In a large bowl (32-cup capacity or more) pour in 4 cups hot/warm water.
Sprinkle over the top of the water in order given:
- 1 T. ground cardamom (optional)
- 2 1/2 T. yeast
- 1/3 c. granulated sugar
Let it set a few minutes until you can see the yeast growing. After it is growing, add the following into the bowl:
- 1/2 cup margarine, melted
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 2 1/2 t. salt
- 5 cups flour
Mix well. Stir in 2 cups of flour until well mixed.
Stir in 2 cups of flour again. Then dump dough onto a floured surface (about 1 cup of flour) and knead.
At this point, add flour only if needed. When it might be feeling like it’s close to being a soft but not sticky dough, stop kneading.
Go wash your hands. Get the bowl you will be rising the dough in and pour in about 3-4 T. of oil. Now, with dry hands, go check to see if your dough needs more flour. You don’t want it sticky but too much flour makes dry rolls!
When the dough is no longer sticky and ready to rise, place your dough into the bowl, greasing the dough on the bottom and then flipping it over so that the other side of the dough has oil on it! Cover your bowl with plastic wrap (or a damp flour sack towel). Set to rise to double.
When dough is double (or even a little more!) in size, dump it onto a lightly oiled counter top. While the dough is just setting there, melt 1/2 cup margarine and set aside. Now prepare 4 pans that are 9″ x 13″ size. Slice 1/4 cup of margarine into each pan. Place the pans in a warm oven to melt the margarine and then remove from oven.
Back to your dough. Roll it into a huge rectangle measuring about 38″ long by 24″ wide. Pour the 1/2 cup of melted margarine onto the dough and spread it around (I just use my hand to do that and then wash my hands). Next spread on (yes, I use my hand for this part, too!) 3 cups of brown sugar. Add a tad bit more here and there if needed. I never use a full 4 cups but often it’s 3 1/2 cups total used. Shake on the cinnamon. This is tricky. If you have a good quality cinnamon you don’t use tons of it. But if you’re using cinnamon from a dollar special brand you will use more! And I have used both. So, use more if it’s cheap quality and less if it’s a high quality.
Now roll up the dough. You are rolling it up so that your 24″ is the roll and the “log” is right about 40″ (it seems like the 38″ grows!). Now slice the log in half. And each half, slice in half again. Now you have 4 short log pieces. One for each of the pans you prepared with melted margarine!
Slice each of the 4 logs into 6 equal slices and place into your pans. Set them to rise to double. How warm of an area you are in depends on how long this takes. Let it take it’s time! Don’t hurry the process along. You need to be patient!
Preheat your oven to 350°. Place the racks of the oven to accommodate all 4 pans at the middle and bottom of the oven. When the oven is 350° place pans of rolls in. Bake for 15 minutes.
When the timer goes off, Rotate pans! That means you put the pans from the bottom rack onto the top rack and the top rack pans onto the bottom rack. Bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove from oven. Enjoy! We like to eat them with frosting on them. The frosting recipe is :
- CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 8 oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 pound bag powdered sugar
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup milk
Beat the cream cheese and butter until well blended. Add half of the powdered sugar. While it is mixing pour in the milk. Mix well. While it is mixing add the remaining powdered sugar. Let the mixer work! Mix for a few minutes. Sometimes I end up having to add a few more drips of milk. Sometimes I have to add a little sprinkle more of powdered sugar. But mostly it works well. Enjoy!
Betsy's Baking Blog 