Recipe for "dark-rolls"

NAME

     DARK-ROLLS - Holiday rolls with oatmeal and molasses
     This recipe has long been part of my Thanksgiving tradition.
     I have long since forgotten its source.

INGREDIENTS (12 rolls)

     40 g      oatmeal (rolled oats)
     50 g      whole wheat flour
     1 ml      salt
     50 g      shortening
     30 ml     molasses
     30 ml     honey
     250 ml    boiling water
     15 g      active dry yeast (2 packages). Do not  use  quick-
               rising yeast.
     100 ml    warm water
     5 ml      honey
     1         egg
     250-350 g  unbleached flour

PROCEDURE

          (1)  Combine oatmeal, whole-wheat flour, salt, shorten-
               ing, molasses, and honey.  Pour boiling water over
               all.  Mix and let cool.
          (2)  While cooling, dissolve yeast in warm  water  with
               the  honey.  Add egg to cooled batter, then mix in
               dissolved yeast.
          (3)  Add flour until  dough  is  just  soft  enough  to
               knead.  Knead lightly.
          (4)  Place dough in a greased bowl; cover with  a  damp
               cloth.   Let  rise  in warm place until doubled in
               bulk; about one hour.
          (5)  Punch down dough and cut  into  12  equal  pieces.
               Shape each piece into a ball in put into a greased
               25-cm pan.
          (6)  Let rise again for 45 minutes.
          (7)  Bake in a preheated oven at  175  deg.  C  for  40
               minutes.

NOTES

     Note: These rolls are reaally wonderful, but they need  time
     to rise.  start them as early in the day as possible.  Don't
     even think about using the quick-rise yeasts.

RATING

     Difficulty: easy to moderate.  Time: several hours  prepara-
     tion,  1  hour  baking  and cooling.  Precision: measure the
     ingredients.

CONTRIBUTOR

     Marilyn Kushner
     Microlab, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
     Marilyn@merlin.berkeley.edu