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Grandma Goff’s hot rolls bring back such great memories of family time. They are relatively easy to make, as long as you follow along with her instructions.
Family Gatherings
When I was growing up in Kansas, most of my relatives lived near us. In fact, my cousin, Doug, lived just three houses away! Grandma and Grandpa Goff lived in Lawrence, very near Clinton, Kansas. Whoever saw the tree on their farm first would shout out, “I see Grandma’s tree!” Oddly enough, it had a funny golf flag shape to the top, making it easy spot.
Fun Family Time
We all looked forward to family get-togethers at the farm. Getting to see everyone, play Chinese checkers, and eat Grandma’s delicious food was always a special treat. Her hot rolls were an especially coveted item. Even though she made four tins of rolls, they were all gone within minutes of filling our plates. Soft, pillowy, a little sweetness to them, no need for butter unless you wanted some. Dipping them in the mashed potatoes and gravy was the bomb!
Step by Step Instructions Make it Easy
As stated above, following along with her step by step directions is the key to making these. Allow about 3 hours so that they can rise twice; 1/2 hour per rise is what I tend to follow: after the dough is mixed and kneaded; and after the rolls are made.
With all that said, first, as always, get all of the ingredients out and ready. I buy the yeast by the jar; it’s just easier for me, but the packets will work too. Do not use Rapid Rise Yeast in these, it doesn’t work the right well.
Bread flour can be used in lieu of all purpose flour, but it isn’t necessary. However, always use Crisco, it is that good and definitely makes a difference. Also, have an extra measuring cup to scoop the flour since the flour gets added until the consistency is correct. The dough is very sensitive to humidity, and it will affect how much flour it takes to get the dough just right.
Grease the Bowl
Before getting started, grease a large glass bowl with Crisco. This is where you will place the dough once it has been kneaded. Also, I use glass pie pans and grease them as well (after the dough has been rising for about an hour). I got my glass pans at the thrift store for $1, so if you don’t have any, check out your local thrift or resale shop. Most any type of pan will work, sometimes I even use my meat roasting pan. The important thing is to have the pan/pans greased.
Then, I get out a good sized mixing bowl and clean a place on my granite counter, adding a pile of flour to dump the dough when it is ready. It’s good to have it all ready to go once you start making the dough.
Grow the Yeast
Start the microwave and run it for 5 minutes to give the yeast a nice and warm place to grow. Then, while the microwave is warming up, get the yeast into a small cup and add a teaspoon of sugar. A little bit of water is needed to grow your yeast; but, make sure to test it – just as you would for a baby, not too hot and not too cold. Add the water so it is about 1/4 of the way up the glass, and stir well to get the yeast and sugar ready. Place the glass in the microwave to get nice and happy.
Start the Dough
While the yeast is growing, get the tap water nice and hot – add the crisco, sugar, and salt to the bowl and pour the hot water over it. The goal is to melt the shortening, but it doesn’t always melt that easily. Many times, using a potato masher helps to get it to blend with the water a little better. If it doesn’t fully melt, it will be blended into the dough during the kneading process.
Let the Fun Begin
After the yeast grows to the top of the glass, add a little flour to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon, then, add the yeast and more flour. Continue to stir and add the flour. This is where you want to work the dough a little to get it going, keep adding flour and stirring until the dough is very stiff. Sometimes, I will dump it out before it is stiff, just so I can add the flour as I knead the dough.
Have Fun Kneading the Dough
Kneading the dough is an important part of this process. Basically, fold the dough over itself, press down and flip it, fold it, press it, flip it. Don’t work it too much, because you want the rolls to be pillowy and soft. Once it is ready, simply place it in the greased bowl and put it in the pre-heated microwave to rise. This process will take about an hour to an hour and a half. Be patient, it is worth it!
Now that the dough has doubled in size, punch the center of the dough to prepare it for making the rolls.
Pinch off a section of dough to roll, I tend to weigh the rolls; usually about 2.2 ounces each. They don’t have to be the size I use, but they do need to be a consistent size. At this time, you have a choice, I tend to knead mine to get it into a ball, but you don’t have to, it’s just what I do.
Also, start in the center of the pie pan and work your way out. If using a rectangular or square pan, start on one side and work toward the other. Try to keep them spaced apart, as they will expand quite a bit when they rise.
The Rolls Need to Rise Too
Again, I place my pie pans with rolls in a pre-heated microwave, or a pre-heated oven that has been heated to 200 degrees and shut off. The oven should be a warm place, but not hot enough to bake them. Or, place them over a warm pan of water and cover with a lightweight towel. After about an hour, they should be ready to bake.
Most times brushing them with milk before baking makes them nice and brown. But, next time, I am going to try brushing them midway thru the baking process to see if that works just as well. This is to keep from squashing the rolls before baking. Also, I wanted to try topping them with a seasoning; Everything but the Bagel, but I would recommend adding butter and the seasoning at the end so it doesn’t burn. Some things are learned the hard way!
Preheat the oven to 350 and bake for 15 minutes. Check on them about halfway through to make sure the tops and bottoms are looking good. Oven rack placement is best right in the middle.
Enjoy!
Sherri
Grandma Goff’s Hot Rolls
Ingredients
Yeast Preparation
- 1 tsp Granulated Sugar
- 3 1/3 tsp Fleishmann’s Yeast Not Rapid Rise
- 1/4 cup Warm Water not too hot – or cold
Dough Mixture
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Crisco
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 cups Hot Water
- 4-6 cups Bread Flour or All Purpose Flour
Instructions
- Run the microwave for 5 minutes to warm it.
- Put 1/4 cup of warm water (not too hot, not too cold – test like you would for a baby) in a small cup (large enough to hold one full cup). Add the yeast and one teaspoon of sugar and stir. Then, place the cup in the warmed microwave to rise.
- Then, while the yeast is growing, I put the hot water in a bowl and add Crisco and sugar and salt. The Crisco will soften and as soon as the yeast grows to the top of the cup, add a little flour to the bowl and stir. Then, add the yeast and more flour until it looks like cake batter. Beat the batter real well with a wooden spoon for a little while. This helps the dough to get started. Then, gradually add the flour until it gets stiff enough to put out on a floured surface and knead it. It doesn’t hurt to knead it well for a few minutes. It needs to be so it won’t be sticky, but you can get it too stiff. There’s a difference in the consistency of flour (I always use Gold Medal or Pillsbury). The dough will get smooth and elastic. It’s good to add a little flour at a time. The recipe usually makes 2 pie pans full of rolls (2 dozen rolls) – Note from Mom – mine usually makes 4 pie pans full and 40 rolls….
- I always put my dough in a greased bowl with a light kitchen hand towel over it. Then, I run hot tap water into a small sauce pan about 3/4 full and set the bowl of dough on top of the pan. Be sure the bottom of the pan isn’t touching the water. This will keep the dough warm. Let rise for at least 30 minutes.
- After it rises to double its bulk, punch it down and make it into rolls by pinching off a piece of dough and work it in your fingers to shape it by kneading it into a roll. Place the rolls in a greased pie pan, starting in the center and working your way out until it is full. Cover pans with light towels and place over a sauce pan full of hot water so that the rolls can rise. Or place in the oven to rise. After rolls have risen to double their size, (about an hour) brush them with milk and bake them at 375 degrees about 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.
Notes
