Kansas Pan Rolls

From Grass Roots Cookbook by Jean Anderson 1972 Doubleday

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

1. Sprinkle yeast over very warm water in a large bowl. (Very warm water should feel comfortable warm when dropped on wrist.) Stir until yeast dissolves.

Step 2

2. Add sugar, the 1/4 cup butter or margarine and salt to hot milk and stir until sugar dissolves and butter or margarine is melted. Cool the mixture to 105 to 115 degrees F.

Step 3

3. Add milk mixture to yeast, then beat in egg. Beat in 4 cups of the flour, one cup at a time, to form a soft dough. Use some of the remaining 1/2 cup of flour to dust a pastry cloth. Knead the dough lightly for 5 minutes, working in the remaining flour (use it for flouring the pastry cloth and your hands).

Step 4

4. Place dough in a warm buttered bowl, turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

Step 5

5. Punch dough down and knead 4 to 5 minutes on a lightly floured pastry cloth. Dough will be sticky, but use as little flour as possible for flouring your hands and the pastry cloth; otherwise the rolls will not be as feathery light as they should be.

Step 6

6. Pinch off small chunks of dough and shape into round rolls about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Place in neat rows, not quite touching, in a well-buttered 13- x 9- x 2-inch pan. Cover rolls and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, 30 - 40 minutes.

Step 7

7. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter or margarine, then bake in a moderately hot oven (375 degrees F.) 18 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve warm with plenty of butter.