Basic Bread Dough

This is a sweeter dough than a traditional white bread recipe.  Round it into balls for traditional dinner rolls or cover with butter, cinnamon-sugar and brown sugar to create cinnamon rolls.  This dough is also an ideal base for stromboli and calzones.

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dried yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

In stand mixer bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour and yeast; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat and stir the milk, sugar, butter and salt just till warm and butter almost melts.

Add warm milk/sugar/butter mixture to dry mixture along with eggs.

Blend on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl.  Beat on high speed 3 minutes.  Then, using a dough hook attachment, stir in remaining flour and blend until you have a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic.

Shape dough into a ball.  Place dough in a lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease dough.  Cover and let rise in a warm place till double in size (about 1 hour).

Punch dough down.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface.  Cover and let rest 10 minutes.  Then mold into desired shape and bake at 375 F (190 C) for 20 to 25 minutes (for cinnamon or dinner rolls) or 30- 40 minutes or till golden for larger breads.