Yeast Rolls

Cooking is oh-so-Montessori and one recipe that is fun to share with my lil man is making bread. When it's time to shape the rolls, I usually just hand my lil man a blob of his own dough while I finish. He likes to play with the dough until the rolls are baked.

This recipe makes about 8 rolls. If I'm going through the trouble to make a mess I usually double it and freeze some - if there are any leftovers.

1 cup warm water or leftover potato water (i.e. water used to boil potatoes in--makes tender rolls!)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup brown, raw, or white sugar
3 T. butter
1 egg
1 T. yeast
Whole wheat and unbleached white flour

Put the water in the mixing bowl. Add salt, sugar, butter. Let the butter melt. (If butter is cold the water will need to be pretty warm, almost hot).

Add enough whole wheat flour to make a thick paste. Stir well. Add egg and yeast. Stir vigorously.

Add unbleached flour slowly and stir in. When too thick to stir, turn out on floured board and knead. Or cheat an use a Kitchen Aid mixer.

Knead for 5-10 min, keeping the dough soft, but not too sticky.

Let rise in covered bowl until about double. Punch down.

Let rise again until double. Punch down. Let rest 5-10 min.

Shape into desired shapes. For hamburger buns, pat dough on floured surface and cut with upside down drinking glass. Transfer to greased cookie sheet. Cover with tea towel. Let rise until light. Put in preheated 375 degree oven. Bake for 10 min. Butter tops when out of oven.