Recipe: Lion House Rolls!

So, you've been asked to bring the rolls this year...boring, right? Wrong! You can make this assignment a chance to wow your family and friends with warm, homemade Lion House rolls!

The Lion House, situated in Salt Lake City, Utah, was built in 1856 by Brigham Young for his family, but now is an event venue, bakery, and restaurant. For those who have tried the Lion House, you know how light and tasty these rolls are and if you haven't, you are in for a treat!

If you don't have the patience to make these buttery rolls from scratch, you can order rolls for pick up directly from the Lion House that you can eat immediately or ones you can just thaw and bake! Or...buy the Lion House Rolls Mix online here or locally in Utah at Deseret Books or Dan's Market.

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees F)
• 2/3 cup nonfat dry milk (instant or non-instant)
• 2 Tb. dry yeast (they suggested SAF yeast)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup butter or shortening
• 1 egg
• 5-5½ cups flour (see tips below)

Directions

1. In a stand mixer, combine water and the milk powder and stir until milk dissolves.
2. Add the yeast to the mixture first and combine. Then immediately add the sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups of the flour.
3. Mix on low until ingredients are wet then turn to med. speed and mix for 2 minutes.
4. Add two more cups of flour mix on low until ingredients are wet and then on med. for 2 min., Add ½ cup at a time until dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff (It may not be necessary to use the entire amount of flour).
5. Scrape dough off sides of bowl and pour about one tablespoon of vegetable oil all around sides of bowl. Turn dough over in bowl so it is covered with oil. (This helps prevent dough from drying out). Cover with plastic and allow to rise in warm place until double in size, about 45 minutes.
6. Turn dough over so it is floured on both sides; gently flatten to about 1 inch thick. With rolling pin, roll out to a rectangle about 18 inches long, 8 inches wide, and ¼ inch thick. 
7. Spread about a ¼ cup of melted butter on top then use a pizza cutter to cut strips about 2 inches wide.
8. Starting with short end, roll up one piece of dough, with butter on the inside. Place roll on parchment-lined pan with other short end down on the paper. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Be sure all rolls face the same direction on baking pan. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
9. Bake in 375 degrees F oven for 15-18 minutes. or until browned to your satisfaction. Brush rolls with melted butter when they are first taken from the oven.

Check out this video, courtesy of the Lion House bakery:



Tips:

• Always add flour gradually and keep dough as soft as you can handle. A soft dough will produce a lighter roll.
• Preheat your oven! There are some recipes that call for a "cold" oven, but preheating is so important to achieve a proper end result. 
• Try serving these with honey butter!
• Honey Butter recipe:
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. (I love Nielsen-Massey Vanilla!)
• ½ cup organic honey (try finding honey at your local farmer's market!)
• Directions: Whip softened butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and honey gradually. Beat until all ingredients are fully incorporated and the taste is right. This might take awhile, but so worth it! Makes 1 cup.
• You can use this recipe for cinnamon rolls too! Follow the recipe until step 6...After you roll out the dough and spread butter on it, sprinkle with about 3½ cups brown sugar and 4 tsp of cinnamon. Roll up like a jellyroll and take a piece of waxed, unflavored floss (yes, the kind you use on your teeth) and place under dough then cross and pull to cut the dough into the cinnamon rolls, allow to rise until double. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10-15 min.
• Frosting recipe:
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/3-½ cup cream, or whole milk
• Directions: Mix all ingredients together until smooth and spread on warm cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!

There are so many choices when it comes to tasty rolls, so instead of thinking you got stuck with the boring task...ask Diane Can Cook, we'll sort you out!