This is adapted from the "Lion House Recipes" cookbook. I grew up using a family recipe which is almost identical to this one, except a few measurements and one different ingredient. I like this one better because I think it rises a little better and has a little better flavor, so I have now moved to using this recipe. One thing I love about these is you can roll them out many hours in advance and they will rise so nicely. They don't seem to fall as quickly as some others if you let them rise for too long. I also love working with this dough because it is so easy to make rolls with cold dough and they are really light and fluffy because the dough is quite soft and a little gooey before you chill it.
The"double" batch, which makes around 4-6 dozen rolls depending on size, is what I make for family gatherings. I often 1 1/2 times it for my own family and use it two different nights. I honestly never make the single batch, because, hey, if you are going to the trouble to make homemade rolls, make enough to really enjoy! I use this recipe for a TON of different things as well which I will eventually add to this blog (garlic herbed pull-aparts, chicken roll-ups, bread-sticks, etc.)
Single Batch (2 dozenish) 1 1/2 batch (3-4 dozen) Double batch (4-6 dozen)
1/4 cup butter 6 TBLS butter* 1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar 6 TBLS sugar* 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk, scalded 1 1/2 cups milk, scalded 2 cups milk, scalded
1 TBLS dry yeast 1 1/2 TBLS dry yeast 2 TBLS dry yeast
1 TBLS sugar 1 1/2 TBLS sugar 2 TBLS sugar
1/4 cup warm water 6 TBLS warm water* 1/2 cup warm water
2 tsp salt 1 TBLS salt 1 TBLS + 1 tsp salt
4 cups flour 6 cups flour 8 cups flour
3 eggs 4-5 eggs 6 eggs
*(1/3 cup + 2 tsp = 6 TBLS)
Add butter and 1/2 cup sugar to hot milk. Set aside to cool.
Combine yeast, 2 TBLS sugar, and warm water (not too hot, but pretty darn warm). Let stand 5 minutes to soften yeast.
Add salt to flour. Combine milk, yeast mixture, and 1 cup flour. Add eggs and beat well. Continue adding flour gradually, beating until smooth after each addition (I add about 2-3 cups at a time). This is a soft dough and it will be sticky. You can use an electric mixer to mix most of the flour (probably not the last cup or two-then just use a wooden spoon, unless you have a good electric mixer, but I just use my hand mixer for this).
Cover bowl and place out of draft until dough rises about triple in amount (I cheat and put hot water in my sink, just enough to set the bowl into to rise quickly--be sure others know there is food in the sink and that you have bread rising in a bowl in there-also be sure not to put too much water so that water doesn't get into your bowl of dough).
Punch down. Cover again and place in refrigerator overnight.
When ready to use (good for about 5 days), remove from refrigerator and roll and shape while cold (it will be easy to handle this soft dough when it is cold). I roll about 1/4-1/3 of the dough at a time into a large circle about 1/4" thick. Then I butter the dough (looks like a thin pizza crust). Then I cut it with a pizza cutter, like a pizza, usually in either 9, 12, or 16 pieces, depending how big I want the. Then I roll them starting with the large end and ending with the point to make crescent rolls.
Place on greased pans. Brush with melted butter if desired. Let rise at least 1-1 1/2 hours, but can rise to even 5 or 6 hours.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes (until golden brown).
Then you get to ENJOY THESE SUPER YUMMY ROLLS!!
Can I use margarine instead of butter? Will it only affect the flavor?
ReplyDeleteI am sure you can-you could use pretty much any fat solid. I just only buy butter generally and that is always what I use.
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