Recipe: The Best Dinner Rolls

I've been making rolls for many, many years and this is the best recipe I have found.  The rolls are light and fluffy, and very flavorful--tasty whether plain, with butter or with preserves. This recipe is adapted from a Cuisine at Home sample booklet I received in the mail a while back.

Dinner Rolls (makes about 2 dozen)

Ingredients:
2 packets yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)

2 cups warm water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 eggs, beaten (best if at room temp)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup oil (canola, vegetable, or corn)
2 teaspoons salt
6 1/2 to 7 cups of all purpose flour

Directions:

1. Pour the warm water into a medium bowl; stir in the sugar and yeast. Set aside for a few minutes until the yeast starts to bubble and foam a bit.
2. In a large mixer bowl (or stand mixer), mix the beaten eggs, salt, sugar, oil, and butter.  Add the yeast mixture and mix well.
3. Stir in half the flour and mix well.
4. Stir in the remaining flour 1 cup or so at a time until the dough forms a ball.  The dough may be a bit sticky.
5. Knead the dough until it is smooth an elastic (if in a time crunch, you can completely omit the kneading).
6. Place the dough in a large greased bowl and cover with a lightweight towel or plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled--1 to 2 hours.
7. Punch down dough.  Roll into golf ball sized balls and place on a lightly greased/sprayed baking dish about 1" apart.  Cover with cheesecloth or nonstick-sprayed  waxed paper and let rise for 30 minutes to one hour or until the rolls have doubled in size.
8. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden.  The middle rack is best so tops and bottoms are evenly golden.

NOTES:
-These make great hotdog and hamburger buns, too.
-Great for breakfast with butter and jam or apple butter.
-These freeze very well.  I put 4 or so into each freezer baggie and just pull a couple of bags out the the freezer to serve with dinner or for breakfasts.  Yummy!