These rolls are very simple to make but mostly because I have a Bosch Kitchen Machine. This is actually my third Bosch and we bought our first the week after our honeymoon 31 years ago. No kitchen should be without one. It's worth the almost $400 and will pay for itself over and over and over. That said, if you do not have a heavy duty kitchen mixer, the rolls may not turn out as well, but I wouldn't know because I've never done them without the Bosch. I searched and searched through 20,000 photos and can not believe that I don't have a photo of the rolls. But, here's the Cinnamon roll version of them, also listed below. As always, enjoy!
In a 4 cup measuring cup or bowl, heat 2 cups of milk in the microwave until hot but not boiling. Not even until it makes that little layer of skin. Just hot. (How's this for a real recipe?) Remove from the microwave and add 1/2 cup butter. You'll know if the milk is hot enough because it should melt the butter.
Place in mixing bowl:
3 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 cup warm, but not hot, water
1/2 cup sugar, sprinkled evenly around the yeast and water.
Let this sit for 20 minute until the yeast has risen.
Add to the mixing bowl:
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. salt
4 cups of flour
Pour the now warm milk over the flour, eggs, yeast mixture. Mix, adding more flour and kneading until the dough is light and moist. I add flour until the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl as it is mixed. Honestly, depending on the weather, some days it's 7 cups total and some days it's 9. Mix until a light fluffy dough. (In my Bosch, I let it mix for ten to fifteen minutes on low.) Then let it sit for 30 minutes. (If you are in a hurry, you can rush the first rising by placing the dough into a well greased bowl and covering it with a damp cloth completely. Place it in the microwave on the lowest setting for ten minutes.) Then, form the rolls into balls or ropes or three little mini-balls placed together in well-buttered muffin tins. Make sure that the pan is lathered in butter. Let raise for 30 more minutes. Bake at 400° until the rolls are golden brown. (about 17 minutes.)
This is the dough that I use for almost everything.
- Add an extra half cup of sugar to the dough for cinnamon rolls. Roll out into a rectangle. Smother in melted butter. Cover in brown sugar and/or cinnamon sugar. Add raisins or nuts if desired to the dough or sprinkle on at this point. Roll into a long roll. Then, the best trick I ever learned... take a 24" piece of dental floss. Wrap it around your fingers as though you were going to floss. Then, slide the floss under the dough roll, bring it up over the top and around the dough. Pull the floss through the dough, slicing it as thick as you desire. It's so much more simple than any knife or tool I've ever tried!
- Roll the dough out into breadsticks and cover with butter, garlic salt, basil and fresh Parmesan cheese for the best garlic rolls ever.
- Roll the dough into breadsticks and generously brush melted butter over them in the pan. Then sprinkle with brown sugar and/or cinnamon sugar. Bake then serve with cream cheese frosting on the side to dip them in. *the favorite*
- Roll the dough out very thin onto pizza pans that have been covered in butter for "Pan Pizza".
- Roll the dough out into 3/8" thickness and deep-fry them for scones. Serve with honey-butter or cinnamon sugar or peanut butter or jam or any topping that flips your trigger!
- Roll the dough out into a large rectangle on your baking pan (a jelly roll pan works best). Fill the center third length-wise with meat (bbq beef, sliced turkey, ham, roast beef, ground beef, you name it) and then top with shredded cheese and the dressing of your choice. Either braid the top of the bread or simply fold over the sides to the top and blanket the filling. Bake until the bread is golden brown. You can brush egg white on it before baking, if desired. This is dinner! NUM!
- Roll the dough into a rectangle and simply fill it with cheese on one half. Wrap the other half over the cheese and then seal the edges. Giant Calzone style. Dip the bread into ranch dressing, jelly, you name it! Great snack and great way to use left-over dough.
