Carrie's Rolls

One Saturday each  month I accompany my good friend (and neighbor) to a house not far from uptown Charlotte.  It sits on a tree-lined street of nice homes with manicured lawns.  There is no sign saying it is the Samaritan House, established in 2005, or that it shelters those who are homeless.  To go one step further, it specifically shelters men and women who have recently been released from local hospitals.  There are usually only a few guests and Carrie, their watchful 'house mother'.

It has been nearly two years since I prepared that first Saturday evening meal at the Samaritan House.  My sense of self worth had been battered by unemployment and my daily rituals were a 5:15 a.m. workout in the gym, followed by seven hours of job hunting with several hours left for wallowing in self-pity.  One morning on the way home from a workout, my perceptive friend, (who also drove me to the gym) casually asked  if I would be willing to prepare a meal on Saturday.  She would buy the ingredients and pay me to cook.  My reply was something on the order of, "I don't need to be paid to cook!"

For the next several days my free time was spent searching through cookbooks and trying to create a menu that would be memorable.  The day before, it suddenly dawned on me--the people who would eat this meal were homeless, hungry and recovering from injuries.  My menu would be comfort food and the dinner menu was suddenly crystal clear.  Pot roast with gravy, potatoes, carrots and homemade dinner rolls.

That Saturday I watched the faces of the guests as they ate their meal.  There were trips for second helpings and not a scrap left.  Carrie fell in love with the rolls and fragrant smell of yeast wafting through the house as  they warmed in the oven.  The second time I cooked she asked if we would bring "those rolls."  Nearly two years later I almost always bring Carrie's Rolls.   It is my pleasure to share the recipe.  You can call them whatever you like, but to me they will always be Carrie's Rolls.

This recipe is designed to let the dough mix and rise in a bread maker, then bake in the oven.


Dough:

1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg
3 1/4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons yeast

Directions:

1. In order listed, place all ingredients in bread machine.  Select dough cycle. (Sweet dough if available on your machine).
2. Divide dough into 16 pieces. (I find it easiest to divide in half and keep dividing into halves until I get 16). Shape each piece into a ball.  Place 1-2 inches apart on cookie sheet lined with foil or Silpat.  Cover; let rise 30-40 minutes or until double.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Just before baking, brush tops with melted butter if desired.
4. Bake 11-13 minutes and enjoy!