Stress Relief Sage Rolls are all about the powerful healing aroma of sage, bundled into the ultimate comfort food; bread.
The Ancient Knowledge Of Sage And How It Affects Stress
There’s something almost ancient in the way sage can steady the spirit. Long before it became the herb we crumble into stuffing or scatter over roasting poultry, sage was cherished as a plant of wisdom and calm, a fragrant reminder to slow down and breathe.
And during the holidays, when our kitchens feel like revolving doors and our to-do lists grow longer than winter nights, I find myself reaching for it more than ever. That’s why I started folding sage into bread dough.
Baking Sage Rolls During The Holiday Season
It began as a simple attempt to bring a quiet, grounding flavor into my baking, but it quickly became a ritual of its own. As the leaves release their earthy perfume between my fingers, and the warm loaf rises with that unmistakable herbal whisper, I’m reminded that nourishment isn’t just about food, it’s about moments of peace tucked into the busiest season of the year.
Baking sage rolls has become my small act of reclaiming calm, in these small rolls of bread, in a way to let the holiday bustle soften at the edges while something comforting rises in the oven. And every slice feels like a reminder that even in the most overwhelming weeks, we can create little pockets of rest, one loaf at a time.
Sage
I am a GARDEN TO TABLE LIFESTYLE kinda gal! Sage is a rather new and very welcome addition to my gardening, and rather easy to grow.
While it is in the mint family, it isn’t as intrusive as mint, which simply takes over, sage grows quietly, unobtrusively and unapologetically all year.Â
I’ve become an avid grower of herbs for both cooking and medicinal properties, drying the leaves at the end of summer or bringing pots inside for the winter, keeps my family healthy and me happy.Â
Stress Relief Sage
Whether you are burning a little mound of dried sage before a stressful event, or sipping on a cup of sage tea before bed; sage has a huge variety of health benefits.
If burning sage can actually change the composition in the air, linked to positive mood boost, think what it could do in the food we eat!
The Hearty Sage
This fuzzy leaf, evergreen plant seems more shy, unlike its cousin mint.
It grows happily, if the conditions are right, while I think mint could grow on a pile of rocks.
Oddly, sage doesn’t like intense sun but rather a slightly shady area with just a few hours of sun.
I learned this the hard way. Can you believe I am able to still find leaves in the dead of winter!
Cooking With Sage
The aromatic scent and flavor of sage compliments many dishes, from a classic Italian Sauce to the American Thanksgiving recipes.
For me particularly, Sage Stuffing rolled in a turkey breast or stuffed inside of other poultry is my favorite way to enjoy sage.
While making my sage and bread stuffing one year, I realized what I loved most about the stuffing, was the sage; its calming scent and herbaceous flavor.
While the stuffing is also loaded with onions, celery, sometimes turkey thigh meat, it was actually the bread and the sage together, that make this stuffing fabulous.
For this reason, when I competed in The Great American Recipe, with PBS, I made my sage stuffing (Episode 7), for all America to enjoy on TV!
Yeast Bread Rolls Made With Sage
Having realized how delicious the pungent flavor of sage and the gentle flavor of a yeast bread tasted together, I decided it was time to create a yeast bread recipe folding in lots of finely chopped fresh sage into the dough.
The whole house smelled of this exotic aroma while the bread was baking and oddly, caused my mood to feel unusually calm from its smell. And so there you have it; Stress Relief Sage Rolls!
Stress Relief Sage In Food
By now we’ve all heard of the use of burning a bundle of sage, in the four corners of the home? This practice is done to ward off negative energy.
Consequently, and by sheer accident, after smelling the sage baking in the oven, I realized there is really something to this.
Apparently studies have been done proving that sage slows down the release of a type of enzyme that affects the balance of our mood as well as other cognitive issues.
It is said to reduce a type of anxiety triggered from within, proven to slow the release of enzymes that are counterproductive to a balance in our mood.
Since there are also numerous health benefits from sage, literally from head to toe, I decided to indulge in a cup of sage tea daily.
The sage I use can be plucked fresh from the yard or windowsill pot, or dried at the end of its growing season to use all year.
Every Bread Recipe Can Be Made Into Rolls
If you know me, you know I love making bread.
Nothing fancy, intense or elaborate, just a simple yeast bread that rises within an hour.
Should any of my other bread recipes spark an interest with you, just know they can each be made into rolls.
- Beetroot and Spinach Yeast Bread – Beetroot spinach bread braid is a delicious, healthy, showstopper of beetroot with garlic dough and spinach with lemon dough, braided together.
- Cranberry and Almond Yeast Bread – Cranberry almond yeast bread is made from fresh cranberries, crushed almonds, orange zest and cardamom, risen and baked into a beautiful bread!
- Spelt Potato Sandwich Bread – Easy spelt potato sandwich bread is an easy to rise, rustic yet dense bread, easily sliced into a sandwich bread.
- Pumpkin Pita Bread – Pumpkin pita bread recipe, is an elevated pita bread made with fresh pumpkin and walnut oil; a spectacular dipping bread for all our favorite Autumn Eats!
- Turkish Simit – So excited to share How To Make Turkish Simit Bread, my favorite bread rings, encrusted in sesame seeds and made from simple bread dough.
- Black Olive and Rosemary Bread – Black olive rosemary bread is the epitome of Mediterranean homemade bread with lots of olives, olive oil, rosemary and a sea salt crust.
- Stromboli or Pizza Dough – Stromboli Pizza Bites are both a pizza and a calzone, with everything you’d want on a pizza, rolled up inside a cheesy dough, baked to perfection. Think… Calzone!
Who Doesn’t Love Their Favorite Bread Made Into Individual Rolls
Bread makes everyone feel happy, from sandwich bread to dinner rolls, who doesn’t love bread.
