Soft Dinner Rolls

By norsegal8

An old favorite, these timeless rolls are always in fashion. Golden brown outside and cream-colored inside, with just a hint of sweetness, these rolls are the perfect vehicle for a melting pat of butter, and a wonderful accompaniment to everything from soup and salad to meat and potatoes.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 teaspoons regular instant yeast or active dry yeast*
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup potato flour OR dried potato flakes
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water (potato water, if you have any saved)
• 3/4 cup lukewarm milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened or melted

Preparation

Step 1

*The recipe directions are written for instant yeast; to use active dry yeast, dissolve it in the water first. Also, be aware that your rising times will be longer.

To make dough by hand or mixer: In a large bowl, whisk together the yeast, sugar, salt, flour and potato flour or potato flakes. Add the water, milk and butter, and mix until cohesive. Knead the dough on a lightly oiled surface till it's smooth and supple. Add flour if you must, but the dough will continue to absorb liquid as you knead, so try to knead for 5 minutes or so before adding any additional flour. Remember, the more flour in the dough, the heavier and dryer the rolls will be.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set the dough aside to rise till doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

To make dough in a bread machine: Place all of the ingredients into the pan of your bread machine, program the machine for Manual or Dough, and press Start. Assess the dough about 10 minutes before the end of the second kneading cycle; add additional water or flour as necessary to produce a smooth, supple, somewhat soft dough.

To complete the rolls: Divide the dough into 16 pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans, or a 9 x 13-inch pan. Space the rolls in the pan(s), cover them with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow them to rise for about 1 hour, till they're very puffy and are touching one another.

Bake the rolls in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 22 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, set them on a wire rack to cool, and brush them with melted butter or margarine, if desired. This will give the rolls a soft crust. Serve the rolls warm, or store them in an airtight container. Yield: 16 rolls.