Great Aunt Mary Greninger's Blue Ribbon Rolls

Recipe Author
MARY GRENINGER (wife of LINCOLN GRENINGER who was brother to EDITH GRENINGER SMITH)
Diamond, Missouri


Great Aunt Mary is 97 this year! She lives in a house on "the other side of the creek" from the Greninger/Smith Farm (the "rock house" and 80 acres). The Rock House is where MARY RUTH SMITH HAMILTON was born and raised ... and later returned to in 1976 with her husband and Diamond High School classmate CLARANCE "SAM" ALFRED HAMILTON and her youngest daughter MARY ELIZABETH HAMILTON who would also attend Diamond High School. (Her other children were grown but did circle back to "the farm" over the years, calling it home.) Aunt Mary's house was built in the 1800's by my great-grandfather, John Paul Greninger and was the main house on more than 300 acres of land (which was later parceled off to various family members, thus creating the Greninger/Smith farm on the other side of Jones Creek.)

Here is a photo of Great Uncle Lincoln and Great Aunt Mary in their earlier days:

Aunt Mary was like a second mother to Mary Ruth and recommended that she walk "to the creek and back" to induce labor of SAMMIE LISA. It worked! Great Aunt Mary is a precious soul who enjoys hummingbirds and gardening (when she can.) She is an expert quilter and cook. She is highly respected in the Diamond community and deeply loved by her family
.

From Karly Young (her granddaughter who sent along the recipe): My grandmother, Mary, taught me how to make yeast bread of all types-- loaves, rolls, cinnamon buns. I loved mixing the dough, peeking under the flour bag towel to watch it rise and to squish the dough between my hands. The smell of fresh baked bread always makes me think of grandma’s house. She would make these yummy yeast rolls for birthdays, holidays or just about any family get together. Always delicious. Great with butter and jam.

Photo of Great Aunt Mary making rolls:

Ingredients
Yeast
1 envelope yeast (dissolve yeast in½ cup of warm water-- be gentle)
2 Tablespoon sugar

Stir in...
5 cups flour (wheat or unbleached)
3 Tablespoons shortening or butter (softened)
2 cup water or warm milk
1 Tablespoon salt

Mix well, but don’t over mix, and let rise at least 1 hour (till it doubles) at room temp in a large lightly covered bowl (towel works). NOTE: The warmer the area, the quicker the rise.

Preheat oven to 350°.
Butter or grease a long rectangular baking dish (9x13" is good).
This is the fun part! Once the dough rises, punch it down.
Pinch off a half dollar size dough and place in the baking dish.
Continue this until the pan is filled.
Cover and let the dough rise again until nearly doubled.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Serve warm

Photo of MARY ELIZABETH HAMILTON, GREAT AUNT MARY GRENINGER, her grand daughter KARLY YOUNG and her daughter MARILYN YOUNG, 2005 during Karly & Mike's wedding in Diamond, Missouri: