School Lunch Lady Rolls - No Mixer Needed - Plus How to Make Perfect Sized Rolls Every Time!

I knew as soon as I saw this recipe, that I had to try it.  It is supposedly a SECRET recipe from an elementary school.  I love secret recipes! It makes it that much more exciting to try. The instructions weren't very detailed, so I am not sure if what I did is exactly what you are supposed to do, but I guess it doesn't really matter, because they turned out DELICIOUS! I may or may not have already eaten four of them in one day. 

This is the easiest way to get perfect-sized rolls every single time (I got this technique from The Lion House). You don't even need a ruler!  Roll out dough.  I rolled mine out to be exactly two pointer finger's high.  Make an "L" with your hand and place it on the corner of the dough.  Using a pizza cutter, cut a horizontal line from the top of your pointer finger all the way across the dough.  Then, cut a vertical line all the way up from the tip of your thumb.  Then, move your hand and line up the corner of your "L" to the vertical line you just cut and cut another vertical line from the tip of your thumb up.  Repeat.  

See, perfect-sized strips the whole way across.  

Take a strip of dough and hold it straight up and down by the corners, swing it up and around towards you.  It will wrap around itself.  Place seam-side down on baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining dough, placing a few inches apart.  The top corners of the dough will stretch out a bit as you flip it and that is what makes the yummy little nubs on the end of the rolls.  If that doesn't make sense, you can always just roll up each strip of dough.       

Allow to rise until doubled.  

Bake.  Remove from oven and take a stick of butter and rub over the tops of the warm rolls.  So easy and so yummy! 

School Lunch Lady Rolls (No Mixer Needed)

adapted from: The Royal Cook

(Printable Recipe)

2 1/2 c. warm water

2 Tbl. active dry yeast

2/3 c. sugar

6 - 8 c. all-purpose flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 c. shortening, melted

1 1/4 c. powdered milk

1 Tbl. salt

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with the sugar; let stand 5 minutes or until frothy.  Add two cups of the flour along with the remaining ingredients.  Stir together with a wooden spoon until combined.  Stir in remaining flour, 1 cup at a time until a soft dough forms.  It will pull away from the sides of the bowl.  Use as little flour as possible, so your rolls will be soft.  Knead dough, by hand, just a few times in the bowl.  Cover and let rise until doubled.  Roll out to 1/2'' thick on a lightly floured surface.  Spread with 2 Tbl. softened butter.  Cut into strips and roll up.  Lay seam side down on greased baking sheet.  Cover and let rise until doubled.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and brush tops with melted butter.  Yield: 32 large rolls.  

Jenn's Notes: I mixed the whole thing with only a wooden spoon!  I made a half a batch and I used around 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of wheat flour.  The dough rolled out beautifully and was so easy to work with.  I got 16 large rolls and baked them for 20 minutes.  They are soft and buttery and have great flavor! Very yummy. They still taste great the 2nd day!