Annie Mae Jones' Yeast Rolls

Ingredients

5 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup milk
3/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 packages yeast dry
4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup confectioners sugar sifted
2 tablespoons orange juice

Instructions

1. In a large bowl thoroughly mix 2 cups of the flour, the sugar, yeast and salt.

2. Combine milk, water, and butter in a saucepan. Place over low heat and stir until butter is melted. Mixture should be just warm, about 115-120'F. on thermometer.

3. Gradually add milk mixture to dry ingredients and eat for 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl often. Add eggs and beat well.

4. With a wooden spoon stir in sufficient additional flour (3 to 3-1/2 cups) to make a soft dough. turn out on a lightly floured board and knead about 10 minutes, or unil satiny and smooth. Form into a ball and place in a warm bowl that has been generously greased with soft butter at room temperature. Turn to coat all sides with butter. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 1 hour.

5. Punch down and shape into small balls. Place about 1/2" apart on greased baking sheets and again let stand free from drafts in a warm place until double in bulk.

6. Bake in preheated 350'F. oven for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned.

7. Serve warm.

8. If necessary, undercook rolls just slightly; then reheat just before serving.

9. If desired, you may fold in about 1 cup lightly floured raisins to dough during final kneading. Then frost rolls while warm with Confectioners' Sugar Glaze.

*** CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR GLAZE *** Combine sugar with 1 tablespoon orange juice. Add sufficient additioal orange juice to make a medium-thin glaze.