french bread rolls

i wonder how i ever survived the first 5 years of our marriage without my kitchen aid... seriously! it gets so much use. anyways, i found this recipe at mel's kitchen cafe. and trust me if i can make these rolls so can you, mine have yet to turn out as pretty as hers but the good news is they still taste delicious! we've used them for meatball sandwiches and french dips, they are also just perfect as is.

french bread rolls

*makes about 1 dozen rolls

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

in a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast and sugar. let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. to the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt and 2 cups flour. stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. divide the dough into 12-14 equal pieces and form into round balls. place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. cover the rolls with a damp cloth (or greased saran wrap), and let rise until double in size, about 40 minutes. meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

bake for 12-13 minutes in the preheated oven or until golden brown.