71 Toes Rolls

I've become a fan of 71 Toes, a blog by a mom of 5 kids and the daughter to Linda and Richard Eyre of ValuesParenting.com (They wrote the Joy School curriculum that I did with Gehrig.)  She included this great recipe for bread and I wanted to remember it because she's so down-to-earth.

Here you go:

1/2 c. tap-hot water
pinch sugar
2 pkg. yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp.)
1 c. butter
2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. sugar
1 c. boiling water
4 eggs (beaten)
1 c. warm milk
8 1/2 c. flour (I use the real "bread" flour)

Mix water, yeast and a pinch of sugar in a bowl. Set aside until foamy.

Cream butter, salt and sugar. Add boiling water (I just boil mine in the measuring cup in the microwave). Mix until dissolved.

Cool to 105 to 115 degrees (if you don't have a thermometer I think you could just wait a few minutes while it cools off and go on...the butter cools the boiling water pretty fast)

Beat in yeast mixture and eggs. Beat in flour gradually along with the warm milk.

Knead for five minutes or until silky (dough will still be pretty sticky).

Let rise until doubled in size (approx. 1 1/2 to 2 hours).

Punch down and divide into four balls. Roll out into approx 14 inch circle. Paint surface with melted butter, and cut up (in a slicing pie fashion) with a pizza cutter into 12 pieces. Roll each piece from big end to small end (like a croissant) and place on greased cookie sheet with point tucked under. Let rise, covered with a cloth until doubled in size (again, approx. 1 1/2-2 hours).

Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.