Laura's Dinner Rolls

My friend Laura came over to make bread.  She felt intimidated by yeast breads for no reason.  Laura is a very capable person in many ways and I would never consider attempting many of the home improvement projects she has tackled.  She brought over two recipes for rolls to make together; one was a dinner roll recipe and the other one a cinnamon roll recipe.  We began by making the dinner roll recipe and I began to feel uneasy as we made it because the dough seemed too lumpy and too dry (the recipe states it would be though).  I had never made the recipe before and continued with the entire process until we had  a somewhat hard biscuit as a result.  I was disappointed.  


During the rise time of the dinner rolls we started making the cinnamon rolls.  I've had  lots of experience making cinnamon rolls and felt confident during our quest to conquer Laura's cinnamon roll recipe.  The result proved much better as we removed a cast iron skillet full of perfect looking cinnamon rolls for Laura to take home to her family.  Before she left, I quickly made her my 5 Minute Pizza Dough to take home to prepare a quick dinner.  I wanted her to leave with two good results, not one!

After she left,  I was determined to give those dinner rolls another try.  I knew something must have gone wrong.  As I began making the recipe, I quickly uncovered the demise of the rolls.  I had failed to put 1/2 cup of water into the recipe.  This would account for a much drier roll.   Note:  It is easy to become distracted when making bread while talking with a friend and having children interrupt you during the bread making process.  The fate of these rolls would not be the same the second time.  The result was a very good dinner roll.  I immediately called Laura to let her know what happened and that I was enjoying a much better result than our first attempt.  As a matter of fact, I think I'll be making them again.  


Thanks for the recipe Laura (and more importantly the company)!



Jordan's Rolls (a.k.a. Laura's Dinner Rolls)
from Southern Living, October 2010
(Printable Recipe)
1/2 cup sugar
2 (1/4-oz.) envelopes rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shortening
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups warm water (110° to 120°)
3/4 cup butter, melted and divided

Combine first 3 ingredients and 2 cups flour in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in eggs. (Mixture will be lumpy and dry.) Stir in warm water, 1/2 cup melted butter, and remaining 3 cups flour until well blended. (Mixture will remain lumpy.) Cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 20 minutes. (Rolls will rise only slightly.)

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Sprinkle lightly with flour; knead three to four times. Pat or roll into a 13- x 9-inch rectangle (about 3/4 inch thick). Cut dough into 18 rectangles using a pizza cutter. Place in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan, and cover with towel. Let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake rolls 25 minutes. Brush with remaining 1/4 cup melted butter, and bake 5 more minutes or until golden.