Lion House Dinner Rolls

Ridgely's Note:

This recipe is from the restaurant in Salt Lake City called Lion House Pantry. They are famous for their food, but especially for these rolls. They sell these rolls to take home for $6 dollars a dozen! These rolls are incredible and Lion House doesn't seem to mind to share their recipe with everyone. They have a new cookbook that just came out called "Lion House Classics".

• Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 2 hrs
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 18

Yield: 2.0 dozen

• 2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
• 2 tablespoons dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder (instant or non-instant)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or 1/3 cup shortening
• 5 -5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or 5 -5 1/2 cups bread flour

Directions:

1. In large bowl of electric mixer, combine water and milk powder, stir until dissolved.
2. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups flour.
3. Mix on low speed of mixer until ingredients are wet, then 2 minutes at medium speed.
4. Add 2 cups more flour; mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes as medium speed. (Dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand).
5. Add about ½ cup flour and mix again, by hand or mixer.
6. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff.
7. (It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour.)
8. Scrape dough off sides of bowl and pour about 1 T.vegetable oil all around the sides of the bowl so it is covered with oil.
9. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in warm place until double in size.
10. (My note here- I just sprayed a clean large bowl with vegetable spray and put my ball of dough in there, turning to cover the dough with the vegetable spray.).
11. After dough has risen, sprinkle cutting board or counter with flour and place dough on floured surface.
12. Roll out and cut rolls in desired shape and size.
13. Place on greased (or parchment lined) baking pans.
14. Let rise in warm place until rolls are double in size (about 1 to 1 ½ hours).
15. Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned.
16. Brush with melted butter while hot.

Reviews

[Chef #474838]

Best rolls ever! Made them for dinner tonight, and am going to make them to take to Dinner at a family gathering tomorrow night! Delicious!!

[Food Snob in Israel]

Light, fluffy...even made with about 1/3 or the total flour as whole wheat flour and 2 cups milk instead of the milk powder. Rose well with the yeast. Needed to use slightly MORE flour than the recipe called for. Began using a mixer. Then a wooden spoon. Then my hands for mixing. Was easy to feel the consistancy that way. Loved the ever flour absorbing dough.

Made them into spiral shapes by rolling out a "string" or "snake" shape and then just spinning it on itself(or wrapping it around itself). Also experimented with a braided circle. I had 24 ENORMOUS size rolls.

Would only recommend using a round pan to put them in. Make sure there is enough room for rolls to double in size (in all directions). It's okay if they touch after rising.

Made these with the Tongian Coconut Roll sauce, which gave them a sweet glaze. Can't stop eating them. Eating them with Indian food I made, for breakfast, even giving them as gifts.

I might try to make this in the bread machine, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't turn out, as you really have to feel the dough for the right consistancy (described well on the recipe).

I REALLY enjoyed these. Beautiful presentation. Easy to tell when done (tops begin turning a golden honey brown). VERY tastly. Delictable and even consistancy.

Then down side was that this was extremly time consuming with all of the rises and such.

But if I ever want a very special bread that makes me look like a prize baker, this is the one I'll use.

I think they would freeze very well (I gave away some frozen to a friend and they were almost thawed by the time we got there...they looked great!

Overall, excellent.

edited to add: bread machine worked like a charm...for kosher bakers: these are minzanot if made only w/ milk and not water.

[Erin R.]

Phenomenal rolls! I used 2 c. of freshly ground whole wheat flour and reduced the yeast to 4 t., and then ended up using about 6 c. of flour total since my dough was so sticky. I ended up with nearly 40 fist-sized rolls, and everyone made short work of them. They are at their absolute best hot from the oven, but even leftovers are wonderful, plain, toasted, or used for sandwiches. The dough is silky and easy to work with after its initial rise, and the rolls rise like an explosion. Really wonderful recipe, and I'll definitely make it often. Thanks a lot.