Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

• 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening, margarine, or butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. Combine 2 cups of the flour and the yeast. Heat and stir milk, sugar, shortening, and salt just till warm (120° to 130°) and shortening almost melts. Add to flour mixture along with eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place till double (about 1 hour).
3. Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape the dough into desired rolls (see directions, opposite). Cover and let rise in a warm place till nearly double (about 30 minutes).
4. Bake in a 375° oven for 12 to 15 minutes or till golden brown.
5. Herb-Onion Dinner Rolls: Prepare as above, except add 1 tablespoon dried minced onion and 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, oregano, or Italian seasoning, crushed, to milk mixture.
6. Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls: Prepare as above, except substitute 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour for 1 1/2 cups of the shredded all-purpose flour.
7. Hamburger or Frankfurter Buns: Prepare as above, except divide dough into 12 portions. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. For hamburger buns, shape each portion into an even circle, folding edges under. Press flat between your hands. Place on a greased baking sheet. Press into a 4-inch circle. For frankfurter buns, shape each portion into a roll about 5 1/2 inches long, tapering ends. Place on a greased baking sheet. Let buns rise.
8. Brown-and-Serve Dinner Rolls: Prepare as above, except bake in a 325° oven for 10 minutes; do not brown. Remove rolls from baking sheets or pans; cool. Wrap in moisture- and vaporproof material. Seal, label, and freeze. To serve, thaw frozen rolls in open packages at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. Unwrap completely. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake in a 375° oven about 10 minutes or till golden brown.
9. Batter Dinner Rolls: Prepare as above, except reduce stirred-in flour to 1 1/4 cups. (Use a total of 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour.) Spoon batter into greased muffin cups, filling half full. Cover and let rise in a warm place till nearly double (about 45 minutes). Brush roll tops with milk, and, if desired, sprinkle with poppy seed or sesame seed. Bake in a 375° oven for 15 to 18 minutes or till done.