This story originally appeared at Do You Remember by Lauren Novak.
Do you remember those delicious yeast rolls they used to serve in the school cafeteria? School lunches used to be more reminiscent of a home-cooked meal. These days, it truly is a lot different. However, if you miss those rolls, here’s the recipe that you can make them at home and show your children and grandchildren what they are missing.
It takes a bit of prep time, but once you cook these, you’ll want to make them all the time. They are so soft and yummy. Be careful because eating one might instantly take you back to that elementary school cafeteria.
Get the recipe for old school yeast rolls
First, gather your ingredients:
2-1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast
1/3 cup granulated sugar
12 oz can of evaporated milk, heated to 110 degrees F
4 cups bread flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
First, you need to combine the yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/4 cup of warmed milk. Stir and rest for about five minutes. It should double in size. Aerate your flour and then measure it and place it in a large bowl. Add the remaining sugar and salt with a whisk. Then add in the rest of the evaporated milk, oil, one egg, yeast, and butter. Blend and set aside to rest for 15 minutes. The bowl should be covered with plastic wrap and a clean towel.
When the dough is ready, knead with your hands for about 20 minutes. Add one teaspoon of oil in the bowl, put the dough back and let it rest again for an hour. A lot of this recipe involves waiting, but it will be worth it!
Read carefully
According to Deep South Dish, the next part of the recipe involves lots of folding, “Butter a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan and set aside. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 4 times, drawing in flour if too sticky. Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle and fold the sides into the dough, as with biscuits, rolling and folding 4 more times. Roll out to a rectangle again, cut the dough in half lengthwise, then into 12 equal squares. Shape into balls and place into buttered pan. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size.”
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes. Don’t forget to brush the tops with beaten egg for that perfect top!
