DINNER ROLLS

Dinner Rolls image

In my lifetime, 63 years, these hands have kneaded many a loaf of bread and rolls. There is just something earthy about pulling and pushing dough and when it begins to come alive in your hands it is an operatic moment. To me it is both meditative and exhilarating. These dinner rolls will be a big, "like," to everyone. This...

Provided by Shelia Senghas

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

3/4 c milk
1/2 c shortening
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
2 pkg dry yeast
1/2 c warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
41/2-43/4 c flour
2 eggs

Steps:

1. Scald milk in a saucepan; add shortening, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm.
2. Sprinkle yeast on warm water; stir to dissolve.
3. Add 1 ½ cups of flour to milk mixture; beat well with a wooden spoon. Beat in eggs and yeast.
4. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour, a little at a time, to make a soft dough that leaves the sides of the bowl. Dough will be slightly sticky. Turn onto lightly floured board; knead, adding a little more flour as necessary, until smooth, satiny, and no longer sticky, about 5 to 8 minutes.
5. Place in lightly greased bowl, invert to grease top, cover and let rise until doubled, 1 to 1 ½ hours. Punch down and turn onto board. Divide in half and shape as desired.
6. Brush tops lightly with melted butter; let rise until doubled, 30 to 45 minutes. Bake in hot oven (400 degrees) 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. I mixed the dough in my Kitchen Aid mixer. I let the Kitchen aid mixer knead the dough for 10 minutes on low and then I hand kneaded the dough another 5 minutes. I made about 2 to 3 inch balls of dough because grandma's rolls were always huge, and I placed them almost touching in a large baking pan. You can get 30 small rolls from this recipe, however, the amount of rolls you get will depend on the size and shape of your rolls.
8. Her note on the page read: Makes good cinnamon rolls. I have never made cinnamon rolls so I decided to give it a try. I divided the dough in half and made cinnamon rolls out of the other half. They turned out wonderful and delicious and I will post the recipe for Grandma Delsie's Cinnamon Rolls at another time.