's recipe and see the amount needed. The next time I make these delightful rolls I will be adding some cheese!;) They were moist and wonderful. The molasses gave them a sweet and rich dimension. Everyone loved the rolls and we ended up eating them warm out of the oven as they were for a snack.
Nelly's Notes: These are the perfect rolls to showcase fresh summer corn or sweet frozen if fresh isn't available. A classic recipe that can be served at barbeques and picnics as rolls, or used as vessels for sliders! Make them your own by adding cheeses, herbs, different salts or oils, as well as topping with seeds or more herbs. Make them larger to fit your burgers or make sandwiches. Amazon Link to Book.
Step by step directions to make Savory Corn Rolls
Savory Corn Rolls
slightly adapted recipe reprinted with permission of The Culinary Institute of America's "Artisan Breads" by Chef Eric Kastel (See Nelly's blog for the original recipe which includes the corn kernels)
Corn soaker:
417 g (1 ¾ cup) milk (amount of milk to add when first mixing)
150 g (1 cup) cornmeal
227 g (1 cup) milk
total milk in ounces: 22.7 ounces
total milk in grams: 644 grams
total milk in cups: 2 ¾ cups
Final dough:
794 g corn soaker
35 g (4 tablespoons) vegetable oil
62 g (¼ cup) molasses
500 g (3 ¾ cups) all-purpose flour
¼ ounce (7 g) 1 packet instant dry yeast
20 g (1 tablespoon) salt
Egg wash (1 egg + pinch of salt, beaten)
Salt, for garnish
Cornmeal, for garnish

after mixing it:

Here's corn soaker the next day:



Proof the dough until nearly doubled in a warm place for 45-60 minutes.

Punch down dough and remove from bowl onto a lightly floured counter. Press out the dough and cut it into 25 pieces.

Shape the dough into 25 small rounds and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Brush with egg wash and let the buns proof again until nearly doubled, about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 375 F. Brush the buns with egg wash a second time and sprinkle with a little salt and cornmeal.

Bake until golden brown and shiny, about 15 minutes.
slightly updated from June 2012
Savory Corn Rolls
Ingredients
- CORN SOAKER
- 417 g 1 ¾ cup milk (amount of milk to add when first mixing)
- 150 g 1 cup cornmeal
- 227 g 1 cup milk
- total milk in ounces: 22.7 ounces
- total milk in grams: 644 grams
- total milk in cups: 2 ¾ cups
- FINAL DOUGH
- 794 g corn soaker
- 35 g 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 62 g ¼ cup molasses
- 500 g 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ ounce 7 g 1 packet instant dry yeast
- 20 g 1 tablespoon salt
- Egg wash 1 egg + pinch of salt, beaten
- Salt for garnish
- Cornmeal for garnish
Instructions
- CORN SOAKER
- Put cornmeal in bowl of mixer. Bring the first part of the milk to a rolling boil and add to cornmeal. Let sit in mixture for two minutes, and with a paddle, mix for 3 minutes on high speed. Lower speed and add the rest of the milk a little at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Cover soaker and refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours.
- FINAL DOUGH
- Place corn soaker in warm water bath to bring to around 85F. In a mixer bowl, add the corn soaker, oil, and molasses. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute. With the mixer off, add the flour, yeast, and salt. Mix on medium speed for 6 minutes with the dough hook attachment. Mix on high speed for 4 minutes. The dough will have good gluten development but will be tacky. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured counter. Form the dough into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Proof the dough until nearly doubled in a warm place for 45-60 minutes.
- Punch down dough and remove from bowl onto a lightly floured counter. Press out the dough and cut it into 25 pieces.
- Brush with egg wash and let the buns proof again until nearly doubled, about 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 375 F. Brush the buns with egg wash a second time and sprinkle with a little salt and cornmeal.
- Bake until golden brown and shiny, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.






