My mom was an amazing cook. She was always trying new recipes. She was an artisan with homemade bread, rolls and pies. She rolled out her roll dough in large circles, used a round cookie cutter and then halved those circles, then pinched the ends together. I have been using my mom’s roll recipe for over 50 years. Her roll recipe is a legacy. I revised how she cut her dough in circles by cutting my dough in crescent style. Throughout the years, I slightly revised Mom’s roll recipe, but it’s still her basic recipe.
Dian’s Roll Recipe
Ingredients:
4 eggs beaten well
2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons yeast
4 1/2 cups flour
1 cup butter
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Frosting (set aside for rolls):
Powder sugar
Vanilla
3 tablespoons melted butter
Cream (or milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Microwave milk for 4 minutes. Pour into large mixing bowl. Add beaten eggs, sugar, salt to scalded milk. Pour 2 cups of flour with yeast into mixture and beat with electric beaters until smooth, then add one cup to a total of 4 1/2 to 5 cups of flour.
If you are using an electric hand mixer, mix well for a few minutes, then hand mix until it becomes too difficult to mix, then knead with your hands. Knead well for 5-6 minutes minimum. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or lid and place in refrigerator overnight.
Split dough into two balls — first ball for butter rolls and other ball for cinnamon rolls.
For the first ball, roll out on a slightly floured plastic sheet into a circle, about 1/4-1/3 inch thick. Pour melted butter generously over the whole circle. Cut with a pizza slicer into even slices like a pie. Roll up gently with the narrow portion tucked underneath, and dip in seeds, place onto sprayed (greased) cookie sheet or sheet liner. Let rise for 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then bake for 9 to 9 1/2 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle butter over each roll.
For the second ball, roll out like the first, spread generously with melted butter, then sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon generously, cut, then place in baking pan. Follow the baking instructions above. After baking, let cool for a few minutes then spread frosting over top of each roll.
Makes about 30 rolls.
