Brown ’n Serve Rolls
Have you ever eaten warm, fresh rolls straight from the oven? Mmm, they’re so delicious! But did you know that making rolls or bread is not a quick process? You have to mix the ingredients, knead the dough, let it rise, punch it down, shape it, and then bake it for at least an hour. It can take a long time, and not everyone has that kind of time.
That’s where Joe Gregor comes in. Joe was a busy man, but he loved to bake. He knew there had to be an easier way for people to enjoy hot rolls without spending hours in the kitchen. So, he spent a long time trying to come up with a new method, but nothing seemed to work.
One day, while Joe was baking dinner rolls in his kitchen in Avon Park, Florida, the fire siren went off. Joe was a volunteer fireman, so he had to leave immediately to help. He quickly pulled the rolls out of the oven and rushed out the door. When he came back from the fire, he saw that the rolls were only half-cooked and looked like plaster. Most people would have thrown them away, but not Joe Gregor. He decided to reheat the rolls in the oven and finish cooking them. And guess what? They were delicious!
Joe had accidentally discovered a method for making rolls ahead of time and then serving them hot and fresh at the dinner table. He experimented to find the exact temperatures and times required for the first baking, and then he shared his directions with bakers everywhere. Today, bakeries do the mixing, kneading, rising, and even part of the baking, and you can buy brown ‘n serve rolls that you can heat up and eat in just ten minutes.
Thanks to Joe Gregor and the Avon Park volunteer fire department, busy people can still enjoy hot, fresh rolls without having to spend hours in the kitchen. So, the next time you bite into a warm, soft roll, remember Joe Gregor and how he accidentally discovered a new way to make them!
