Dinner Rolls

A lot of fancy, expensive kitchen gadgets are really appealing in the store and then just take up space, never getting uses, one they come home.  For some people this may be true for your bread machine.  No so at our house.

I didn't buy our bread machine, it was a wedding gift.  I didn't even register for it.  When we got married nearly 11 years ago I did a lot of cooking but not much baking (other than muffins).  The bread machine lived at the back of a bottom cupboard at the first two houses we lived in.  Then we moved out to the farm.  I'm not sure if it was the farm itself or just a decision we made to try to rely less on pre-made, process foods, but once we got here my cooking increased, I started canning and the bread machine was taken out the box.

Today, I'm sure I couldn't live without the bread machine.  We make a loaf or so a week of bread for toast and sandwiches.  When we are going to BBQ hamburgers, I make the buns.  And we make dinner rolls.  Today I'm stepping it up a notch.

Using the dough setting, which mixes, needs and provide one rising, I making 3 dozen uncooked dinner rolls and freezing them.  Think Mrs. Rhodes Dinner Rolls but home made.  Plus our rolls are honey-wheat and much healthier then anything pre-made at the grocery store.  (I must add that our local produce market carries locally made bakery products that are delicious and do not contain all those nasty preservatives and fillers.  That's my stand-by.)

One round of using the bread machine results in 12 little round balls of dough.  Of course I have to do the forming - too bad there isn't a machine that can do that step too.  And it takes about 1 1/2 hours per dozen, although only about 15 minutes of active time. Then into the freezer until the balls are solid and into a large ziplock freezer bag.

To bake, I take out 9 and place evenly in a 9 x 9 inch glass baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking oil to prevent sticking.  Those go into a 150 F oven to thaw and rise.  Once doubled in size I take them out and preheat the oven to 400 F.  Back in the rolls go for about 15 minutes or until golden on the top.  While the rolls are still hot, I put a small pat of butter on the top of each to melt and soak in.  Cool for 10 minutes and you have freshly baked, delicious rolls for dinner.

Honey-Wheat Dinner Rolls
2/3 cup warm water

1 egg
3 Tbls oil
3 Tbls honey
1 tsp salt
2 cups all purpose white flour
1 cup all purpose wheat flour
1/3 cup dry milk
2 tsp active dry yeast

Place all ingredients, in order, into the bread machine.  Set at 1.5 lb and the dough cycle.  Let the machine do all the hard work.  When the dough has risen, remove from machine to a lightly floured work surface.  Sprinkle some flour on your hands.  Form 12 even sized balls - about 1 1/2-2 inches in diameter each.  Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze.  Then pour into a ziplock bag and put back in freezer.

To bake right away, place the balls of dough on a greased cookie sheet.  Cover with a light weight kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size.  Preheat oven to 400 F.  Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Hint - Use a measuring spoon to add the oil.  Don't rinse or wipe any oil off.  Then use the oily measuring spoon to add the honey.  The oil on the spoon while allow the honey to slide right off - no sticky mess.