One recipe---2 different ways to fix it!

So, anyone who knows me knows that I really thrive
on being able to make the majority of the things that we eat from "scratch" and so last night I decided that I was going to make my own homemade buns
(because I really don't enjoy the ones you buy at the store).

Last night we had "Thanksgiving in March" and I cooked up a turkey, made sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy and homemade rolls.
(I will do another post to tell
"how to get the most
from your Thanksgiving Turkey"
at a later date).
***************
My post today is on the rolls....
I decided to make up my favorite roll recipe
"Lion House Rolls"
which are very delicious
(anyone who has ever tried Lion House Rolls
knows what I am talking about).

I took 1/2 of the dough and just cut out large circles with my circle cookie cutter and those were going to be my "buns" and then I took the rest of the dough
and made them into nice "roll shapes".

WOW... They both turned out great and were delicious!
The rolls made the yummiest leftover turkey sandwiches and the "buns" were perfect for sloppy joes.
(SO, I can definitely say that I will be baking up more of these in the future...
I'm going to be excited to try making buns
for grilled hamburgers when we get into summer)
*************
I feel like I'm really getting the basics of bread making down and so this year I would like to venture out and learn how to make homemade tortillas (both corn and flour) so that this can be more more thing I can make for our family rather than purchase these at the store. (I think it would be awesome to take a cooking class and learn how to make authentic Mexican tortillas)
*************
I love knowing that the majority of everything that my family is eating was made and baked in my kitchen!
It's very fulfilling baking bread for my family and I enjoy it so much!
Mixing, Kneading, Rolling, Shaping and Baking
...it's therapy to me.

What a good feeling it is to be "self-reliant" and "independent" and I am so thankful for the progress that we are making!
It is a slow and steady process and we improve a little each week and I'm just grateful and comforted to go down to our food storage room and see basic staple ingredients that I can use to cook up yummy, healthy, nutritious things for my family.

Enjoy!!

Lion House Rolls
Ingredients:
2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees) (I use HOT tap water)
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder (instant)
2 Tbsp dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter melted
1 egg
5-5 1/2 cups flour (unbleached flour)

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the water and the milk powder and stir so the milk dissolves.
Add the yeast to this mixture then the sugar, salt, butter, egg and 2 cups of the flour.
Mix on low speed of mixer until ingredients are wet, then turn to medium speed and mix for 2 minutes.
Stop the mixer and add 2 more cups of flour then mix on low speed until the ingredients are wet, then turn mixer on medium speed and mix for 2 minutes.
Add in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until you get a nice soft dough...The dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff.
Put the dough in a large metal bowl with 1 tbsp of olive oil and coat the dough well. (This helps prevent the dough from drying out.)
Cover bowl and allow to rise in a warm place until double in size. Sprinkle a cutting board or counter with flour and put the dough on the flour. It is now ready to roll out and cut into desired shape and size of rolls.
Place on greased baking pans. Let rise in a warm place until the rolls are double in size (approx. 1- hour)
Bake in a 375-degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are browned to your satisfaction.
Brush with melted butter while hot.

*****************

NOTE:
1/3 cup of butter is 6 Tbsp and so if you cut off the 6 Tbsp.
and set aside the remaining 2 Tbsp.
I use these 2 Tbsp. to melt and brush on the rolls
after you pull them out of the oven
and that way you only use 1 cube of butter to make the rolls
*****************