Fluffy Dinner Rolls

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/3 cup honey

4 tablespoons crisco shortening

3 tablespoons butter

1 large egg

5-5 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon yeast

2 teaspoons salt

Microwave the milk, honey, shortening, and butter together until butter and shortening are mostly melted about 2 minutes. Whisk to melt any remaining pieces of butter or shortening, then set aside to cool until just warm. Whisk in the egg.

Combine 5 cups of the flour, yeast, and salt in a Kitchen Aid fitted with dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the milk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes.

Increase mixer speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. If after 4 minutes more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. place in a large lightly oiled bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Grease a 13x9 dish. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and stretch it into an even 15-inch log. Cut the log into 15 equal pieces and cover with greased saran wrap. Shaping the rolls one at a time fold log in half and then pinch sides down into a ball. Once shaped and put in the dish spray lightly with vegetable spray and cover with saran wrap. Let rise for at least 20 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through baking. Pull it out of the oven and let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes on a cooling rack. Dump onto cloth and then spread tops with butter.

These rolls get very tall. They are a lot like a roll you would get at a nice restaurant.

Brian and I like to cook these in the dutch oven. Once all the rolls are formed, I roll them in a bowl of melted butter (about 1/3 cup) and put them in the 9x13 dish. I let them rise for 20 minutes and then place them in a 12 quart dutch oven which has 1/4 cup butter melted in the bottom. You will need 14 coals and cook for 30-35 minutes. The bottom of the rolls will be a nice golden brown. The top doesn't brown that much.

Moms rolls

3-31/2 cup bread flour

1 package yeast

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup margarine 

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg (room temperature)

3/4 cups can milk

1/2 cup hot water

Put sugar and yeast in mixing bowl; stir. Add lukewarm water. Let stand 5 min. I like to melt the margarine and then add the milk. If it is not hot enough at that point I heat it up more in the microwave.  Add egg and salt to the milk mixture then pour into the yeast mixture. Add       1 1/2 cups flour. Beat with electric mixer for 5 minutes. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a sticky dough. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with greased saran wrap, and let rise until double in size. (1 to 1 1/2 hours) Turn onto floured surface. Sprinkle flour on top of dough. Roll out and shape into desired rolls. Let rise on cookie sheets about ten minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  

I use this dough to make cinnamon rolls. 

Use the whole recipe of roll dough to make the cinnamon rolls. Shape into a rectangle. Soften butter and spread on dough. Sprinkle a thin layer of brown sugar on dough. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top. Roll dough into a log shape and slice. I found if you put them in a pyrex they cook better. Use parchment paper to have even browning.  Bake at 350 degrees for 14-17 minutes.