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Lion House Dinner Rolls

I’ve eaten quite a few delicious rolls in my day, but my all-time favorite, hands-down, is the Lion House Roll.  The Lion House is a restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The rolls are always the highlight of my meal there.  Without fail, I eat way too many and can barely nibble at the main course when it comes.

A few years ago I searched for their recipe online and found one that claimed to be “the real thing”.  I made it and loved it, but still wasn’t sure if it was the same one they used in their restaurant.  Fast forward a year, upon purchasing the Lion House cookbook for my Mom as a gift, I found that I had indeed been making the real deal.

These rolls are so soft, slightly sweet, and are just complete perfection!  They practically melt in your mouth right out of the oven.

{LION HOUSE ROLLS}
2 T. active-dry yeast
2 c. warm water
1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. (5 1/3 Tbsp.) butter-softened but not melted
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
2/3 c. nonfat dry milk (instant)
5-5 3/4 cups bread flour, for best results (It may not be necessary to add the entire amount of flour.  Judge by the stickiness of the dough, not by the amount you’ve added). You want the dough to be nice and soft and pliable and slightly tacky to the touch.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine water and milk powder and use the dough hook to stir until milk powder dissolves.  Sprinkle yeast over, then sprinkle the sugar over the yeast and let the yeast proof or get frothy in the liquid for about 7-10 minutes (if using active-dry yeast). Then add salt, butter, egg, and 2 c. flour.
*If using instant yeast, see the notes below.
Mix on low until ingredients are wet, then turn to medium speed and mix for 2 minutes.  Add 2 more cups of flour and mix on low until ingredients are wet and then on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add 1/2 c. flour at a time until dough starts to clean the sides of the bowl and feels soft and slightly sticky.  Let dough rise in the bowl, covered, until doubled (about 45 minutes to one hour).  Roll out on a floured surface and let rise again on lightly greased cookie sheet.
They’ll look about like this right before baking.
Bake at 375 degrees for 13-15 minutes, or until until golden brown.  Be careful not to over bake! Brush tops of rolls with butter right out of the oven. Let them cool on cooling racks and enjoy!
**Freezable:  Baked rolls may be frozen in freezer-safe Ziploc bags. Microwave the frozen rolls (about 6 at a time) for 2 minutes before serving.
TIPS:  Don’t add too much flour!  They will not be soft if you do!  The dough will still seem sticky after adding around 5 cups flour, but don’t be tempted to add too much more (I typically add about 5 1/2 c.).  After raising and then rolling them out in more flour, the dough should be a perfect consistency.
The recipe calls for active dry yeast, but you can substitute instant yeast if that’s what you have on hand.  To use instant yeast, cut down the amount of yeast to 1 1/2 T. and don’t proof the yeast in the water.  Just add the yeast and water together with the other ingredients in the recipe and proceed with the directions.
Baking time will depend on how big your rolls end up being, so adjust accordingly.
You can watch a great video demonstration on how to cut and roll them out just like the Lion House here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8wPowCbtbo
Enjoy!

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Comments

  1. I love bread. Especially ones as you have described here! I may have to go to SLC to check out this place. But I can certainly give these a try in the meantime. Thanks for sharing. We're having a party at Tumbleweed Contessa and I'd love it if you could bring it over. http://www.tumbleweedcontessa.com/blog/

    Hope to see you there,
    Linda

  2. I love baking bread! I found you from the Marvelous Monday party. I would love it if you would share at my party: http://rediscovermom.blogspot.com/2013/05/tried-and-true-recipes-11.html

  6. Love love love Lion house rolls! They are so good. I just pulled out my Lion House cookbook the other day thinking I need to make them, I should because they are fabulous :) Krista @ A Handful of Everything

  11. I am such a carbo queen... these look wonderful! Thank you for coming to share at Super Saturday Show & Tell last week.. stop on by and share again today! http://www.whatscookingwithruthie.com I hope you have wonderful weekend! xoxo~ Ruthie
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