Yummy Rolls

Is there anything better than fresh, homemade bread? Growing up, we baked, what we affectionately called, “yummy rolls” for all of the major holidays: Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving…We would always wait for the yummy rolls to hit the table before the meal would actually begin. They were a special treat, but once my husband, Mike, tasted them, they became a frequent delight in the Bender home. He requests them all the time and for good reason—they are delicious!

For some reason, people seem to be very impressed when I make homemade bread—if they only knew how easy it is to make. My secret…a bread maker! Ok, I suppose that isn’t a big secret, but for many people, it is a significantly underutilized kitchen appliance. The one I have belonged to my grandma (Thanks, Grandma!). They last a very long time, so if you do not have one, don’t spend $100 on a new one. Rather, go to Goodwill or Savers and pick one up. They almost always have one in stock for less than $10. Just make sure you give it a good cleaning before you use it.

And let’s not forget that baking fresh bread makes your house smell amazing. Did you know, they actually make candles that smell like freshly baked bread? Well, now you can create the scent for yourself and indulge in the warm, fluffy, carb-loaded goodness!

Ingredients

1 cup warm water

2 tbsp butter, softened

1 egg

3½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp salt

3 tsp regular active dry yeast

Instructions 

1. Place ingredients in your bread maker pan in the order listed above.

2. Select the Dough cycle, and press Start.

3. Divide the dough into 16 even pieces, lightly roll them into balls, and place them on baking sheets.

4. Let the dough rise for 45 minutes.

5. Melt 1 additional tbsp of butter. Brush the butter on the risen rolls and sprinkle them with salt.

6. Bake at 375 F for 12 to 15 minutes.

Notes 

• I have found that the best place to let the dough rise is in a cold (non-preheated) oven—remember to remove the rolls before you preheat the oven. If you don't have a cold oven to use, cover the dough with a dishtowel, and place it in a location with limited airflow.
• My mom likes to make 8 large rolls instead of 16 regular size rolls. To do this, simply increase the baking time by a few minutes (until the tops are golden brown). The larger rolls are perfect for Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches.
• The original recipe called for 3¼ cups bread flour, but since I do not keep bread flour on hand, I altered the recipe to work with all-purpose flour.
• This recipe came from a bread maker cookbook.
• I believe you can make these rolls without a bread maker by combining the ingredients, lightly kneading the dough, and allowing it to rise for 1 hour before separating the dough into individual rolls. I have never tried this, but if anyone tries it, please share your experience.

Cost for the batch: $1.29

Cost for a roll: $0.08

Calories for the batch: 1,863

Calories for a roll: 116