Award-Winning Ring-a-Lings (1955 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest)

My dad was a wheat farmer and thought a meal was not complete without some type of bread; I seem to be returning to his way of thinking during the COVID-19 crisis. So, today’s bake is a recipe for prize-winning Ring-a-Lings, the winner of the 1955 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest. These no-knead sweet rolls with a hint of orange were created by Bertha Jorgensen of Portland, Oregon.
As I’ve been going through vintage cookbooks, I ran across Short-Cut Bread put out by the Pillsbury Company. It’s not dated but the order blank in the back includes as order form – just attach two dimes and they’ll send a book! Checked online and discovered a copy for $12.95, so the booklet is definitely old. 
Out of curiosity I also went to the Pillsbury website and discovered they had made a few recipe updates in 2005. I used their updated version. 


Ring-a-Lings   Makes 22 sweet rolls
Dough
4 to 4 1/2 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter or margarine 
2 eggs
Filling
1cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup pecans, filberts, or walnuts, ground (Bertha's original recipe used filberts)
Glaze
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup orange juice SAVE $
  1. Dough: Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, salt, orange peel and yeast; mix well. 
  2. In small saucepan, heat milk and 1/3 cup margarine until very warm (120 to 130°F.). (I used the microwave and an instant-read thermometer.)
  3. Add warm liquid and eggs to flour mixture; blend at low speed until moistened. 
  4. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. 
  5. By hand, stir in remaining 2 to 2 1/2 cups flour to form a stiff (but still soft) dough. It’s okay if it’s a still just a little sticky.
  6. Place dough in greased bowl; cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place (80 to 85°F.) until light and doubled in size, 35 to 50 minutes. 

  7. Filling: In small bowl, blend powdered sugar and 1/3 cup margarine until smooth. Stir in ground nuts; set aside. 
  8. Glaze: In second small bowl, blend glaze ingredients; cover and set aside. 
  9. Finishing Dough: Grease 2 large cookie sheets (I used 3 and lined them with either parchment or silicon sheets). 
  10. Stir down dough to remove all air bubbles. On floured surface, roll dough to 22x12-inch rectangle. 
  11. Spread filling mixture lengthwise over half of dough. 
  12. Fold dough over filling. 
  13. Cut crosswise into 1-inch strips; twist each strip 4 to 5 times. (I twisted each strip a few extra times—enough to retain a twisted strip.)
  14. To shape rolls, hold folded end of strip down on greased cookie sheet to form center; coil strip around center. Tuck loose end under. Repeat with remaining twisted strips. 
  15. Cover; let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes. 
  16. While rolls are rising, heat oven to 375°F. 
  17. Uncover dough. (Do one final check and tuck under any loose ends that might have loosened again during the rise.)
  18. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. 
  19. Brush tops of rolls with glaze. 
  20. Bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. 
  21. Immediately remove from cookie sheets; cool on wire racks. 
Recipe without photos . . .
Ring-a-Lings   Makes 22 sweet rolls
Dough
4 to 4 1/2 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter or margarine 
2 eggs
Filling
1cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup pecans, filberts, or walnuts, ground (Bertha's original recipe used filberts)
Glaze
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup orange juice SAVE $
  1. Dough: Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, salt, orange peel and yeast; mix well. 
  2. In small saucepan, heat milk and 1/3 cup margarine until very warm (120 to 130°F.). (I used the microwave and an instant-read thermometer.)
  3. Add warm liquid and eggs to flour mixture; blend at low speed until moistened. 
  4. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. 
  5. By hand, stir in remaining 2 to 2 1/2 cups flour to form a stiff (but still soft) dough. It’s okay if it’s a still just a little sticky.
  6. Place dough in greased bowl; cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place (80 to 85°F.) until light and doubled in size, 35 to 50 minutes. 
  7. Filling: In small bowl, blend powdered sugar and 1/3 cup margarine until smooth. Stir in ground nuts; set aside. 
  8. Glaze: In second small bowl, blend glaze ingredients; cover and set aside. 
  9. Finishing Dough: Grease 2 large cookie sheets (I used 3 and lined them with either parchment or silicon sheets). 
  10. Stir down dough to remove all air bubbles. On floured surface, roll dough to 22x12-inch rectangle. 
  11. Spread filling mixture lengthwise over half of dough. 
  12. Fold dough over filling. 
  13. Cut crosswise into 1-inch strips; twist each strip 4 to 5 times. (I twisted each strip a few extra times—enough to retain a twisted strip.)
  14. To shape rolls, hold folded end of strip down on greased cookie sheet to form center; coil strip around center. Tuck loose end under. Repeat with remaining twisted strips. 
  15. Cover; let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes. 
  16. While rolls are rising, heat oven to 375°F. 
  17. Uncover dough. (Do one final check and tuck under any loose ends that might have loosened again during the rise.)
  18. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. 
  19. Brush tops of rolls with glaze. 
  20. Bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. 
  21. Immediately remove from cookie sheets; cool on wire racks. 

2 comments:

  1. I have been making these rolls all of my life. I originally thought it was an Italian recipe passed from one Italian grandmother to my Italian grandmother. When I was an adult I saw it in a cookbook of Pillsbury bake-off recipes. You don’t have to do any of the rises stated here. Dough rises even as you work with it and prepare all the rolls. Love this sweet roll for breakfast, snack or anytime

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