Basic Sweet Roll Dough

This is one of those recipes that my mother taught me when I was an early teen. This dough works great for cinnimon rolls as well as orange rolls. I mix it all in my bosch and let it do all the work for me.

2 1/2 cup warm/hot water
2 Tbs yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup dry milk solids
2 ts salt
2 eggs beaten
6-7 cups flour

Sprinkle yeast over water, let sit and soften. Add sugar, shortening, milk solids, salt, 4 cups of flour and stir until smooth. Add beaten eggs and 2 cups flour and mix well. Add additional flour until soft dough results. Kneed well, keeping the dough very soft. Let rise until doubled, and roll as desired.

Cinnimon Rolls: roll out the 1/3 off dough in a thin rectangle. I use a butter spread and spread butter all over the rectangle. Sprinkle with a cinnimon/sugar mixture. Roll dough up with cinnimon inside and cut into 1 1/2 inch rings with a thread.

Orange Rolls: Combine 6T butter, 1 cup sugar and grated rind from one orange. Cook on stovetop to spreading consistancy. Roll out dough the same as cinnimon rolls, spread on orange mixture.

Place on greased cookie sheet or muffin pan, let rest in pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes (time could be less).

I use a tub of cream cheese frosting to glaze the rolls while they are still warm.