crescent dinner rolls

I was assigned rolls for Thanksgiving dinner this year. I'd never made rolls, but I knew they had to be homemade. Store bought rolls are just not Thanksgiving options for me. My mom sent me her two favorite roll recipes, and the night before Thanksgiving I tried out the one with the least amount of rising time (not this one). I completely botched it. It called for a lot of kneading, and I may have overdone it. I'm thinking I may have accidentally added an extra cup of flour, since they turned out kind of tough and bland-tasting.

Anyway, I tried this recipe Thanksgiving morning and it was a success! So easy to make and hardly any kneading at all. You do have to plan ahead with it because you'll need 4-6 hours of rising time before the rolls can be cooked. But they are completely worth it. (Everyone at dinner raved about them. :)

Crescent Dinner Rolls 
from Susie Greer

Add 2 Tbs yeast to 3/4 c lukewarm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1 tsp sugar on top to help activate.

In a large bowl combine:
1 c room temperature water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c oil
3 eggs

Add yeast and stir.
Add 6 c flour. Mix well.
Set aside until doubled in size (2-4 hrs). Cover with a light cloth or set near a warm oven to help the dough rise more quickly.

Sprinkle pastry sheet with flour.
Knead dough until smooth (about 5 times). Do NOT over-knead.

Divide dough in half. Roll out like a pizza, then cut into sixteen pizza-shaped slices.
Start at wide end of a piece and roll to thin end, in a crescent shape.
Place on greased cookie sheet. Repeat with all pieces.

Repeat with other half of dough.

Let rise until double in size (1-2 hours). Again, cover with a light cloth or set near a warm oven to help the dough rise more quickly.

Bake at 375 for 14 minutes or until golden. If convection oven, bake at 350 for 11 minutes. Brush with melted butter. Makes 32 rolls.

homemade bread

I have been looking for a really great bread recipe that's quick and easy and I came across this one. We have loved this bread. We went through two loaves this weekend {I'm sure the honey butter didn't help, either!}. This recipe is easiest if a large mixer is used. Although, I do not own a mixer and I was able to knead the dough by hand.

5 cups warm water
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1 cup honey or 3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoon yeast
3 tablespoon dough enhancer, (optional- I didn't use this)
11 1/4 cups all-purpose flour {I actually ended up using 13 cups- 7 cups white flour and 6 cups whole wheat flour}

Combine water, oil, salt, sugar (or honey) and dough enhancer. Add yeast, mix. Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Depending on your altitude, humidity, etc. just add flour until it is not sticking to your finger, just nice and soft. Knead for 8 - 10 minutes in your mixer or by hand.

Divide into 4 parts. Shape each part into a loaf and place into greased loaf pans. {Here is a great picture tutorial on how to make your loaves the correct way. I had no idea how to do it the right way until I came across this tutorial.} Cover and allow to rise until dough is 1 inch above pan. {For dough to rise faster, heat oven to 175 degrees, then turn it off. Put dough in loaf pans in oven. Usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour.} Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from pans immediately to cool and butter tops.

{quick and easy breadsticks}

2 1/4 c. Warm Water
2 T. Yeast
3 T. Sugar
1 T. Salt
2 T. Oil
4-5 cups Flour
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t dried Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease large cookie sheet. Mix warm water, yeast and sugar in bowl and let dissolve. Add salt, oil and some of the flour; mix. Knead in remaining flour to get soft dough. Allow to sit 10 min. Press dough into pan and cut into breadsticks the size of your liking. Melt butter and brush breadsticks with it. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Bake 10 min or until light golden brown.

*I'm thinking of trying these with mozzarella cheese on top too.

{make-ahead butterhorn rolls}

I don't know if anyone even checks this blog anymore, but I thought I'd keep sharing and it is also nice to have all the recipes I use so often all in one place. I made these rolls for Thanksgiving. I have never made any rolls besides the frozen or in the tube kind. I love homemade rolls and I loved this recipe. The best part is that since they make so many you can freeze them and bake them later. I got this recipe from the Taste of Home Fall 2009 magazine.

2 pkg. (1/4 oz. each) active dry yeast
1/3 c. warm water (110-115 degrees)
9 c. all purpose flour, divided
2 c. warm milk (110-115 degrees)
1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
6 eggs
2 tsp. salt
3-4 T. butter, melted

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add 4 cups flour, milk, shortening, sugar, eggs and salt; beat for 2 minutes or until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead lightly. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down; divided into four equal parts. Roll each into a 9 inch circle and brush with butter. Cut each circle into eight pie-shaped wedges; roll up each wedge from wide edge to tip of dough and pinch to seal. Place rolls with tip down on baking sheets. At this point you can either allow them rise until double in size and then bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or you can freeze them for later baking. To freeze place the rolls with the tip down on baking sheets and place them in the freezer. Once frozen place them in Ziploc Freezer bags and seal. When you are ready to bake them allow them to unthaw for about 5 hours or until double in size.

Banana Bread

From a Young Woman camp cookbook my mom has.

5 large bananas

4 well-beaten eggs

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

4 cups flour

2 tsp. soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped walnuts (yum! don’t leave these out)

Beat bananas until liquid (blender or mixer). Add eggs and mix thoroughly. In separate bowl, cream together shortening and sugar, then add banana and egg mixture; beat thoroughly. Add flour that has been sifted together with soda and salt. Then fold in nuts. Bake in well-greased and floured loaf pans at 250 degrees, 1 ½ - 2 hours. Makes 2 LARGE loaves or 4-5 small ones.

Zucchini Bread

From my mom.

Mix together:

2 eggs

3/4 cup oil

1 & 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Add:

2 cups ground zucchini (peel, then grind in blender, then measure)

Stir.

Add:

3 cups flour

½ cup chopped walnuts

Bake at 325 degrees F. for 1 hour, in 2 small loaf pans or 1 large one. Spread butter on top of each loaf, then sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar while still warm.

(Fill loaf pans about 2/3 full. Put extra in another pan or small oven-proof casserole dish if necessary.)

Pumpkin Bread

I got this from my mom who got it from one of her piano students.

1 ½ cups white sugar
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
5 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. soda
3 cups flour
2/3 cup water
2 cups canned pumpkin

Combine all ingredients in order given. Pour into two greased loaf pans, fill 2/3 full. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour 30 minutes. Check after an hour and 10 min. It is also good with chocolate chips.