DINNER ROLLS

            

Here is a recipe for yeast bread that is really good to make into dinner rolls.  Don’t let the two risings make you tired.  The end result is worth the planning ahead.  A bonus is the way they will make your kitchen smell as they bake!

Ingredients:

2   cups hot water

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup sugar

2 and ½ t. kosher salt

½ cup cold water

2 packages dry yeast

2 eggs, beaten

6 cups flour

Instructions:

*Stir olive oil into the hot water.

*Pour into a large mixing bowl.

*Whisk in sugar and salt.

*Whisk in cold water and yeast until yeast dissolves.

*Stir in half of the flour.  Mix well.

*Stir in eggs.

*Stir in remaining half of flour to form a soft dough ball.

*Coat another large mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons of olive oil ( I usually pour the oil in the bowl and then take a small section of paper towel and smear the oil over the interior surface of the bowl.

*Place the soft, sticky dough ball into the oil- coated bowl, turning over once to coat.

*Let the dough rise in a warm place until double in size.   This takes about one hour.  I usually place the bowl into the oven.  This provides a draft free place for the dough to rise.  If you are concerned about the oven being too cold, just preheat it to 200 degrees and then turn off about 10 minutes before placing the bowl in there.

*After the dough has risen, punch the dough down and begin to make small dough balls (walnut size) and place them in rows in a pyrex baking dish that has been sprayed with PAM.  You can also spray your hands with PAM if the dough sticks to your hands as you are making out the rolls.  The dough balls should be very close but not touching.  They will grow together as they rise.   You may be able to fill up 2 rectangular baking dishes with the dough balls.  Another option is to fill one baking dish and then to drop the remaining dough balls into a greased bundt cake pan.  This will make a delicious bread dish that my Mother always called “pick-a-roll”!  When you serve “pick-a-roll”, invert it on a serving plate as you would a cake and tell your guests to help themselves!A

*Let the rolls rise in a warm place until they are double in size (about 30 minutes).

*Bake rolls at 325 degrees for 30 minutes, or until brown and cooked through.

If you make a “pick-a-roll” it will take longer to cook.

*When the bread is done, brush the tops with a bit of olive oil.