Recipe Advent Calendar - Day 7 - Refrigerator Pan Rolls

I really treasure the recipes that I get from family members because we've rarely lived near our family members and spend most holidays just with ourselves and whomever we've invited to join us. When we first got married, we were living in Missouri and got to spend the holidays with the Stull clan.  Kathy Stull is Ralph's wife, who is Bob's cousin.  She made the best rolls for Thanksgiving and we've used her recipe pretty much every year since then.  I generally try another recipe, too, just to see if I can find another one I like, too, but we always come back to this one.  Bob made them this year for Thanksgiving and I'm making them this weekend for our church Christmas party.  I'm sure we'll make them for Christmas, too.

Refrigerator Pan Rolls

Boil and cool to lukewarm:
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 cup sugar
6 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 Tbsp salt

Dissolve four packages of yeast in 2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees.)  This is in addition to the hot water shown above, just in case you wonder.  Beat 2 eggs and add to the yeast.  Add all to the cooled mixture above.  Add 5 cups flour - stir until smooth.  Add 5 more cups of flour, stir to make a soft dough.  Turn onto floured board and knead.  Let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.  Pinch off pieces with buttered hands, knead and roll into little balls.  Put on buttered pan and turn to butter the tops.  You can let them rise a second time to make them lighter - we usually do even though the recipe doesn't call for it.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 48 rolls.
This dough will store in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Recipe Advent Calendar - Day 6 - Colonial Oatmeal Bread

I haven't made this one in quite a while, but it's one of my favorite bread recipes.  I can't even remember where I got the recipe!  I started making this when we lived in Florida and I liked it because it wasn't baked in a loaf pan, but on a cookie sheet in an oval.  I'll post our Thanksgiving and Christmas roll recipe tomorrow.

1 Tbsp salt
2 pkgs active dry yeast
4 cups whole wheat flour
About 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour (more or less, depending upon the weather)
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup honey
4 Tbsp butter or margarine (butter is much better, in my opinion)
1 egg
1 cup quick-cooking oats, uncooked

In a large bowl, combine salt, yeast, 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup of all purpose flour.

In a 2 quart saucepan, over low heat, heat water, honey and butter or margarine until very warm (120 to 130 degrees.) Butter does not need to melt completely.  With mixer at low speed, gradually beat liquid into dry ingredients just until blended.  Increase speed to medium, beat 2 minutes occasionally scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Gradually beat in egg and 1 cup WW flour to make a thick batter.  Continue beating 2 minutes, scraping bowl often.  With a wooden spoon, stir in oats, 1 cup of WW flour and 1 cup of AP flour to make a soft dough.

Lightly sprinkle work surface with AP flour.  Turn dough onto the surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  Working in more AP flour (about 3/4 cup) while kneading.  Shape the dough into a gal and place in a large greased bowl, turning dough over so that the top is greased.  Cover and let rise in a warm place away from draft, until doubled - about an hour.  Dough is doubled when two fingers pressed lightly into the dough leave a dent.

Punch down the dough.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, cover with the bowl or a cloth and let rest 15 minutes for easier shaping.  Grease a large cookie sheet.  Cut dough in half.  Shape each half into a 7x4 inch oval, tapering ends slightly and place them on the cookie sheet, not touching.  Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  With a knife, cut 3 to 5 criss-cross slashes across the tops of the loaves. Lightly dust tops of loaves with some AP flour.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes until loaves sound hollow when lightly tapped with finger.  Remove loaves from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Makes two 1 3/4 lb. loaves.