These look delicious and great instructions can't wait to try this! Nothing like fresh bread yum!
Those roles are absolutely gleaming with goodness!! I'm so glad you're using cornmeal in this month's bread - I have some beautiful blue cornmeal that I can use for these rolls.
These look absolutely fantastic, Lora! I'm always impressed when bread turns out looking...well, like bread. Looks like you nailed it!
I've been wanting to make my own rolls for a few years! I tasted one in Rome that I've never quite forgotten and wouldn't you agree that I've waited long enough? 🙂 Your perfect-looking (and I'm sure tasting) rolls are just what I needed to inspire me.
Hi Jean-Now I'm curious what they were like:)Yes, it takes a little patience to roll them each out. But the results make them worth the extra work;)
At work, papers all around me..... but I'm just staring at these rolls!!!! Can't wait to try them, Thanks!
These look beautiful. I think I'd have left the kernels out too.
Thank you, Maureen:)Maybe next time I'll be daring and add them;)
Your rolls are beautiful...happy to learn about Bread Baking Society!
thanks Winnie:)Join us baking when you can:)
These look yummy! Congratulations on making the foodbuzz Top 9!
Lora - I'm more of a savory food lover too, but I love sweet baking and creating desserts a tiny bit more than cooking. Good thing, because if I loved 'sweet' as much as savory, I'd be eating all of my desserts and you'd have to roll me around 😉 Those rolls look ready for a layers of cold cuts and Russian dressing. They're perfect aesthetically, too!
Lisa-you've tempted me with your idea.Major craving. 🙂
Your savory corn bread looks amazing! I can just smell the aroma! Thanks for sharing the photos, recipe and baking tips!
These rolls sound delicious! I would definitely include the corn kernels in mine if I baked them - they would be such a pleasant surprise =)
I think it is a sweet surprise in the rolls. I hope you do try them, Peggy:) thank you:)
I am the same way, Lora! I'd much rather eat one of your amazing rolls than a slice of pie (but I would need a couple bites ;)). I hope to still get to the focaccia before the month is finished. Enjoy your weekend!!!! xo
I never made anything like these rolls, and they look just perfectly golden! I´m glad this is the recipe for this month, there are so many ideas to try.
Thanks, Paula. I can't wait to see what idea you come up with:) Happy baking!
Perfection Lora. Absolute perfection. I bet the house smelled amazing while these cooked up.
It really did. Thank you, Kim:)xx
They are beautiful! I think adding cheese would be perfect!
thanks, Paula. I know. All I can think about is making them with cheese;)
What cute rolls, I think I would inhale these!
It is how I felt. Dangerously cute and yummy:)
I feel like I could eat these by the handful!
It is a slight problem. I did;)
Thanks for including quantity conversions - I use a scale when baking in my home kitchen but haven't added one to the boat galley. I think my first batch of corn rolls will include some cheese and chilies... or maybe...
Yes-cheese and chilies sounds delightful! Can't wait to see what you come up with on the boat;)
I love this! I've never done a corn soaker - never even heard of it. So I'm definitely going to have to make these. I love all the photos - it's so helpful with bread-making!
Thank you:)This was my first corn soaker experience and I loved the results. The dough was lovely:)
And many congrats on Top 9 today!!! I predict you'll have a lot more participants in #BakingBread!
Wow it looks delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I really appreciate the detailed instructions along with the pictures it really helps. I'm not sure if mine will look as picture perfect as your outcome, but I'll definitely give it a try tonight. thanks again!
Hi-I hope you gave it a try and that the instructions with photos helped you to follow the recipe along:)Happy baking!
The rolls turned out perfectly thank you for this delicious recipe! I'm hoping to adapt the recipe with more whole wheat flour and less white flour.... do you have any advice on changing the portions? For example it calls for about 3 cups of white flour do you think I can make it half-and-half? I'm a little bit afraid to try it out, since I've volunteered to bring the rolls for a BBQ this Saturday. Your thoughts on this experiment is greatly appreciated 🙂
I have never baked these particular rolls with WW flour. For many other breads I've done 1/2 white 1/2 WW with great results:) You could always ask the hostess Nelly at cookingwithbooks.blogspot.com 🙂