My favorite roll recipe (cinnamon rolls too)

Do people add recipes to their blog??
Well, I want to...

These are great rolls. I only make them every once in awhile though, because of all that white flour and the high consumption rate. Last time we had a family get together (we came one evening early, my sidedish-roll-contribution freshly baked and set aside so I could just sit and visit) my husband and brother-in-laws snuck into the kitchen and ate them all up before the night ended, before the next day's celebration. All 36 rolls. Then one of my brother-in-laws sheepishly asked me (after he told me they were all gone) if I could please stay up and make another batch for the next day's feast... Boys...

Well, anyway, people like them, so I wanted to share...

You'll need:

1 package of yeast (or I just use 2 and 1/4 teaspoons from a jar of yeast, brought to room temperature)
2 cups warm water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup real butter, melted
1 and 1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
7 to 8 cups flour (I have mixed in a little whole wheat before, but they tell me it's just not the same...) (I like King Arthur's flour or the kind for bread baking)

Add your yeast to the warm water. Add about a teaspoon of sugar. Let sit a few minutes.

Then add your melted stick of butter, sugar, eggs and salt. Mix it up with a wooden spoon. (I hear wood is better with yeast than metal.) Then mix in as much flour as you can with the spoon. I put in 4 cups right away. Stir it up. Then add about 2 more cups gradually. The rest you knead in. I knead in the bowl (less mess). It should be smooth, not sticky, but not too floury either. It's pretty forgivable dough though.

When you're happy with your dough, add a bit of canola or vegetable oil to the bowl (about a tablespoon), just enough to coat the dough and sides of the bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit (preferably in a sunshiny spot in your kitchen) till double. The higher up in altitude you are, the less time it takes. But usually about an hour.

Forming the rolls: (Preheat oven to 350.) There are lots of ways to make rolls, but my favorite are crescent shaped: Punch the dough down (not literally, gently actually ), then separate the dough into 3 sections. For each section you roll the dough into a circle. Take a dull knife and divide the circle into 12 triangles (divide in half, then quarter, etc.) Roll each up (not too tight) from the large end, leaving the tip tucked under.

Bake at 350 for 17-20min. Till golden brown. I bake on glass baking dishes (buttered just the 1st time) to avoid the bottoms from over browning as they do on metal cookie sheets. This way they are softer. When they come out of the oven, brush tops lightly with a stick of butter. This brings out the golden look a bit more. (I put the butter back in the fridge between bakings so it hardens up again.) Makes 36 rolls.

For cinnamon rolls: Roll each section into a rectangle instead.
For each section: spread 2 tablespoons of melted butter out over the rectangle (Leave about a 1/2 inch strip on a long side of the rectangle unbuttered, to help the dough stick when you roll it up.) Then sprinkle this mixture on top: 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
Roll up (long side of rectangle to long side.) Press the dough so it seals up (not ends, just that long strip). Sometimes a bit of water helps (I dip my fingertip into a bowl of water and rub the water lightly onto the unbuttered part of the dough) so it'll stick better. Use floss to divide the rolled dough into 12 cinnamon rolls. Bake the same as above, but squish down the centers a bit so you don't have a bunch of Eiffel towers. Makes 36 cinnamon rolls. Too many to eat on your own probably, so share some with your neighbors.

There's nothing quite so nice as the smell of fresh baked bread... enjoy.