Brown n' Serve Dinner Rolls
1 envelope dry yeast
2 tablespoons lukewarm water (105-115 degrees)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
1 cup milk, scalded and cooked to lukewarm
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lightly salted butter, melted
In small bowl, stir together yeast, water and 1 tbl. sugar and let
stand about 5 minutes, until bubbly. Stir until dissolved. In
electric mixer fitted with dough hook, or in food processor, cream
the 1/2 cup butter and the remaining tablespoon of sugar until light
and fluffy, about 3 minutes in mixer, or 30 seconds in food
processor. Add the milk, yeast, and eggs, and continue beating until
very light - about 1 minute in the mixer, or 15 seconds in the
processor. Sift in the flour and salt, and mix until smooth - 2
minutes in the mixer, and 30 seconds in the processor.
The dough is too soft to knead. Transfer to a large, lightly greased
bowl, turning to coat with the grease, and cover with plastic wrap.
Let rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in bulk, about 1
1/4 hours. Punch dough down and place it on a lightly floured board;
roll out 1/3" thick. For dinner rolls, cut into 3" rounds. Brush
each round with melted butter, if desired; top with a second round.
For pocketbook rolls, cut into small ovals, brush with some of
melted butter, and fold over. Place 2" apart on ungreased baking
sheet.
For cloverleaf roll, place 3 balls, each the size of a walnut, in a
lightly greased muffin cup. For crescent rolls, cut the dough into
4" squares, then cut each square into two triangles. Brush with
melted butter; roll up from the wide end to the point and shape into
crescent. Place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. At this point,
the rolls can be stored; freeze on baking sheets, tightly covered
with foil, for up to 1 month. Preheat the oven to 400 �F. Brush top
of each roll with remaining melted butter, then cover with plastic
wrap and let rise in warm place until double in bulk, about 25
minutes. For brown and serve rolls, bake until they just begin to
brown, about 5 minutes. If serving immediately, continue baking
until golden brown, about 13 minutes more. Makes 2 dozen rolls.
For frozen dough, remove foil. Thaw rolls at room temp. and let rise
until double in bulk, 2-3 hours in all. Preheat oven to 400�F. Brush
rolls with butter and bake until golden brown, about 18 minutes. For
frozen, partially baked rolls, preheat the oven to 400�F. Remove
foil and place rolls on ungreased baking sheet. Bake until golden
brown, about 13-15 minutes. |