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.