The Pantry Dish

Another successful recipe provided by my Tia Sandra: Dinner Rolls.

The first time I tried these dinner rolls was about a year ago.  My Tia Sandra lives in Nevada so we don't have the pleasure of having these delicious dinner rolls whenever she makes them (which is quite often).  When I did get to taste these dinner rolls for the first time however, I was at another one of my Tia's house who had just come back from visiting Tia Sandra and she offered me one.  After the first bite I practically inhaled the whole roll in a matter of seconds.  I finally got the courage to try and make them.  How'd they turn out?  Well......after the fourth attempt to duplicate the wonderful fluffiness and taste of these delicious rolls, we finished about 1/2 the batch in one day :)  

Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast 
1 whole egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup warm milk
1/3 cup melted shortening
1 tbsp salt
4 1/2 cups flour plus more for dusting hands and kneading surface

Combine the warm water (about 30 seconds in the microwave), sugar, and yeast and let it sit while you get the other ingredients ready.

In a large bowl whisk the egg and sugar together.

Add the milk, whisk to combine.

Go back to the yeast and sugar water.   Observe the awsomeness of yeast and its ability to entertain a child and her rookie baker mom.

This turned out to be a pretty cool science experiment for Grace.  She mixed the water, sugar, and yeast herself so to come back to it and find it in its reactive state was pretty cool to her......ok, the both of us :)

I'm not sure if it was supposed to get this foamy but it was interesting to see active yeast working it's magic. 
What matters is that the dinner rolls turned out good and no one got sick.  Slowly but surely this new adventure in bread making is coming together for us :)

Throw in some salt, whisk a bit.

Start adding the flour a little at a time.  About halfway through, add the melted shortening and mix well, then add the remaining flour.  Mix until it becomes workable for your hands then continue to knead until it forms a soft elastic dough texture.  It will be a little sticky so just keep your hands floured if it gets too sticky.   

With some love and delicate kneading you'll end up with this purty ball of dough.

Spray or coat another large bowl with oil then place the dough inside and cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap.  Set your oven to 300 degrees and set the bowl on the warmest part of your stovetop for at least 2 hours.  This will help the dough rise.

When it has doubled in size....I repeat DOUBLED IN SIZE (even it if takes more than 2 hours), punch it down and let it sit a few minutes while you get your baking dish or cookie sheet coated with oil.

Roll about 15 dough balls and place them into the baking dish if you want them big, or on a cookie sheet if you want them thinner and flatter.  Make sure you give them some room to expand.  Cover them with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let them double in size once more (on the warm stovetop). 

This is 6 hours later.  Cool ha!  Leaving them for six hours wasn't my intention but I'm glad I did because it taught me another lesson.  PATIENCE PAYS!  We had stuff to do so I turned off the oven and six hours later came home and voila!  Beautiful, fluffy, soft, herbatious (I mixed in rosemary in mine), yearning to be baked dinner rolls were starring at me.  Took a good wiff and patted myself on the back.

But wait!  Where not done yet!  Eggwash please.

In a small bowl mix an egg with a little milk, spread over the rolls.

Stick 'em in the oven for baby and me.  Sorry got carried away there.  Bake them at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Serve them while they are steaming hot out of the oven for the ultimate indulging experience (please don't burn yourself with anticipation).  

I'm just so glad they came out this good.  My last attempt was horrible.  Like hard-as-a-rock horrible.  Ugh, I shudder the memory.  Moving on. 

These however.......oh my goodness.

with a little bit of butter..............

oh my goodness gracious,

thankyouthankyouthankyou Tia!

I think I'll make more tomorrow.