Basic Roll Dough

A basic roll dough for many different shapes

Ingredients

 2 packages active dry yeast

¼ cup lukewarm water (100 to 110° F.)

2 cups of 2% milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter                   

2 tsp. salt

5 to 5 1/2 cups flour               

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Heat milk in a saucepan, but do not boil.  Add butter, sugar and salt to milk; mix well and cool to lukewarm.  Pour into a medium size mixing bowl along with proofed yeast and the two beaten eggs.  Add two cups of flour and beat until smooth.  Add two more cups of flour, one at a time, and mix with a heavy spoon until the flour is fully incorporated.  Add one more cup of flour, and mix with your hands until it is incorporated.  Remove from bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for five minutes, adding more flour as needed to form a smooth, elastic dough--remember that dough for rolls should be slightly softer than most bread dough.  Place in a greased bowl and let rise, covered, in a warm place free of drafts until doubled, about 1 to 1 hours.  Punch down dough and knead for two minutes to work out air bubbles.  Let rest for ten minutes.  Then shape into desired rolls and let rise again until doubled, about 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400° F. Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Makes 20 to 24 rolls.

Cloverleaf Rolls    Lightly grease muffin tins.  Roll dough into small balls, about the size of a walnut.  Place 3 balls in each muffin tin.  Allow to rise until doubled and bake as directed.

Butter Fantans    Roll dough out about 1/4" thick, and brush the top with melted butter.  Cut dough into strips about 2” wide.  Stack five strips on tops of each other.  Using a sharp knife, cut the layered strips into individual stacks.  Place each stack, cut side down, into greased muffin tins.  Let rise, covered, until nearly doubled.  Bake as directed.

Bow Knots    Roll individual pieces of dough into ropes 8" to 10" long, about ½” thick.  Form each rope into a knot, and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Cover and let rise and bake as directed.

Notes

--If you want rolls with a slightly chewier crust, roll balls and place them in a lightly greased muffin tin.  For buns with soft sides, them in a 9” x 13” baking pan. 

--This same dough makes cinnamon rolls.