Becca's Dinner Rolls (4 Star)

I don't make these very often because I can easily eat ten in one sitting. In fact, it's hard for me not to eat ten in one sitting. If there were no negative consequences to this kind of consumption I would make them every day. But when I do make them, wowza! They are soft and just a smidgen chewy if you consume them warm; they are also sweet and buttery. Ahhh, it doesn't get too much better than fresh, warm dinner rolls. Unless, of course you make them into cinnamon rolls--but yikes! Let's not go there or these rolls won't get their chance to shine--or waft?





I got the recipe for these from my sister in law who is an amazing cook that I have long looked up to.

Becca's Dinner Rolls

1 Tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup scalded milk (or just warm?)
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs
5-7 cups flour

Into a large mixing bowl/kitchenaid/bosch put the water and sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top. Proof--after five minutes it should be foamy.

While yeast is proofing, put the milk and butter into a saucepan and heat until butter is melted. (Question: Why are you supposed to scald the milk? My grandma's dinner roll recipe says to scald the milk, too, but I want to know why. And here is my little secret--I never do it. I just heat it up and melt the butter in it, but I don't really want it hotter than lukewarm because then I have to wait for it to cool and what a pain. But I wrote "scalded" milk in this recipe because that's what the recipe said and maybe there is a good reason to do it, but I just don't know it. If anyone knows, please enlighten me. It troubles me enough that I wrote this big, huge, long question about it in this post.) Cool to lukewarm if it is too hot.

Pour milk and butter mixture into the yeast mixture and add the salt and three eggs. Whisk or mix to combine until smooth.

Add 5 cups of the flour and mix with the dough hook on low for a minute or two, until the dough is wet but not smooth. Allow to rest for five minutes. Then resume mixing with the dough hook on a medium speed. Keep adding flour as needed. The dough should be soft and sticky but should come together into a smooth ball as it mixes. I ended up using about 6 cups of flour. Mix for about 7 minutes.

Remove the hook and cover the bowl with a towel and allow the dough to rise until double. (An hour, maybe?)

Butter a jelly roll pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Punch down the dough and scoop it together. Using a serrated knife, cut off chunks of dough, about the size of a golf ball, or a tad larger. Shape into balls and place on the buttered pan in rows, not quite touching each other.

Allow to rise for another 15 to 30 minutes until double in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, or until turning golden on top.

Immediately inhale ten or more, if you are like me and have no self control or shame. Or be good and eat just one. (Is that even possible?)