Sarah's Rolls

There's nothing more comforting to eat than a warm, buttery, just-out-of-the-oven, homemade rolls. The smell permeates the house as they bake and leads my husband straight to the table. Fortunately, breads are often as satisfying to create as they are to eat. Lots of love goes into baking the perfect batch of rolls or loaf of bread.

These rolls are from an Amish cookbook* found in a little bookshop in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They are not for those who are watching their waist-lines, although diet spread could be used instead of the butter. Don't skip the honey or brown sugar; these ingredients put these rolls a step above others.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pkgs dry yeast

1 3/4 cups warm water

2 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp oil

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2-2 1/2 cups flour

6 tbsp soft butter

METHOD:

After dissolving the yeast in the water for a few minutes, add brown sugar, oil, honey, salt, and 1 1/2 cups of the whole wheat flour, and mix well. Stir in the remaining flours and stir until a stiff dough forms. Knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes (This is the part that my home-ec teacher said is therapeutic. Whatever has upset you during the day is easily released during the kneading process.). Cover and let rise 1.5 hours.

Divide the dough into thirds and shape into balls. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Roll each ball into a circle and spread with about a third of the butter. Cut each circle into eighths (like a pizza), then roll the edge of each slice in towards the center, creating a crescent roll. Place on a greased baking sheet.

Cover and let rise 20-30 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately. Yum!

Enjoy!

Miss Browning

*Myers, Sarah E. and Mary Beth Lind. Recipes from the Old Mill: Baking with Whole Grains. Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 1995.