Grandma’s Refrigerator Dough

What could be better than a recipe that’s been handed down through generations?  Grandma’s Refrigerator Dough fits that bill and to this day is used by my extended family. The fact that it can be mixed and refrigerated for 4-5 days and used when ready was just perfect for a generation that had days set apart for baking.

Saturdays Were THE Day

For my grandmothers’ generation, the day was Saturday and this tradition carried into my mom’s generation.  By large bake, I mean enough bread, coffee cake, and rolls to last most of the week.  I can just picture my Grandma Heiligenstein and Janssen in their kitchens, with the smell of yeast, freshly baked bread, and coffee cake filling their houses.  I’m sure there are a number of reasons why Saturdays were the chosen day to bake, but I have a couple of my own.

Company

Sundays were no-work days, and you went to visit.  Don’t you love hearing the words ‘went to visit’?  Not only does it have a nostalgic ring to it but the Sunday afternoon visit carried a certain sacredness to it.  It was a special time set apart from the workweek for visiting friends and families. The Sunday lunch was finished, dishes cleaned, kitchen floor swept, and it was off to grandma’s house.  So the big Saturday bake was getting ready to feed the family for the week and any possible guests that stopped by on the weekend.

The Kids Were Home

Yes, the kids had chores, and I think this freed up some time for grandma to be in the kitchen and at the same time monitor the kids’ work.  But even better, they could learn from their mom in the kitchen.  Whether you’re teaching or not,  just cooking with the kids close by is a great lesson.  It gives them the idea that they can do it too and maybe through a little osmosis they will develop a love for home cooking.  There’s nothing like the hustle and bustle of a kitchen!

I’ve tried to show the different ways this recipe works and why it’s such a keeper.  Just by pinching off pieces of dough and rolling in your hands you can have homemade dinner rolls.  Take a piece of dough and roll it out for coffee cake.  In the picture above I used my last three peaches and a crumb topping.  The topping recipe in this picture is from my neighbor Carol and is a mixture of 1 cup sugar, four tablespoons of flour 1/2 stick of butter and cinnamon.  Just use what you need and store what’s left in the refrigerator.

Pictured above is a roll with peach jelly made by my neighbor Sandy and a fried bologna sandwich (my dad’s favorite) with tomato from our garden.  I hope this gives you a sense of how simple it is to incorporate homemade bread into your life especially when using a dough that’s easy to make and can be refrigerated and used when needed.  The best part – the taste and freshness!

There’s a reason a recipe makes it through generations and for grandma’s refrigerator dough it has to be simplicity and taste.  In my post on Honey Oatmeal Bread, I share a little about my relationship with bread baking and this recipe is right there when it comes to the naturalness of making your own and all the enjoyment that comes with it.   Yumalicious!

Please consider giving this recipe a try.  If you do try it, please consider leaving a comment for the Sock Box 10 community.  We want to hear from you!  Maybe you have another creative way to use the dough. Also, if you are on Pinterest, please consider pinning the images, and the recipe will be there for you. It’s fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by, Rose

Grandma Heiligenstein's Refrigerator Dough

 

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This refrigerator dough can be used to make dinner rolls, caramel rolls, coffee cakes or just a loaf of bread. My mom's note at the end of the recipe reads, "I always double it." You gotta love it!

Author: Sock Box 10

Recipe type: Refrigerator Dough

Serves: varies

Ingredients

• 1 package of dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 egg beaten
• 3½ cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl dissolve yeast in warm water.
2. Stir in sugar, salt, butter and beaten egg.
3. Add 2 cups of flour and beat until smooth
4. With a spoon or your hand work in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle.
5. Knead for 2-3 minutes
6. Grease dough on all sides and place in a greased bowl.
7. The dough can be divided into rolls, loaves or coffee cake...whatever you like or the dough can be refrigerated up to 4-5 days.
8. The dough can be placed in the refrigerator immediately after mixing.
9. When you are ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature.  Separate your pieces, knead and then place in pans and let rise before baking.
10. My extra notes-
11. It's difficult to give the exact number of pieces the dough will make because the pans you use may be different or rolls may be larger or smaller. My mom did not include any quantities on her recipe card.
12. With a single recipe, you can easily get 12 rolls or 2 loaves of bread.
13. Baking Times-
14. Bake rolls, bread, and coffee cake at 350 degrees.
15. Bake rolls and coffee cake 20-25 minutes and a 9 inch loaf pan 25-30 minutes.

3.5.3208