CARRIE'S RICH ROLLS OR BREAD (BASIC RECIPE) WITH VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Put the warm milk in a pan large enough to hold all ingredients.
• Add sugar and yeast; stir until dissolved.
• Stir in 3 cups of flour, mix well.
• Cover and let rise until full of bubbles - (about 45 minutes).
• Add eggs (beaten until light), salt, and butter to the mixture.
• Blend well, and add remaining flour.
• Cover and let rise (about 1 1/2 hours).
• "Now the dough is ready to use and what finger paints are to a child, this bread recipe can be for you. Your imagination can run riot and the things you can do will amaze you" (Quoting directly from her instructions).
• Flour your breadboard or counter where you intend to knead the bread and put your dough on it.
• The theory is that the more you knead the dough, the better the bread will be. But don't let it run away with you. Quite a small amount of kneading will result in excellent dough (Bread or rolls) My theory is the more you knead the dough (need the dough$$), the poorer you are. Ha! Seriously, it doesn't make that much difference whether you knead it half a day or about 5 minutes. It turns out real good at 5 - 10 minutes.
• FROM THIS POINT, YOU DECIDE WHAT TO MAKE WITH YOUR DOUGH AND GO FROM THERE.
• TO MAKE BASIC BREAD LOAVES: After you've kneaded the dough the final time, take about half as much as your loaf pan holds. Roll it roughly into the shape of a pie. Starting at any edge roll it up. Tuck up the ends under so that the roll now fits your loaf pan. The rolled "seam" should be on the bottom of the pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. This recipe should make 2 loaves.
• Don't stop now! Here are some variations you can easily do!.
• TO MAKE COFFEE CAKE recipe: Anyway, after you've kneaded the dough, you take half as much dough as your bread pan holds and roll out about the size of a pie pan. Spread butter (about 1/2 stick) over entire top. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon (about 1/2 cup sugar - 1 teaspoon cinnamon). I have used apple pie spices instead and it came out fine. Roll up very tightly and tuck ends in if they are too long for your pan. Put in a warm place and let rise to double its original size - about an hour. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 1 hour.
• TO MAKE PARKERHOUSE ROLLS, When making Parkerhouse rolls, remembering that your rolls will be twice the size of your original dough! Butter your muffin tins well and put 3 equal siaed rolls of your dough in each tin. Let rise to double in size. Bake at 375 degrees F. for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Will make about 2 doz. rolls.
• TO MAKE BUTTERFLAKE ROLLS: Roll dough very thin, cut small rounds and put about 5 in each muffin tin, endways. Let these also rise to double in size before baking at 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 2 dozen.
• YOU CAN ALSO MAKE SOME VERY GOOD PECAN ROLLS: Substitute brown sugar for the white sugar in the original recipe. Butter 2 muffin tins. In the bottom of each muffin cup add these ingredients: 1 heaping teaspoon of Light Brown Sugar, 1 to 2 teaspoons of chopped nuts or 3 pecan halves. After the final rising, shape your dough into a long roll or into two 1 foot rolls. Cut the roll into 1" slices and place each slice into a muffin cup. Let them rise until double in size and bake them at 375 degrees F. for about 2 to 30 minutes. Turn them upside down onto Aluminum foil or wax paper to cool.