Homemade Yeast Rolls

Happy Thursday, friends!  Where did the week go?  Just a quick reminder that tomorrow is Friday and I would love to write about a topic your interested in or answer a question you might have.  I have been lucky that the last two weeks someone has sent me a message with something for me to write about.  Hopefully that will be you!  Please and Thank You!  I'll keep my fingers crossed!

So what would a blog be without a recipe every now and then!?!  And a scripture to meditate on while you cook it!

But he answered and said, It is written,

Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that proceedeth

out of the mouth of God. 

Matthew 4:4

This is one of my favorite scriptures because I love the Word of God, but I'd be lying to you if I told you I didn't love bread too!  This is one of my favorite recipes and is posted by friend Janet Stinson.  She makes homemade breads and rolls look easy! 

Janet is the wife of Donnis, and  homeschooling mother to two grown daughters, two daughters at home, and one son.  She loves all things antique, as you will see evident in her post!  She lives in the country and enjoys baking and good coffee.  She loves 'the little details' in everything! (Trust me, I know!  She tells me a million of them everyday! LOL)  I hope you enjoy this recipe!  If you try it, will you please comment and let us know how it turns out. 

Homemade Yeast Rolls

In less than an hour!

Ingredients: 

 

2 ½ Cups all purpose flour

1 Cup whole wheat flour (or skip the wheat and use 3 ½ Cups all purpose flour total)

½ Teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 Cup, plus 2 Tbsp. water ( heated to a comfortably warm temp) I use warm tap water.

1/3 Cup vegetable oil

¼ Cup honey (or sugar)

1 Tbsp yeast

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 400° F.  In a large mixing bowl, combine water, oil, honey and yeast. Cover and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.  After resting, add egg, salt and flour. Stir until well incorporated. Add more flour, kneading the dough, until it is soft, smooth, and pliable.  Divide dough, and loosely form into 12 balls. Arrange in a greased 9 x 13 pan, cover and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Finally, bake for 12-14 minutes @ 400 deg. or until golden brown. 

  Here is the cast of characters.  I use honey, but you may use sugar. 

Any all purpose flour will do fine. 

Mix the water (I use warm water straight from the tap), oil, honey and yeast together.  In that order.  No reason for it, except I would like for you to do it the way I do.  Actually, as I think about it, the water left in the measuring cup helps the oil to release, when pouring...the oil left in the cup helps the honey to release....and the green grass grows all around.  Then, I stir with a whisk to get all the yeast wet.  Again, no technical reason for it; I just feel compelled to do certain things in the belief that it is the better way.  Just follow me. 

After mixing, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.  This is to let the yeast proof.  Which means "get all bubbly" and prove it is still alive.  The way we live now, our houses are usually kept really cool and can hamper the yeast's efforts.  Here is a little trick when working with yeast:  Turn on your oven to 350 deg. for 30 SECONDS, then TURN OFF.  Next, turn on your oven light.  This will create a nice, warm nest for your yeast to do its thing and the oven light will continue to keep it a warm environment.  So, at this point, your covered bowl is in the nest.

Because I have three kids vying for my attention, I can forget ingredients after being interrupted a bazillion times.  To avoid this, while my yeast is proofing, I get a medium sized bowl, measure out my flour and salt and give it a stir.  For absolutely no reason, I like to incorporate the salt into the flour.  Just keep following.  I spray my pan with cooking spray.  I then get out my nifty 1950's Taylor Smith and Taylor Chateau Buffet shallow (cinnamon colored) custard cup. I pray you have one since it is an integral part of the process.  (Not really.  It just makes me incredibly happy to use vintage kitchen items and I wanted to share that with you) I crack my egg into it and set it in front of the bowl of prepared flour.  Hopefully, I won't forget to add the egg, this time.

After the 15 minute rest period, remove from the oven.  See how fluffy and bubbly it is?  Very good!  If you don't see this in your bowl....very bad!  You'll have to throw it out and start over with another little packet of yeast you already have, or go back to the store.  Sorry, it can't be helped.  Your yeast has officially given up the ghost.  Your bread will not rise.

After proofing, add egg and flour.  Dump it all right in.  Get a spoon that you can get a good hold on, and stir till it's all mixed together.  It will be stiff and sticky.  Now it's time to get dirty.  With your really clean hands, scrape the dough off the spoon and pitch the spoon into the sink.  It's time to knead the dough.  We can do that right in the bowl!

Simply, start adding flour and kneading with one hand, using the other hand to dip into the flour bin.  Add flour in small portions so you won't over-do.  I initially just grab a handful and throw it in to get the kneading started.  Don't be shy about it, since the dough is really sticky.  Disregard the fat, little fingers in the picture.  They're mine!  Then I continue sprinkling/dusting about a tablespoon at a time (just grabbing with my hand), working it into the dough as I knead, to keep it from sticking to my hands and the bottom of the bowl.  Throw some into the bottom of the bowl whenever it starts to stick.  You should only have to knead for a minute or so.  Just enough to make the dough soft and smooth.  Stop adding flour, and kneading, when the dough no longer sticks after about two pushes, but is soft and pliable.

 Here is what it looks like at the bottom of the bowl after my last lil push.  For those of you who don't know how to knead, simply push the dough down with your fist a few times, then turn it a quarter turn and fold the top edge over to the bottom  edge.  Continue to repeat the action.

Here is your beautiful, smooth, soft dough after turning out of your bowl onto a lightly sifted board/countertop.  The flour is just to keep it from sticking to the surface.  The rolls don't need to be floured.  Isn't it glorious?  Lightly run your hand over it.  It feels so good!  Now breathe in and smell that wonderful yeasty aroma.  Heaven.  Simply heaven...

Now you want to divide it into 12 pieces.  You can simply pull/pinch it apart.  I have a really, really old Tupperware pizza cutter that I use.  Well, it's not really Tupperware brand; I refer to all plastic containers and utensils as Tupperware.  However you do it, just try to get them about the same size.  I've never managed it, but have high hopes for you.  I do make sure I put the little ones between two big ones.  All things must have balance.

Here they are after I formed them into rough balls.  No need to overwork trying to make them perfectly round. 

Here they are after resting, covered, in the oven nest.  Notice how they've spread.

Here they are after baking.  Lovely, golden brown.

Nice, soft and warm...

Butter and enjoy!