Monday Match-up Solo...

Yup, you heard right. Solo, people. My lil' sis is prego and has been plagued by migraines. Poor girl, wish I could help somehow. Anyway, she was too sick to do any baking/cooking this weekend so you just have me today. Not much of a match-up is it? That's okay, Erica will be here tomorrow with her part.

I think bread and I have a pretty good relationship. I love bread and it's loves to be eaten, so there you have it! I try not to think of the carbs and calories but I do try to limit my intake. You have to agree that there is nothing better than the smell of bread baking in the oven and a hot slice slathered in butter. Fresh bread is just one of those things that can bring instant joy. I think Erica mentioned this before, but bread baking takes me right back to standing on a chair next to my Grandma watching her knead bread dough. She was amazing and would bake several loaves once a week to last all week long. I'm sure many times it didn't. If she happened to have visitors on baking day, she could count on at least two loaves gone. She loved visitors though and I can still picture that thick slice of wheat bread covered in butter and homemade raspberry jam. Bread=home, home=family.

This also is the case with my other family. My mother-in-law's rolls are heaven and especially when she makes them. They never seem as good when I make them. My husband said today, "it doesn't matter what  kind of rolls mom makes, she makes them from the heart so they are just better". I'm not hurt, they really are. That woman knows how to bring a family together, and it's usually from the oven or her stove top. So with that here is the recipe for her dinner rolls.

Dinner Rolls
2 packages of yeast
2 cups of warm water
Mix and let sit in mixer for 5 minutes to activate yeast
Add to yeast mixture:
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter softened
1 egg
2 1/2 t. salt
2/3 c. dry milk
5 to 6 cups of flour (add 2 cups of flour and beat together until smooth; continue adding flour one cup at a time and mixing well after each addition)

Knead for a couple minutes. Place ball of dough in a greased bowl and let rise until double (approx. 1 hour). Punch down and shape into rolls however you prefer. Let rise again 1 hour. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Swap pans from higher shelf to lower shelf half way through the baking time for even browning.

Source: Marilyn Lifferth

As far as rolls go, I've also tried these lately from one of our featured blogs and they are fabulous! After you make the ones above, try these too!

Hope you have a wonderful Monday. And bake some bread this week! It will make you happy. :)

Monica