Homemade Rolls

If you could only smell the wonderful aroma of these soft, buttery rolls. There is nothing like a homemade roll. This is my Mom's recipe. She is an amazing cook, always has been. If only I could cook as half as good as she does, I would feel so fulfilled. Growing up, she always made these amazing, soft, warm, buttery rolls. Fresh hot out of the oven, they are so amazingly wonderful. They really are good as leftovers as well, but they are truly best fresh and hot out of the oven. I always make these for holiday meals, or just when I'm feeling like I need a comfort, because these definitely do the trick! To make the dough, it really doesn't take a lot of time, but the whole process does take quite a lot of time because you let it rise 3 times. But trust me, it is worth the time it takes!

Mom's Homemade Rolls

3 3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup warm water

1 pkg yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1/3 cup butter

1 egg

Dissolve yeast in the 1/4 cup warm water and the 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit until it gets foamy on the top. In a small saucepan, warm the milk and butter just until the butter melts. Pour into mixing bowl, (I use my KitchenAid), and add the yeast mixture. Add 1/2 of the flour, the salt and sugar and beat in the mixer until well blended. Add remaining flour. Add the kneading hook and knead on the highest setting for 5-7 minutes. (You can also do this by hand.) Place in a well greased bowl, cover with a towel. It rises best when in a warm place, I usually just heat my oven to 200 degrees and place on top of my stove. It does the trick perfectly. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, approximately 1-2 hours, depending on how warm the environment is. Punch down the dough with your fist, re-cover with the towel, and let rise again until doubled in size, another 1-2 hours. Take the dough out of the bowl, and place on a floured surface. Cut the dough in half, set the other half aside and roll the dough out in a circular shape with a rolling pin to about 1/2 inch thickness. Butter the top of the dough using softened butter. Using a rolling pin, or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 4ths, and then cut those 4ths into 3rds. They should now be triangular in shape. (Like a pizza or pie.) Roll from the biggest end to the littlest end, so it now looks like the same shape as a croissant. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Place on a cookie sheet and re-cover with a towel and raise again until doubled in size, another 1-2 hours. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until browned. Butter the tops of the rolls with melted butter. Enjoy!

Makes approximately 2 dozen rolls, depending on the size.