Cloverleaf Rolls

ByDavid November 11, 2016April 8, 2021

A basket of these Cloverleaf Rolls would be a perfect addition to your holiday dinner table!

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Another one? Seriously? My mother has an innate ability to find four-leaf clovers. In fact, I’d say it’s pretty darned close to superhero ability. If she even walks near a patch of clover, she’ll find one (or six) four-leaf clovers in about 60 seconds. I guess you could call her lucky, but she swears that her father (my grandfather) was even better.

They’d actually go out and have four-leaf clover hunting contests. 10 minutes. Find as many four-leaf clovers as possible. She claims he beat her every time…but I’m not so sure how that’s even possible. Between the two of them, they’d come back inside with a veritable bouquet of four-leaf clovers.

I used to challenge my Mom to these clover contests when I was a kid. My grandparents had huge clover patches in their yard, so we’d head out and hunt for those elusive clovers. And I always lost. But the other day, I was walking our neighbor’s dog for them (they were out of town) and I happened to be standing near a clover patch while Benji was doing his business. I looked down and saw a four-leaf clover. It was just right there looking at me!

I picked that clover and put it in a little glass bowl of water next to the kitchen window. Granted, if my Mom had been there, she would have found that clover (and eight more) before I even realized it was a clover patch!

Did you know that each leaf of a four-leaf clover holds a special meaning? Sure enough! The first leaf is for faith, followed by hope, love and luck. After college, a friend gave me a little framed four-leaf clover with these four words carved in the frame. I have that frame hanging near my desk, and every time I see it I think of my mother and her clover hunting prowess.

While my ability to find four-leaf clovers might pale in comparison to my mother’s, I can make one heck of a tasty batch of Cloverleaf Rolls. These dinner rolls are incredibly easy to make, and I seriously think I could eat the entire batch when they’re fresh from the oven.

I know many people shy away from making homemade bread. I get it. Homemade bread takes time. And no-one looks at a photo of homemade bread and says, “Woah, I can’t wait to have that!” But seriously, this Cloverleaf Rolls recipe is worth making!

Yes, it involves yeast. (Don’t be afraid!) Yes, it involves time. (Don’t be afraid!) Yes, it involves shaping the rolls. (Don’t be afraid!) And yes, you may eat a warm roll right out of the oven…I give you permission!

With Thanksgiving coming up soon here in the States, the race is on to create a gameplan for how to tackle Turkey Day dinner. I know it’s easy to just buy a bag of rolls from the store, but do seriously consider making your own. These Cloverleaf Rolls are sure to impress friends and family…and plus, you get to brag that they’re homemade!

Disclosure: This Cloverleaf Rolls recipe is nearly identical to these Butterflake Dinner Rolls that I made last year. The only difference is the optional seeds on top of these rolls instead of melted butter. And of course the way you shape the rolls before baking. So there you have it…one recipe, two different dinner rolls. Both equally delicious!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be outside by the clover patch honing my skills. My Mom will be in town soon, and I sense another four-leaf clover hunting contest will be on the agenda!