Basic Sweet Dough

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups Roberts Milk, scalded
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cakes compressed yeast
2 Roberts Eggs
1/2 cup shortening, softened
7- 7 1/2 cups sifted flour

Preparation

Cool milk to lukewarm; add sugar and salt. Crumble yeast cakes into mixture; stir until dissolved. Blend in eggs and softened shortening. Add flour in 2 additions, mixing first with a spoon, then with hands. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and satiny. Place dough in buttered bowl, turning to butter top. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk. Punch down dough; divide in half and shape each half into a smooth ball. Allow to rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Shape as desired; bake according to directions.

Yield: 4 dozen plain rolls or 1 large pan of rolls or 1 coffee cake and 2 dozen plain rolls

Notes:

Bowknots

Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness; cut into 3/4 x l0 inch strips. Roll each strip lightly with fingers; tie in a loose knot. Cover and. allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 30 to 15 minutes. Bake on a buttered baking sheet at 400° for 12 to 15 minutes.

Cloverleafs

Form bits of dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place 3 balls in each buttered muffin cup; brush with melted Roberts Butter. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 30 to 45 minutes. Bake at 400° for 12 to 15 minutes.

Corkscrews

Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness; cut into 1/2 x 8 inch strips. Wrap each strip around well-buttered round wooden clothespins; seal ends. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 30 to 45 minutes. Bake on a buttered baking sheet at 400° for 12 to 15 minutes. When cool, carefully remove clothespins.

Dinner Rolls

Roll egg size portions of dough into cylindrical shapes with tapered ends; or form dough into walnut size balls and place side by side in a buttered round baking pan. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 30 to 45 minutes. Bake at 400° for 12 to 15 minutes.

Butter Fans

Roll dough into a 14 x 27 inch rectangle; cut into 1 1/2 x 14 inch strips. Brush with melted Roberts Butter. Stack 6 strips on top of one another; cut into 9 equal portions. Place cut side down in buttered muffin cups. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 30 to 45 minutes. Bake at 400° for 12 to 15 minutes.

Parker House Rolls

Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with floured 2 inch round cutter. Brush with melted Roberts Butter. Make a crease across each; fold so tops overlap slightly. Press edges close together at crease; place close together on a buttered baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 30 to 45 minutes. Bake at 400° for 12 to 15 minutes.