Thursday, November 14, 2013

Homemade Rolls

   I was thinking about writing this first post as a little explanation of what this blog was going to be about. Telling you all about how it was going to be about things we enjoy doing. How I love to bake and crochet and pretend I'm crafty. About how I try to keep my kids entertained and how we love having game nights, both as a family and with friends. But then I realized, that's what the little about section is for on the side of the blog.

   Then I was debating what else it should be about. Then it hit me. Thanksgiving is coming up so maybe I would post about my favorite roll recipe. Its so easy! It came with my bread machine I got when we got married. It has become a family favorite. They have been named "Mamy Rolls" because when my niece was little she called me Mamy and they all loved my rolls.



 
   Seriously, what's not to love about that? I leave them out to raise for a couple hours if I have the time. It makes them so light and fluffy. That's my favorite!
 
   Ok, so onto the recipe. Here is a picture. As you can see, its well used. I love that it takes all of 10 minutes of actual work and then you have yummy hot bread fresh out of the oven.
 

 
Since it may be hard to read, here's what it says:
 
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup of butter, room temperature
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp bread machine yeast
 
At the end of the dough program, remove dough from the bread machine. Place on a floured counter. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Cut dough in half, then divide each half into 8 pieces. Place in greased pan. Let rise until almost double in size, 45 minutes. Bake at 375* for 15 to 20 minutes or until done.
 
That's it! Easy peasy!
 
Now for a few tips for baking:
 
   Make sure you add the ingredients in order. In this recipe the most important part is to not add the yeast until after you add the flour. Make a little pile of yeast right on top. It shouldn't mix into the liquid until it's mixing together. If you aren't using a bread machine, the order is a little different.
 
   When measuring flour, hold the measuring cup in one hand and use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Don't shake it or tap it to even it out. Fill it up until you have a nice pile in the middle. Use the flat side of a butter knife and push that extra right back into the four container. This way it keeps the flour from getting packed in and causing your recipe to have too much flour in it and it wont dry it out.
 
   Once the dough has mixed in the machine for a minute or two, check it. If it's dry, add milk (or water depending on the recipe) a little at a time and wait for it to mix in before adding in more. It should form into a ball but it shouldn't be thumping around. If it's too wet and sticking to the sides, add a little bit of flour at a time and wait for it to mix in. It should be in a ball but not sounding sticky and wet while it's mixing in. It should be in a nice ball shape and be rolling around the edges while it's getting mixed.
 
I hope you enjoy your rolls. I know I sure do!