Dough

There is nothing better than making homemade dinner rolls and sweet rolls that are a family recipe!! This recipe is a staple at our house for Thanksgiving. This recipe is not a quick bread. It is a yeast bread and has to be kneaded. This was my grandmother’s recipe. I can still remember her making it and her giving me a little pinch of dough to do what I pleased with. I Love the smell of rising bread. It is well worth the time it takes to make it.

Ice Box Rolls (Family recipe)

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter

½ cup Crisco

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup mashed potatoes

2 cups milk heated until it bubbles around the edges

3 eggs

2 pkg yeast

½ cup warm water

Scant spoon of sugar

3 ½ cups flour

Mix the yeast and warm water with a scant spoon of sugar. Let this stand till doubles in bulk and bubbles.

Add the sugar, butter, Crisco, salt, mashed potatoes and milk in a large bowl. Stir till the butter and Crisco are absorbed. Cool till room temperature. Add the flour and mix well. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the yeast to the flour mixture. Stir till you get a smooth batter. Let this stand for about 1 hour or until doubles in volume.

Sift 3 cups of flour with 1 teaspoon soda and 2 teaspoons baking powder.

Stir down the batter and add this flour to the batter. Now you will need more flour to make a soft dough. Sift 3 more cups of flour and add this to the dough. You want a soft dough. Knead this by hand until it is easy to handle but not stiff. You will need to incorporate more flour. The dough should be elastic and spring back when you touch the center of the dough.

Now it is time to roll out the dough. You can either make sweet rolls or dinner rolls. Let the rolls rise for about an hour after you shape them. Bake them at 375 degree for about 12-15 minutes or until done.

P.S. These are called ice box rolls because you can refrigerate any dough you do not use for up to 2 to 4 days. Make sure if you do this you completely let the dough get to room temperature before you roll it out.

The first thing you need to do is make mashed potatoes. I made mine from real potatoes and not boxed.

You want to get your eggs out so they will be a room temperature when you need them. I usually crack them and place them in a bowl.

Place your butter, Crisco, sugar and salt into a large bowl.

Next prepare your yeast. Add 2 pkg. yeast with 1/2 cup warm water and a spoonful of sugar in a medium bowl. Stir together and set aside till it doubles in volume and starts to bubble.

Go ahead and measure 3 1/2 cups of flour and set aside.

Add the mashed potatoes to your big bowl with the Crisco, butter, sugar and salt. I mix this with a spoon before I add anything else.

Add your heated milk to the big bowl. Stir this til the butter and Crisco are mostly absorbed. Then cool to room temperature.

Stir in the flour.

Next, beat in your eggs.

Add the yeast to the flour mixture. Stir till you get a smooth batter.

Let this stand for about 1 hour or until doubles in volume.

After about an hour you need to sift 3 cups of flour with 1 teaspoon soda and 2 teaspoons baking powder.

Stir down the batter and add this flour to the batter.

Sift 3 more cups of flour and add this to the dough. You want a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead the dough till easy to handle and not stiff. You will need to add more flour as you knead.

The dough should look something like this and when you touch it in the center it should be a little elastic and spring back when you touch it.

Roll out your dough and use a biscuit cutter to make dinner rolls. Place on a greased baking dish and let rise for about an hour before you bake them.

You can also make cinnamon(sweet) rolls if you like. Roll out dough into a rectangular shape and spread melted butter and cinnamon sugar on top.

Roll up your rectangle of dough. I roll mine on the long end.

Cut the dough into rolls the size you like. Put these on a greased baking pan and let rise for about an hour.

After about an hour your rolls and sweet rolls should be double in size. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or until done.

There is nothing left to say than just enjoy!!!!!!

I give this recipe plus out of 4!!

The recipe today is a family recipe. This dough can be used to make cheese bread, dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls. My mother has been making this bread since before I was born. When I was little I used to love to be in the kitchen while my mom was making this bread. She would always let me taste a little pinch after it was mixed up!!! This is a yeast bread that requires little kneading. It is a flavorful, light and tender. I hope you will enjoy this as much as my family does!!!

Cheese Bread (Family Recipe)

¼ cup lukewarm water 3 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 pkg. dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp.) 1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup sugar 1 cup milk, scalded

2 eggs 1 tablespoon butter

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese(sharp or extra)

1/4 cup shortening

Soften yeast in ¼ cup water. Measure shortening, sugar, salt and butter into a large mixing bowl. Heat the milk until bubbles form. Pour milk into mixing bowl with shortening, sugar, salt, and butter and stir until dissolved. Let cool. Beat eggs slightly and add to cooled mixture. Next add yeast. Then add flour gradually to make soft dough. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour). Add cheese and knead briefly. Shape into 2 loaves. Let rise for about 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees until brown and loaves sound slightly hollow about 20-25 minutes.

The first thing you want to do is get out your yeast. I measure mine into a little prep bowl.

You want to add a teaspoon of sugar to the water and yeast. The sugar is used to proof the yeast. Make sure your water is lukewarm and not hot.

While the yeast is rising, measure the shortening, sugar, butter and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Add the scalded milk to the bowl with the shortening, butter, sugar and salt. Stir till mostly dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.

Slightly beat the eggs and add to the cooled mixture. Stir till combined.

This is what it looks like when it is well incorporated.

Oh the smell of yeast!!! I think it is wonderful…… It is now time to add it to the batter. You can see it is ready by the bubbles and how its volume has increased.

Add the yeast to the batter and stir well.

Add the flour and mix it up till you have a soft dough.

Cover your dough and let it rise til it has doubled in bulk(about 1 hour). I usually put wax paper over the bowl and then a kitchen towel. Make sure it is warm in your kitchen.

While the dough is rising you will want to shred your cheese. I used both white cheddar and yellow cheddar.

After the dough has doubled in volume it is time to add the cheese.

Mix the cheese in well and then turn it onto a floured surface and knead until no longer sticky.

Divide the dough in half and shape and put into 2 non-stick loaf pans(I usually spray the pan as well). Cover with wax paper and let rise until doubled in volume(about 1 hour).

After about 1 hour put in a 350 degree oven for about 20 -25 minutes. They should be hollow when you thump them.

When they come out of the oven take them out of the pans after a couple of minutes. I usually run a spatula around the edges in case any cheese has stuck to the sides of the pan.