My mom is famous for her rolls. I grew up eating them and being in the same room when she made them but never paying much attention. I think I tried to make them once when we lived in California but that was my career-era and I wasn't much on cooking. Then once we moved to Phoenix, I just had her make them for me anytime I needed them.
As I was preparing for my first Thanksgiving on our own, I decided the homemade rolls were a must. I had her make some while she was here for Halloween and tried to pay better attention. Since then I have made them 4-5 times - each time I call my mom fewer times during the process. I felt a little better at Thanksgiving when I realized at least a few other people were also calling her for the play by play.
The recipe originally was called "Louise's Rolls" from The Junior League of Salt Lake City's Heritage Cookbook (the one with the patchwork cover). As I was looking at the recipe, I was thinking about all of the little things my mom does differently. I decided for posterity's sake (and with her permission, of course) that I should document the "real" recipe and instructions. As I was thinking about this post and looking closely at the actual directions, I kept calling her and saying "what temperature do you bake them" or "how much yeast do you use" and the answer was always something different than the actual recipe so I think it's safe to rename the recipe: "Betsy's Rolls."
Betsy's Rolls
2 packets yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
Warm water to dissolve yeast
1 cup milk
1/2 butter or margarine, melted (I use butter) - the original recipe calls for oil
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
approx. 5-6 cups flour
Step 1:
Put yeast and sugar in a large plastic cup (I doubt the cup needs to be plastic this is just how she does it), cover with warm water and stir with a fork. Set aside.
Step 2:
Put milk in a glass container and microwave for 2 minutes or you can scald it on the stovetop in a small pan. After scalding the milk, put the stick of butter in the container of milk. This melts the butter while also bringing the temperature of the milk down so it won't cook the eggs. Set aside.
Step 3:
In a mixer, combine the sugar, eggs and salt.
Step 4:
Add the yeast mixture and the milk/butter mixture to the mixer and mix everything together.
Step 5:
Add the flour 2 cups at a time. Mix well after each addition. Once all the flour is added, mix for at least 4 or 5 minutes. When I asked my mom how much flour she used, her only directions were "it's more than the recipe says" (Louise says 4-5 cups, sifted). She makes these so often that she just knows when the dough is the right consistency. I'm not that good so I started at 4 cups and then added flour 1/4 cup at time until I decided that 5 3/4 cup is right for New Jersey. We don't sift either.
The dough should pull away from the side of the mixer. If you have too little flour, the rolls won't hold their shape. If you have too much flour, they are too dry. My mom instructed that if I added too much flour, I could add another egg.
Step 6:
Leave in mixer, cover and let raise for about an hour.
Step 7:
Run the mixer (I do this on the lowest setting) for a few revolutions. This is supposed to make the dough finer.
Step 8:
Roll out the dough on a floured surface. The first time I made these, I spread butter on the top of the dough. I was planning to make part of the dough into cinnamon rolls and got ahead of myself. I like the extra butter so I still do it that way. My mom does not (unless she is making cinnamon rolls).
Step 9:
Form rolls into desired shape. My mom usually does knots so I do too. Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into strips (approx 3/4 inch wide) and then cut the strip into 3 or 4 smaller sections. Tie each piece in a knot and tuck the ends under the roll. Place formed rolls on a greased pan.
Step 10:
Let rolls raise another hour or so.
Step 11:
Bake at 350 degrees until light brown - maybe 10 minutes or so.
Notes:
This recipe usually makes enough for two nights of rolls for our family as well as a batch of cinnamon rolls. After I form the rolls into knots, I will put enough for that's night meal on one greased pan and let them raise for dinner. For the rest, I grease a pan and put the rolls on a cookie sheet. I cover the cookie sheet with foil and freeze (don't let them raise for the second time before freezing). Once the rolls are frozen, I take them off the cookie sheets and put them in ziploc bags (laid out flat) in the freezer. I then just take out as many rolls as I need. The rolls need about 2-3 hours to thaw and raise after being frozen.
My mom typically doubles the recipe in her Bosch. I have the basic-sized Kitchen Aid and it's a bit small to double so I don't. When doubling, you don't need to double the yeast (my mom says Pam Craig who is a wonderful homemaker told her that). The original recipe calls for two packets of yeast (or 1 1/2 Tbsp) - my mom says she uses 2 Tbsp of yeast when she doubles.
I guess these rolls make the house smell good too because a friend just stopped by to pick up her kids and she asked if I'd made rolls because the house smelled so good. I was surprised she could tell since it had been two or three hours since I baked them.
