Yeast Rolls

Every time I turn around, I'm seeing these yummy yeast roll recipes on Pinterest. Yeast rolls require plenty of effort and you can't just throw them together on a whim. Last night we had fried chicken, green beans canned from the garden, sliced baked potatoes and homemade yeast rolls. They smelled heavenly while they were baking and you know Andy and I were digging in the minute they were taken out of the oven...Along with a stick of butter. To die for!

Here's a "copy cat" recipe that circulated my email years ago which I have used several times. Allow a minimum of three hours to make the batter, let it rise, cut them out and let them rise again. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 envelope Active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup very warm water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup scalded hot milk, cooled to lukewarm
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 4 1/2 cups sifted all−purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons melted butter (brush tops of rolls)

DIRECTIONS:
Sprinkle the yeast over very warm water in a large bowl (HINT: Very warm water should feel comfortably warm when dropped on wrist.) 

Stir until yeast dissolves. Add sugar, the 1/4 cup butter or margarine and salt to milk and stir until the sugar dissolves and butter or margarine is melted. 

Add milk mixture to yeast, then beat in egg. Beat in 4 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time, to form a soft dough. Use some of the remaining 1/2 cup of the flour to dust your work surface. Knead the dough lightly for 5 minutes, working in the remaining flour. 

Place dough in a warm buttered bowl; turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. 

Punch dough down and knead 4 to 5 minutes on a lightly floured work surface. Dough will be sticky, but use as little flour as possible for flouring your hands and work surface, otherwise the rolls will not be as feathery light as they should be. 

Pinch off small chunks of dough and shape into round rolls about 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 inches in diameter. Place in neat rows, not quite touching, in a well−buttered 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Cover rolls and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes. 

Brush tops of rolls with melted butter or margarine, then bake in a 375 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve warm with plenty of butter. This recipe yields about 2 dozen rolls.