Jordan rolls

Many old Southern families have a recipe for dinner rolls that they serve at gatherings and pass down to their kids. This is my special roll recipe. We love serving rolls with our meals, but they are especially good whenever you have ham, as they make the best little sandwiches for leftovers. Make sure you have a warm place for your rolls to rise. Sometimes I turn my oven on 350 F for just 2 or 3 minutes, then turn it off and open the door to make sure it isn’t hot but warm. Once it is just warm, I stick my pan of rolls inside for their second rising. Often in the summer, though, the garage makes a great place for dough to rise!

½ cup sugar

1½ teaspoons salt

5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

2 packages yeast

½ cup solid vegetable shortening

2 eggs

½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted, plus more for brushing

1½ cups warm water (like a baby’s bath temperature—this is key in working with yeast)

• Place the sugar, salt, 2 cups of the flour, and the yeast in a large bowl.
• Cut in the shortening with a long-tined fork. Add the eggs, beating lightly with a fork before stirring them in. Add the remaining 3 cups flour, the melted butter, and warm water. Stir well. The mixture will look like a big old lumpy blob.
• Cover with a dish towel and let sit in a warm place for 20 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Sprinkle flour over the top and knead 3 or 4 times. Pat out into a square that is about ¾ inch thick. Cut into squares with a pizza cutter. Place in a greased 9 x 13- inch pan and cover with a dish towel. Let rise for another 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F while the rolls are rising.
• Place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, until the tops are golden. Remove from the oven and brush the hot rolls with melted butter.

approximately 2 dozen rolls