OH, SO EASY TO MAKE!

Momma was a bread maker of all sorts. There was an unwritten rule in our house that for most of our meals we would have a pone of cornbread, cornbread sticks, fried cornbread cakes or just plain fried cornbread. To further explain, a pone was an 8 or 9-inch cornbread cake made in a black skillet in the oven. Cornbread sticks were made in a special black iron pan that had six indentions shaped like an ear of corn. The fried cornbread cakes looked like pancakes and tasted like smooth cornbread. Leftover pieces from the pone of cornbread were cut into squares and fried in deep grease. Waste not, want not! And so one of these types of cornbread usually accompanied our meals. It was used to sop up the bean juice, dip in soup or sort of a side you might say. We were cornbread authorities.

At night, if Daddy was a bit hungry, he would get a tall glass, crumble up some cornbread that was left on the stove and pour buttermilk over it. He would then take a spoon and proceed to eat like ice cream. One time I thought it looked really good so he offered me a bite. Sour milk and cornmeal bits did not resemble any ice cream I had ever tasted. No more of that for me!

On occasion, Momma would make yeast rolls. Her good friend, Sissy, who used to work in the school cafeteria, taught Momma how to make their big fluffy rolls. Momma became very popular when she made those bites of angel clouds. They were bigger than my hand and thoroughly buttered. A pool of that liquid gold pooled in my palm as I savored each bite. The bread almost melted in my mouth when they were just hot out of the oven. What could be better?

At our church, we had some outstanding bakers that I admired very much. Miss Phyllis was one of those. Not only was she always perfectly coiffed, she always made spectacular yeast rolls. What a fabulous combination! Maybe that is where it was confirmed for me that nothing is baked well without a full made-up face on and that lipstick applied! And of course, I need my pearls!

It is Miss Phyllis’s recipe from our church cookbook that I made these yeast rolls. I took the liberty of adding additional directions for those of you that may have never made bread before. When I first made them several years ago, I was shocked at how easy they were to make.

So let nothing stand in your way of attempting bread. Be a risk-taker. Carefully read the directions. Have all the ingredients out and ready. If you have any questions, I will be glad to answer. And of course, this generation has the advantage of personally conversating with Mr. Google and Miss You Tube, who incidentally, have most of the answers.

“If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”

Jim Rohn

Yield: 14-16

YEAST ROLLS

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Soft white yeast roll

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups Gold Medal Bread Flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup Crisco Vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, well beaten
• 2 packages of Fleischmann's Quick Rising Yeast
• 2 cups lukewarm water

Instructions

1. Dissolve all of the yeast in ONE CUP of lukewarm water. Stir well and gently. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. In your mixing bowl, add flour, salt, and sugar, Turn on slow to mix ingredients.
3. Pour in yeast mixture, beaten egg and oil and remaining 1 cup of lukewarm water. Mix well by hand or using the dough hook of mixer until it is thoroughly combined.
4. The dough should be smooth. If not, hand knead for a few minutes. Turn into an oiled glass bowl. Flip it so that both sides have oil on them. Put a clean dishcloth over the top of the bowl.
5. Let rise, until it is doubled in size ( about 45 minutes to an hour).
6. Prepare a smooth surface and sprinkle with flour. Make sure your hands are dusted with flour.
7. Punch the dough down in the bowl and then turn out onto your floured surface.
8. Begin to knead the dough by pressing, folding over and stretching the dough for about 10 minutes.
9. Divide dough into about 14-16 pieces.
10. Take one piece ( keep a clean cloth over the remaining dough while you shape your rolls.) Roll the piece into a ball. Pinch the bottom edges together. Keep rolling it until it is s fairly smooth ball. Place on a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper. Continue to do this for all the rest of the dough.
11. Have a small space in between to allow for the rolls to rise.
12. When all have been placed on the cookie sheet, lay clean cloth back over them and allow them to rise for another 45 minutes.
13. Place in oven at 400 degrees and bake about 15 -18 minutes or until the tops have browned.

Notes

If the water is hot, it will kill the yeast. It needs to be lukewarm. Also, ensure that the yeast has not passed the expiration date.

I use my mixer with a dough hook to make it easier but I did make by hand with a large heavy spoon before I got a heavy mixer.

To help in rising, I turn my oven on and set the bowl near the oven, NOT ON THE OVEN OR TOP OF STOVE.

CINNAMON ROLLS: After #8 is completed, divide dough in half because it will be easier to work with. Work the dough with a rolling pin and make a rectangular piece rolling as thin as possible. Have a stick of butter, melted and cooled and paint the surface of the dough. Make a mixture of a cup of sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon and sprinkle half of this mixture over the top of the butter. You can always add more if you do not feel you have enough coverage. Roll up the dough into a long tube. Cut into one-inch pieces and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake about 12-15 minutes watching them brown.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 275Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 271mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 7g

Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on factors such as precision of measurements, brands, ingredient freshness, or the source of nutrition data.