another Thanksgiving recipe (prompted by spinbaby's thread): my mom's yeast rolls!

[Shakespeare]

These are very easy to make, and almost fail-proof. If you want to make the dough ahead of time (I do, as a timesaver), just put them in the fridge after the first rise. You can store the dough this way for a day or two before baking.

2 pkg dry yeast
5 cups all purpose flour (approx)
1 + 3/4 cups warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg, beaten

Combine 3/4 cup (very) warm water, sugar, salt, 3 Tbsp butter. Cool to lukewarm. Dissolve 2 pkgs yeast in 1 cup warm water, and let sit until yeast gets happy & active (slightly foamy, about 10 min). Add yeast mixture, 1 beaten egg, 2 1/2 cups flour to first mixture. Beat until smooth. Add enough flour more (about 2 1/2 cups) to make smooth dough. Knead, and put into greased bowl and cover till double in size. Punch down, and either put into refrigerator immediately, or make into rolls & let rise until double. Bake at 375 till brown.

I usually make cloverleaf rolls--pinch dough into two balls per muffin cup.

We never have leftovers on these--they're really good (thanks, mom!).