Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dry active yeast
- 1/4 cup butter melted + 1 tablespoon of butter for after you’re done baking
- 1 cup evaporated milk or regular milk
- 4 cups of sifted flour plus more for dusting
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon zest about 1 lemon
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp vanilla essence/extract
Egg Wash
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
1. Add the warm water to a small bowl, then dissolve the brown sugar in the water
2. Next add the dry active yeast and mix together well, then cover and set aside in a cool warm place to allow the yeast to activate
3. In another bowl, combine the butter and milk and set aside
4. When the yeast has activated and is nice and frothy combine the yeast and the butter and milk mixture. You can do this in your stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl
5. Then add the lemon zest, lemon extract and vanilla extract and mix together
6. Start to make the dough by adding 1/2 cup of flour to the liquid mixture and using a whisk or the whisk attachment of your mixer mix together to form a smooth pancake like batter
7. Continue to add small amounts of flour until the batter becomes too thick to whisk
8. If using your stand mixer switch to the dough hook and add the remaining flour
9. Then mix on low speed until a smooth dough forms
10. If mixing with your hands continue to add the flour 1/2 a cup at a time until all of the flour is mixed in to form a smooth dough
11. Turn the dough unto a floured surface and knead it into a smooth tight ball
12. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let proof until it doubles in size
13. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down and knead the dough again. At this point you can allow the dough to proof again or you can cut the dough into 8 pieces and begin to work on your tennis rolls
14. Knead each piece of tennis roll dough into tight smooth balls
15. Place the dough balls on a greased baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel
16. Set dough balls aside and let them proof for 30 to 45 minutes until they doubles in size
17. Preheat your oven to 350 °F
18. Finally, make an egg wash using an egg white and 2 tablespoons of water
19. Brush the egg wash over the top of the tennis rolls
20. Bake tennis rolls for 25 minutes
21. Remove the tennis rolls from the oven and brush with butter then cover with a kitchen towel and let cool
22. After the tennis rolls cool down a bit, place them in a large ziplock or bread back to help keep the tennis roll from becoming stiff
23. Enjoy with a nice slice of extra sharp cheddar cheese (metemgee.com)
