Savory Sage Buns

By

  • 24

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
  • 3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 ( 1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
  • 2 teaspoons ground sage
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, optional

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat milk and shortening over low heat until temperature reaches 120°F to 130°F. Remove from heat.

2. Combine 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, sage and salt in large bowl. Beat milk mixture into flour mixture until well blended, 2 minutes. Add remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough begins to pull away from sides of the bowl.

3. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes; add more flour to prevent sticking, if necessary. Shape dough into a ball. Place in oiled bowl; turn to oil top. Cover; let rise in warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.

4. Lightly grease a 13 × 9-inch baking pan. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces; shape into balls. Place balls, evenly spaced, in the prepared pan. Cover; let rise in warm place until double in size, about 45 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from pan. For soft, shiny tops, brush rolls with olive oil.

Grandma's Secret Trick:
In Grandma's old house, the radiator was the warm place she set her bowls of yeast dough to rise. But when she moved to a house without radiators, she had to devise a new system. So she preheated her oven to 175°F, waited 1 minute and turned the oven off. Then she popped her covered bowl or pan of yeast dough inside for the perfect, warm, dough-raising environment.