Every special holiday I do some dumb thing to make it memorable. This year it was the rolls.
I have made homemade dinner rolls for holidays and special occasions for 40 years. Parker House rolls have been a specialty for so many years. I remember a Thanksgiving I hosted when we lived in Riverside, Idaho. I had 44 people for Thanksgiving that year. I made 12 DOUBLE BATCHS of rolls for that day. I sent home rolls, at least a dozen with every family as they left. It will always be a special memory for me.
Parker House Rolls take so much work. But they are worth it. They are light and everyone loves them. They are so light that it is easy to eat more than 2. They don't fill you up, so you can just keep eating.
However, a few years ago, my friend Vickie Winkle shared her recipe with the ladies in our ward. We met once or twice a month and scrap booked at Susie's house. One day Vickie showed up with her Kitchen aid bowl, and it was filled with ingredients. She whipped up a batch and they had raised in hardly anytime. We so enjoyed those hot rolls!
So this year, while mom and dad were here, I thought I would whip up a quick batch. And I did. When they were all formed and in the pan to raise I put them in my oven on "proof" to help them stay warm and raise quickly. The only problem was, I got distracted. It is easy to do when you have a house full of guests and you are multi-tasking. When I thought about the rolls, I opened the oven door and this is what I saw.
I took the pan out of the oven and just took one roll at a time, and reshaped it, put it back on the pan, and in another 15 minutes they were ready to bake. Interestingly enough, they turned out perfect. I had 24 rolls, which I thought would last at least a day or two. They were gone in one day. So, on Christmas Eve I made another batch, and then a second batch. I kept my eyes on them this time. When one is cooking 48 rolls, you tend to not forget about them again. They turned out perfect.
Now, just in case you want to make full proof dinner rolls, and if you have a Bosch or a Kitchen aid, you will really loves these. So here is my recipe, and may you enjoy it as much as we do, and may they stick to your butt like they do mine!
Dinner Rolls
In large bowl: (kitchen aid or Bosch) : 2 packages yeast (4 1/2 tsp), 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup instant mashed potato flakes ( like the ones we get from the cannery), 1 tsp. salt. Mix.
Add the rest of the ingredients: 2 1/2 cup very warm water, 2 beaten eggs, 1 stick melted or very soft butter, 5-6 cups flour added gradually (up to 7 cups although I find 6 cups is usually enough),(I mix wheat flour as well and it is still a wonderful roll). Mix with the bread hook for about 3 minutes. The dough will pull away from the side, but don't add too much flour. The dough will be sticky to handle so grease or butter your hands when you shape the rolls.
The dough will be very sticky and soft. You may shape it now or put the dough in the fridge overnight.
Shape into balls about the size of a golf ball, and put them on a large greased cookie sheet, or jelly roll pan. I put 4 across and 6 down, and it works out perfectly for one batch of rolls.
Let rise until double in size.
Bake 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. I usually leave them 17 minutes and they are golden brown and fully cooked.
Remove from cookie sheet and place on a cooling rack.
May you make new traditions with your family around the dinner table, for Sunday dinners, with friends or family, or special holidays or event. The time spent together with loved ones is only enhanced by good food. ENJOY~!!!!
