Warm
milk and water to 105-115 degrees ( Use a thermometer or it
should feel like a hot jacuzzi to the touch). Put in packet
of yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar, stir well and set aside till
foamy, about 5 minutes ( If yeast does not foam the liquid was
either too hot or too cold or past it’s expiration date
and should not be used as the rolls will not rise properly).
Combine rest of rolls ingredients in a large bowl then add yeast
mixture and stir with a large spoon till well mixed. Put dough
on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes putting
just enough flour on the surface to keep the dough from sticking(knead
by pulling edge of ball of dough that is furthest from you to
front edge, push in hard with heel of hands then turn 90 degrees
and repeat over and over). Put about a teaspoon of vegetable
oil in a bowl, put dough in bowl then turn to coat completely
with oil. Cover bowl with a towel and put in a warm place until
doubled, about one hour.
While
dough is rising mix all filling ingredients in a bowl and set
aside. Then mix all frosting ingredients in a separate bowl
and set aside.
After
dough has doubled in bulk roll out on a lightly floured surface
into a 10x18 rectangle. The size doesn’t really matter,
it’s just a matter of how big you want the rolls to be.
A larger rectangle will give you more smaller rolls while a
smaller rectangle will give you fewer large rolls. After the
dough has been rolled out sprinkle or spread the filling on
the dough as evenly as possible, anything you want can be put
in such as nuts, raisins or dried fruit. Starting from the long
side roll the dough up into a log pinching the edge to seal
the seam. Cut into ½ “ to 1" slices (just
preference again, I use 1") and place in a 9x13 cake pan
with about 1/4" of space in between rolls (If you make
a lot of small rolls you may need to use more than one pan.
It’s best if the rolls fill the pan and it doesn’t
really matter what kind of pan it is other than it have high
sides so the rolls don’t spill out over the edge).If you
want the rolls can be frozen at this point. Cover with a towel
again and let double again, about 30-45 minutes. If frozen,
take them out of the freezer and let rise which will take about
1 ½ to 2 hours because it will have to defrost. Then
bake the rolls at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes (this
will vary greatly with the size of the rolls, smaller ones cooking
faster) just until they start to turn golden brown. Be careful
not to overbake as this can make them hard and dry but don’t
underbake as raw dough is not good either. Serve with frosting.
I usually put the frosting in a bowl on the side so each person
can put on whatever amount they want.