Lion House Dinner Rolls

I love these rolls and I'll be honest I have bought them at least a dozen times from our local Deseret Bookstore just so I don't have to do the work. I do still love making rolls from scratch though and wanted my girls to learn this method so we made them for Easter. These instructions are the traditional Lion House rolls where they are rolled up. This takes a bit of practice so just play with it until you find what works. Just make sure you line them all up on the pan the same with the edges all facing the same side. It just helps when they bump into each other rising and baking. MMMmmm MMMmmm!

Lion House Dinner Rolls

Yields 2 dozen

2 tablespoons active dry yeast or instant w/no proofing

2 cups warm water

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 egg

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup nonfat dry milk

5-6 cups flour

In a large bowl, combine the yeast and water. Let stand 5 minutes (unless you are using instant yeast – just add the yeast and water together with the other ingredients). Add sugar, butter, salt, dry milk, 2 cups flour and egg. Beat together until very smooth. Add remaining flour gradually (about 1/2 cup at a time) until a soft but not sticky dough is formed. Knead the dough for at least five minutes if using an electric mixer and for at least 10 minutes if mixing the dough by hand. When the dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a lightly greased large bowl covered with greased plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled. Separate the dough into two portions. Roll each section out to an 11X14-inch rectangle. Brush the top with melted butter. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into two pieces, the long way.  Then slice the dough into five or six strips across so you end up with 12 small rectangles. I use my hand to measure. Using your left hand make a "L" with your thumb and pointer. This is about how big you want each roll piece to be. As wide as your thumb and as long as your finger. Use that as a judge when you cut your dough. Then roll each small rectangle up like a snail (butter on the inside) and place in a lightly greased 9x12 glass with the roll resting on it’s open edge. (If you don't have 2 glass dishes you can also use a greased rimmed baking sheet.) Repeat with the second portion of dough. Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap and let them rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes until they are nicely browned.