Rebecca Jackson
Yeasty, buttery, soft and fat, school lunchroom cafeteria rolls are the stuff of many a pleasant childhood memory and a joy to behold and eat yet today. When my daughter was a student at the now-closed Thaxton Elementary School in western Bedford County, I joined her for lunch on Wednesday whenever my work schedule would permit. It was a great place, this little neighborhood school, where parental involvement was encouraged and education a cherished endeavor.
On Wednesdays, the school cafeteria ladies served our favorite lunch, baked chicken accompanied by their heavenly rolls, the fragrance of which welcomed you before you opened the front doors of the rural school, drifting down the tile hallways as lunchtime approached. If the wind was just right, you could smell the rolls baking a mile away.
When I recently ran into a recipe for these pillows of nirvana, I knew I'd have to recreate them.
The rolls aren't dainty, but more like the size of slider rolls. My Louisiana Grammy and my Aunt Polly made these, too, but as they're both gone now, I set out to make the rolls myself.
Here is a recipe, just in time for the winter holidays. Enjoy with a bowl of writer Dan Smith's delicious Butternut Squash Apple Soup, or baked chicken and a side of cooked-to-death green beans, just like in elementary school. Grab a tray and get in line!
School Lunchroom Cafeteria Rolls
You cannot mess these up! They're super easy and everyone will want the recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 cup warm water
- 1 tsp. white sugar
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 3 envelopes active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. salt
- 10 c. all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 2/4 cup butter, melted
In a large bowl, mix together the warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let it stand for 10 minutes, until the yeast is foamy.
Mix the milk, eggs and salt into the yeast. Measure the flour into a separate bowl, add 2/3 cup sugar and crumble the shortening into it with your fingers until it is barely noticeable. Gradually stir the flour into the wet ingredients. Mix using a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and starts to form a ball around the spoon. Cover with a hot, wet towel that has been wrung out, and set in a warm place to rise until double in bulk, about 45 minutes.
Once the dough has risen, pour the melted butter over it and knead for about two minutes. Let the dough rest for a couple minutes, then roll out on a floured surface to one inch thick. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut into two-inch squares. Roll squares into balls and place onto greased round pans, spacing about one inch apart. Let rise again until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the rolls 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.
About the Writer:
Rebecca Jackson is a veteran newspaper person/journalist based in Bedford County, VA. A native of California and an M.A. graduate of Arizona State University, she has a passion for pets (animals), good food/cooking, music, wine, horticulture, photography and travel.