Mel’s Rolls

My sister-in-law has really learned her way around the kitchen.  It’s always such a treat to eat at their house, because her meals and treats are delicious! She has her own cooking blog.  You really should visit it because it’s just wonderful! Anyway, last year when we moved here, we had a combined dinner.  I made stuff for French Dips (recipe coming soon!) and she brought the rolls for the sandwiches.  Not just any rolls…homemade rolls.  Woah, baby.  Our lives have never been the same since that night.  These babies are stellar.  She’d talked about this lady, “Mel,” several times and I never really paid much attention.  Oh, but after I found out that these rolls were from her site, I joined the cool kids and started trying some of her recipes for myself.  Now, Mel (who I keep talking about like she’s my best friend in this post) calls these “French Bread Rolls”, but I don’t think of them as such.  To me, French bread is indicative of hard to chew through crusts.  Oh, but not these little pillows of delight.  These are the perfect consistency for sandwiches or as a dinner roll.  I must admit that most times I make them, I grab a knife full of butter and smear it on one of them while checking to make sure no one is watching.   So, I rotate between referring to them as Kathy’s Rolls or Mel’s Rolls.  Why not right?  Need I mention any more words than Sister Schubert Rolls.  These have a signature stamp on them just like hers do! You can make them in any size based on your needs.  They freeze really well after baked too.  I like to make double batches so I can freeze enough to keep on hand.  You can call them what you like, but oh boy, you’re going to be coming back for seconds before you know it!

Mel’s Rolls

Reach For: 

1 1/2 cups warm water

3/4 TBSP instant yeast or 1 TBSP dry active yeast (usually this is about 1 packet)

2 TBSP white sugar

2 TBSP canola oil

1 tsp salt

4 cups all purpose flour + or – a few TBSPS

Directions:

If using dry active yeast, let it proof in a mixing bowl with with warm water and sugar for about 5 minutes until it gets foamy before adding the other ingredients.  If using instant yeast, mix water, dry yeast, sugar, oil, salt, and 2 cups of flour with the dough hook.  Gradually add the rest of the flour while mixing until the dough begins to pull away from the edges and starts turning into a ball.  Once it’s completely pulled away, place it in a greased bowl (Sometimes, I just spray my mixing bowl that I’ve just used with cooking spray and put it back in there), lightly cover it, and let it sit in a warm place for about an hour or so until it has doubled in size.  (Don’t panic if it doesn’t look exactly double after an hour.  It will get a little bigger on the next step).  Place a bit of flour on a rolling mat and punch dough, dividing it into 10-12 equal rolls.  Place rolls on a greased baking sheet (may require multiple sheets), lightly cover, and let sit for about another 45 minutes until rolls double in size. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Uncover and place in oven to cook for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.

Yields: 10-12 servings

Recipe Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

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