Sunday Rolls

I was raised on homemade.  My mom was (and is) a very wonderful cook who spent so much of her time preparing wonderful meals for her family.  She curated a collection of marvelous recipes and perfected them to the teaspoon.  I didn't even realize how blessed I was until I got married and came to the harsh reality that dinner did not cook itself. Like, obviously! Does everyone come to that realization, or was it just me?  

Well, I started to miss my homemade everything.  Particularly these rolls straight from bread paradise.  The flavor, the soft and pillowy inside, wrapped in a golden brown, flour-dusted exterior.  I opened my family recipe book, flipped through the pages, and found the recipe titled "Easy Rolls".  I might have rolled my eyes slightly.  Easy for you, my dear Mother,  I thought as I skimmed the recipe.  I may have baked them once, but I don't remember for sure.  

I confess we ate out much more than I am proud to admit during our first years of marriage.  But it all changed last year when my desire to cook at home was propelled for obvious reasons.  I then realized how much I love to cook.  Well, actually I realized how much I love to eat!  And if I don't cook, we eat cold cereal and granola bars.  So I forced myself to love to cook.  Once I got a little more practiced in the kitchen, these rolls did not seem quite so daunting.  I took this tried and true favorite and improved it to fit my schedule.  I made them for dinner one Sunday and now I make them every Sunday.  My family insists.  

Here is the recipe and a few tricks to simplify the process.  Who knows?  You just might want to change the recipe's title back to "Easy Rolls."  

Recipe

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast in 1/4 cup warm water

1/3 cup sugar

4 cups flour

1 cup warm milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup margarine

2 eggs

Instructions

Add yeast to warm water.  Sprinkle a little of the sugar over the yeast and warm water mixture to feed the yeast, then pour the mixture into a mixing bowl as well as the remaining sugar.  Add flour to the mixing bowl and heat the milk for about 1 minute in the microwave.  (You might need to adjust the time depending on your microwave.  I have found a minute is just about right to warm the milk.)  Stir the warm milk in slowly.  Add salt, margarine, and eggs.  Mix for 7 minutes on a medium speed.  

Cover and raise 1-3 hours.  Divide dough in half and place on a floured surface.  Roll dough into a large circle and slice into 12 triangles.  Roll into croissants and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Raise 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Bake at 375℉ for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.