grandma's rolls

Grandma's Rolls

This is a recipe that I adapted slightly from one my grandma used to make when I was a kid.

First you take 1/2 cup of warm water ( warm to the touch, but not hot) and put 2T of yeast in. I then let it sit for about 5 minutes for it to "proof". I should look like the above picture when it is ready.

While the yeast is "proofing" I take 1/2 C each of sugar, milk, and butter. I microwave them for about 1 1/2 minutes on high. You can also put them in a sauce pan and "scald" the mixture, but I find the microwave works well. your goal is to heat the mixture so that it is hot and the butter is melted. After it has heated to that point, you need to let it cool some so you do not kill the yeast when it is added. It should cool until it is warm to the touch, but not hot. 

Then you add your "proofed" yeast mixture to the warm butter, sugar, and milk mixture.

Next you take 2 eggs and slightly beat them. Then they are added to the mixture.

Next you add your flour a half a cup at a time. You will use 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups total. How much very much depends on how dry your climate is when you are baking.  Mostly you  need to go on the texture of the dough. When mixing the dough watch and when it gets to the stage when it is difficult to mix with a spoon, then you go to adding smaller amounts of flour and mix it by hand. When the dough does not stick easily to the bowl you will then knead it for about five minutes using just enough flour on your hands to keep it from sticking. This part can be done by a bread maker or strong mixer like KitchenAid. The key is to have the dough firm, but not dry.

Now you  cover it with a dish towel and just let it raise. It usually takes about an hour depending on how warm it is where it is raising. It should double in size.

When it is about ready you get your pan ready.

You can Pam the pan and frost them when they are baked, but here is what I do, just like my Grandma used to. I spread a layer of brown sugar in the pan. Next I dot it with small pieces of butter. Finally, I dribble on milk over the brown sugar until it looks like the picture above.



I also love nuts, so I crush walnut and spread the on the mixture, but they are not required for the finished project, just a personal preference.

Now you lightly flour the area you are going to use to roll out the dough. I used my stone countertop.
I try to get it into a rectangle shape and about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch think.



Now we move on to the filling. This is done by taking melted butter and brushing it over the rolled dough. Then I sprinkle brown and regular sugar on top until there is a thin even layer. Next I sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon . As I am not great on just sprinkling it evenly, I then gently mix it all together with my hand and spread it out over the entire surface of the dough.



Then you gently roll the dough into a long piece by starting at the edge closest to you (which should be one of the longer sides) and folding a narrow edge over, then trying to evenly roll the whole length until it looks like the picture above.

Next you use a sharp knife or dough cutter to slice it into pieces about 1 inch wide.

I then place the rolls into the pan I prepared earlier. Next they need to raise again for about half an hour to get that light fluffy texture. So cover them with the dish towel you used to raise the dough and let them sit for bout 30 minutes. 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

After you rolls have raised again about doubling their size and filling the bottom of the pan. place them in your preheated over and bake for about 25 minutes on the middle rack. As no two oven bake exactly a like I would keep an eye on the rolls. I check mine after about 18-20 minutes. You can tell they are done, when they are dark golden brown on top.

If you have just sprayed then pan, let them cool for a few minutes and then frost. If you have put the topping Like i do in the pan, it is important to quickly turn the pan over onto a sheet of aluminum foil so that the rolls now sit with the golden brown side down. Remove the pan quickly or the rolls will stick to the pan.

This is the only ones left out of that whole pan. I forgot to get a picture right after I flipped the pan and some of my kids and grandkids were visiting. They dug into them quickly and they were almost inhaled before I thought to get any pictures. This is how they should look when they are finished. Just for your reference the pan in the pictures is a half sheet cake pan. If you are using 9x12 pans it will take two for this recipe.

On some recipes I put up, I will include some nutritional info, but quite frankly I never wanted to figure it out for this recipe. It is a high sugar, high calorie treat and I am better off not knowing, I think.