Cloverleaf Rolls

Mom's Cloverleaf Rolls

Ingredients:

2 packages active dry yeast

1 1/4 cup warm water

1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar  (or to taste)

1 tablespoon salt

3 tablespoons butter or margarine 

6 to 6 1/2 cups flour

Directions:

Using a very large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1 1/4 cup warm water,  add a pinch of sugar to proof.

Stir the 1/2 or 3/4 cup of sugar into 1 cup warm water, and add butter / shortening, salt and 3 1/2 cups flour: beat until smooth. Stir until all ingredients are well mixed.   Gradually add the remaining flour to make a pliable dough easy to handle.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board or counter and knead until smooth and elastic for about 10 minutes.  

Place in a greased bowl and roll ball of dough to lightly coat.  Place with greased side up and cover with a towel in a draft free place to raise till double in size.  Punch dough down and knead for 5 minutes and let rise again until double in size.

Shape dough into clover leaf rolls and place in greased muffin pans.  Butter the tops lightly.  Let rise until double.

Bake at 400 or 425 degree oven until done.  When tapped the rolls should sound hollow

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For a more do-able recipe I have broken down the recipe by one-half.

1 pkg active yeast

1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons water

1/4 cup or 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon 1 1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine
3 to 3 1/4 cups flour 

Dissolve the yeast in the 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, add a pinch of sugar and allow the yeast to proof (foam). 

Stir the 1/4 cup or 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar to dissolve in 1/2 cup warm water, add butter or margarine, salt, and 1 3/4 cup flour.  Stir till everything is well mixes and mix is smooth.

Gradually add the remaining flour and work until the mixture is a pliable and easy to work with dough.  

Put the dough on a lightly floured board or counter and knead for 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.  

Grease a large bowl with butter or margarine.  Add the dough and roll to coat the dough.  Cover the bowl with a towel and place in a draft free area allowing dough to rise until doubled.  Punch down and knead again for 10 minutes.  Return to bowl to let rise again.  Punch the dough down and knead for 5 minutes.  Let rise again until double.  Knead and shape into rolls.  Let rise until doubles and bake at 400 or 425 until done.    Mom always put margarine on top of hers before letting them rise.

Rolls should sound hollow when tapped.  I would guess 18 to 20 minutes might be necessary to be done.