"The Rolls"

Guest blog post today!  I'm Bri, Joy's oldest daughter.  I come to bring you... THE ROLLS.

We never had any other name for them when I was growing up, because they were just 'the rolls'.  All other rolls were imposters--lesser, adulterated versions of the real thing.  They are light and fluffy; if clouds were ever transmuted into bread-form, they would be incarnated in these rolls.

This recipe has now reached its third generation.  When my mother married my father, her new mother-in-law taught her how to make them.  My own mother was gracious enough to teach me, and now I get to share them with all of you.

Leave plenty of time for the rising, because it is critical to the texture.  Don't be discouraged if they're not perfect the first time--mine certainly weren't!  It may take a little practice to get the knack for exactly how the dough should feel.  The practice, however, is well worth it.  I don't think we've ever taken these rolls anywhere and had leftovers.

Without further ado: THE BEST ROLLS EVER.

Two Hour Rolls

Ingredients:

2 small packages (1 ½ T) dry yeast

1/3 c sugar

1 egg

2 ½ c warm water (Hottest tap water works fine)

1/3 c + 1 T vegetable oil

1 t salt

7 cups all-purpose flour

In large bowl, beat egg.  Add warm water slowly while continuing to beat egg.  Stir in sugar and yeast.  Place bowl on heating pad for approx. 5 minutes, until yeast proofs (“bubbles”).  Add salt and oil and mix well.  Add flour and mix well.  Begin kneading the dough. Add extra flour as needed by small handfuls until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.  Knead for 3 minutes.  Lift the dough out of the bowl and spray with Pam.  Replace dough.  Place the bowl of dough on heating pad on a low setting and cover with damp (not wet) towel until doubled in size.  Punch down.  Form into 24 rolls and place on a greased 10x15x1 baking sheet.  Put back on heating pad until doubled in size again.  Bake in 375 F oven for 12-15 minutes.