Lion House Dinner Rolls

2 cups warm water

2/3 cup nonfat dry milk

2 tbsp dry yeast

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp salt

1/3 cup butter, shortening, or margarine (use unsalted, or omit salt in recipe)

1 egg

5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour

In large bowl or electric mixer, combine water and milk powder; stir until milk dissolves.  Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups flour.  Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed.  Add 2 cups flour; mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed.  Add about 1/2 cup flour and mix again.  Dough should be soft, not overly sticky and not stiff (it is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour).

Scrape dough off sides of bowl and pour about one tablespoon of vegetable oil all around sides of bowl. Turn dough over in bowl so it is covered with oil.  (This helps prevent dough from drying out).  Cover with plastic and allow to rise in warm place until double in size, about 45 minutes.

Scrape dough out onto floured board.  Turn dough over so it is floured on both sides; gently flatten to about 1 inch thick.  With rolling pin, roll out to a rectangle about 18 inches long, 8 inches wide, and 1/4 inch thick.  Brush with melted butter (unsalted).  With pizza cutter or very sharp knife, cut dough in strips about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide. (can do this by making an L with your fingers to size the strips of dough)

Starting with the short end, roll up one piece of dough, with butter on the inside.  Place roll on parchment-lined pan with other short end down on the paper.  Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.  Be sure all rolls face the same direction on the baking pan.  Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes, or until light to medium brown.  Brush tops of rolls with melted butter (unsalted).

According to the recipe, this makes 1 1/2 dozen (18) rolls.  However, every time I've made it I've gotten at least 2 dozen.