The smell of bread baking is sometimes what will sell a house, says many real estate agents. They say the same thing about luring that new partner you’ve been sporting. Â
I had to create an easy yeast dough that would showcase the smell, taste and visual joy of the sage, rolled (literally), into a festive bread.Â
Making Sage Yeast Rolls – Step by Step
Step 1 – A simple mixture of yeast, a pinch of sugar and a little water, is all that’s needed to get this lovely dough mixture growing.
Step 2 – Flour gets folded in, until the dough is no longer sticky and forms an elastic dough ball that needs only an hour, in a cozy warm place, to double in size and be ready to bake.
Working the dough with your hands, adding flour as needed, allows you to feel when the dough is no longer sticky.
This means the appropriate amount of flour has been added.
Step 3 – Once the dough rises, it is rolled out into a long log, cut into twenty-four pieces, rolled and twisted into a knot and left to rest for another thirty-minutes.
Step 4 – These lovely knots, with a sage leaf in the center of each, get brushed with a little egg wash, and baked to golden perfection in twenty-minutes.
Ingredients Needed For Sage Rolls
Each ingredient in these sage-infused bread rolls plays its own quiet role in creating something warm, grounding, and restorative, exactly what we need when the holidays start pulling us in all directions.
- Yeast – The heartbeat of the dough, yeast brings the rise, not just in the bread, but in our spirits. There’s something meditative about watching a simple mixture come alive, reminding us that growth often happens in stillness.
- Sugar – A spoonful of sugar gives the yeast its first gentle nudge, feeding it so the dough can lift into something soft and airy. It’s a small sweetness, subtle, but enough to round out the savory notes of sage.
- Water – Warm water ties the ingredients together and activates the yeast, creating the environment for transformation. In a season that can feel dry and rushed, it’s a quiet symbol of slowing down and adding softness where it’s needed.
- Salt – A pinch of salt balances the flavors and strengthens the dough, giving each roll structure. It’s the grounding force, just as we all need a little anchoring during busy holiday weeks.
- Flour – Flour is the foundation, the comfort of simple nourishment. As it blends with the oil, water, and yeast, it becomes the canvas on which all the other ingredients reveal themselves. There’s reassurance in its simplicity.
- Olive Oil – brings tenderness to the dough, adding richness without weight. Its silky texture makes the rolls soft and supple, and its deep, fruity aroma complements sage beautifully, a pairing that feels soothing and earthy.
- Sage Leaves – these are the star, of course. Finely chopped or gently torn, the leaves release an aroma that has long been associated with calm, clarity, and warmth. Baked into bread, sage settles into every bite, offering a moment of grounded stillness amid the holiday rush.
- Egg – A beaten egg brushed over the tops gives each roll a golden, glossy finish, a little brightness to the table. It’s the final touch, a soft shine that makes even everyday ingredients feel festive and cared for.
Equipment Needed
Just as the ingredients work together to create a soothing bread roll, the equipment you use adds its own quiet support to the process, simple tools that make the experience feel grounded and intentional.
- Large Mixing Bowl – This is where everything begins. A spacious bowl gives the dough room to grow and breathe, turning your kitchen into a small sanctuary of rising warmth.
- Wooden Spoon – There’s comfort in the familiar scrape of a wooden spoon. Gentle yet sturdy, it helps bring the ingredients together without rushing the process, perfect for mindful holiday baking.
- Cotton Sack Towels – A soft cotton cloth draped over the bowl keeps the dough warm and protected as it rises. It’s like tucking the dough in for a short rest, a quiet reminder that everything, bread and people alike, needs time to relax and expand.
- Muffin Tin – Using a muffin tin shapes the dough into little rolls that are tidy, pretty, and easy to serve. Each cup cradles a portion, helping the rolls bake evenly and giving your table a touch of homemade charm.
- Basting Brush – A basting brush makes it easy to sweep the tops with egg wash, giving each roll its golden, glossy finish. It feels like the final loving gesture before the rolls go into the oven.
- Measuring Cup and Measuring Spoons – These small tools ensure balance, just the right amount of salt, oil, water, and sage. In busy seasons, there’s something reassuring about precise measures that bring consistency and control to the kitchen.
- Oven – And finally, the oven, the warm hearth of any holiday kitchen. As the sage rolls bake, the calming aroma fills the room, turning even the most hectic day into something a little softer, a little slower, and a lot more comforting.
Stress Relief Sage Rolls
Equipment
- 2 Muffin tins
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Yeast
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 2 cups Water lukewarm
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 4-6 cups All purpose flour extra for shaping
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 bundle Sage leaves 2 tbsp finely chopped for the dough, 24 leaves per roll
- 1 Egg – for egg wash 1 egg plus 1 tbsp water, mixed
Instructions
- Mix the yeast, sugar and water together and let sit for 5-minutes to foam.
- Add the chopped sage leaves (reserving the 24 leaves for finishing), salt and slowly whisk in the flour a little at a time with a wooden spoon until it becomes firm enough to work with your hands. Continue adding flour until the dough is no longer sticking to your fingers.
- In a clean bowl, rubbed with olive oil, place the dough, cover and allow to sit in a warm (not hot), place for 1-hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400
- Flour a work surface and roll the risen dough out into a long log. Cut 24 equal size pieces of dough. Roll each piece out to about 6-inches and tie it into a knot. Place one sage leaf in the center of each knot. Transfer each knotted dough into a muffin tin (helps to hold its shape). Continue with the remaining dough.
- Brush the tops of the knotted rolls with egg wash. Allow to sit 30-minutes to rise a little more.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
Notes
- The muffin tins do not need to be oiled, since the baked rolls will pop right out.Â
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.