Michelle's Old Fashioned Yeast Rolls

This is my holiday go-to roll recipe.  I've been making them for about twenty years.  They are tried and true and enjoyed by all.  They are great the first day you make them for a holiday sit down meal with ham or turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and the whole works.  The are equally enjoyed on the second day topped with slices of ham or turkey for a quick breakfast or lunch.  I wish to give you a warning, though, when I leave them out in plain sight they tend to disappear much faster.  If you want to make them last, hide them.  I hope you and yours enjoy the recipe.  Thank you, Jerri, for requesting the recipe!

• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 package dry yeast
• ½ cup water
• 2 eggs
• 7 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 cups water

Combine first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix for 2 minutes on low speed with electric mixer. Set aside this yeast mixture.

Combine flour with remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix 3 minutes with a heavy duty electric mixer (dough hook attachment works best) at medium speed. Your dough at this stage will be thick and somewhat lumpy.

 

Add yeast mixture and mix 3 more minutes at medium speed.  Roll into an oval shape with your hands and place in a clean well-oiled bowl.  It should look about like this now. 




Cover  with a cloth and let rise in a warm place (85°F), free from drafts, about 3 hours or until dough has doubled in size.  I often leave the bowl of dough under a kitchen light - like the one over the stove or one over the counter.  This will usually give the dough just enough extra heat.

 

Punch dough down.  Cover with a fitted lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  On occasion I have rushed this process, but they are better if you wait.  Just mix up the dough one evening, and put it in the refrigerator until morning or later afternoon when you are ready to shape the rolls.  With lightly floured hands, shape dough into 2-inch balls.  I dump about half a cup of flour or so onto the dough.  Then I pinch off pieces of dough and dip the dough and my hands into the flour as I shape the rolls - just enough to keep the dough smooth and sticky-free.

 

Place rolls in 3 greased 9-inch round pans.  I prefer glass ones.  Let dough rise in a warm place (85°F), free from drafts, about 2 hours or until rolls double in size.  Bake rolls at 400°F for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.

You can rub butter over the tops of hot rolls straight from the oven if you like.  I also have a recipe for cinnamon rolls using this dough.  Check back later for that one.

Makes about 2 ½ dozen.