Favorite Foods Friday - Roll Everything Dough

Welcome to my new section for food. I love baking and cooking, so every Friday I will post a new recipe. Here is the first!

Roll Everything Dough

(Crescent Rolls)

This recipe makes all kinds of rolls: cinnamon rolls, pull-aparts, pizza dough, crescent rolls, the possibilities are endless. It is a sweet, tender, buttery roll. I give my sister Minda full credit for this recipe.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening (I like the shortening sticks, they are easy to measure and you can use regular-flavored shortening, but I like butter!!)

1 cup butter, divided

2 1/2 cups water, divided

2 teaspoons salt (I like kosher salt for baking, but regular is fine)
3/4 cup + 1 teaspoon sugar
2 packets or 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 eggs
4 teaspoons vital wheat gluten (optional)
approximately 7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

Put 1 cup water, shortening and butter in a 1-quart (or so) microwavable bowl.



Microwave on high for 1 min. 30 sec. (or so). Stir and add 3/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons salt. Keep stirring and microwaving until butter and shortening are melted, but don't get the mixture overly hot. After this is all melted and mixed together, add 1 cup cold water.



In a large mixing bowl (5-6 quarts) pour 1/2 warm water over yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Wait 5 minutes or until yeast mixture is bubbly or foamy and add eggs, butter water, and gluten (vital wheat gluten is optional, but it adds protein to your dough and you get a better quality roll. It also extends the shelf life of the finished product). Mix well.



Now I start adding the flour. I keep my wire whisks on until about 4 cups of flour have been added (picture follows) then I put on my dough hook. If you are making these without a fancy-schmancy machine, mix in as much flour as you can with your mixer then you will have to knead the rest of the flour in (Ugh!).



Switch to your dough hook and add remaining flour. It is approximately 7 1/2 cups but it can vary depending on the moisture content. I just keep adding flour just until it pulls away from the bowl. The dough will be very soft and sticky.



Now I get a 2-gallon sized ziploc bag, spray the inside with non-stick spray, and dump the dough in. This may take 2 people. You can also use a large bowl, but the bags fit the easiest in my well-stocked fridge!!



Let this sit overnight to double in size in your fridge. The next day, remove the dough from the bag and divide into three equal parts (I am anal and so I use a scale). Turn your oven on to heat up for about 1 minute then turn it off. This ensures a proper environment for the dough to raise. Melt 1 stick of butter.

Lightly flour your work surface and roll one of your dough parts into a circle. Spread melted butter on the rolled dough.



With a pizza cutter, cut your rolled dough evenly into 12 pieces like a pizza.



Starting at the widest end, roll each piece to form a crescent roll.



Place rolls on a baking sheet. You can place them close together so they raise and bake touching each other (this is how I like them), or you can space them farther apart so they are individual rolls. You should end up with 36 rolls.


Cover with a clean, light cloth (I like floursack cloths) and place in your warm oven and let raise for 1 hour or double in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Yum!!