School Folk Hot Rolls Recipe
This recipe is my no-fail, go-to, bread recipe. I use this recipe for everything dough-related.

I use this dough for dinner rolls, hoagie rolls, sausage rolls, mini bread loaves, regular-sized bread loaves, cinnamon rolls, danishes, hamburger buns, focaccia, etc.
I came about this recipe in such a funny manner.
I was looking for another bread recipe to explore on Pinterest when I saw this meme-like recipe with a photo of a woman, with a proud smile, holding a beautiful cookie sheet of yeast rolls—these looked like the type of yeast rolls you get around here at a Texas bbq joint, if you’re familiar with southern yeast rolls.
This meme-looking photo didn’t have link to a website or anything.
This white graphic had the woman’s photo, a list of ingredients, a simple paragraph of directions, and was titled “Recipe for Hot Rolls (from school food service 1968-1990)” and there was nearly 100 comments raving below this single photo.
I wasn’t looking for a spiritual or magical recipe, but this recipe hit a soft spot for me spiritually and emotionally.
My family equally supports my never-ending baking of this recipe haha.
The funny part is before the sanctuary, I had a former life of a teacher. My history in education is—peculiar to say the least: I graduated high school at the age of 16, but began working as a volunteer aid with the Lifeskill Special Ed department when I was just 15-years-old;
I then worked in this position on and off until I was 18; I began substitute teaching while going to school for my undergraduate degree in education; I then subbed until I got a kindergarten classroom position (my dream job at this time) the fall after Graduating from undergrad.
My mother was a teacher and is now a school counselor. I say all of this because the folks who nurture children in our education system are held near and dear to my heart.
There are obviously issues with the public education system, the history behind it, current standards, etc. However, the individuals that I’ve worked with over the years were lovely caring folk. I spent so much time in these spaces with these individuals that they became my folk.
This recipe signifies and honors a chapter of my life--a chapter of those folks lives as well.
But I wasn’t thinking about that when I found this recipe. I found the recipe, everyone raved about it, I fell in love with making it, and then it grew into a magically spiritual recipe for me.
So, part of this recipe is the deep ancestral work of doing it out of love, honor, acknowledgment, and gratitude for the wholesome folk within our education system—an homage to those folk ancestors within my life.
The other part is the practical magic aspect of giving myself and my family magically infused food to nourish their inner mind, bodies, and spirits.
I have left you the recipe below, with the magical associations I’ve personally used for this recipe throughout my exploration. Feel free to use your own, use mine, or none at all.
Engaging the magical associations call upon each ingredient and its property:
when you are prepping your recipe
while you add it to the mixing bowl
at the end of baking
Nourishing School Folk Hot Rolls Recipe & Magical Associations
6 1/2 c AP Flour - Heart Opening/Venus/feminine
14g of (2) Pkgs of Yeast - Vitality/Growth
1/2 c Melted Butter - Nourishing
2 c Warm Milk - Nourishing
2 Eggs - Nourishing
1/4-1/2 c Sugar - Loving/Sweetness
1 tsp Salt - Protective
Hot Roll Making Process
Dissolve 2 pkg yeast in 2 cups warm milk(in mixing bowl)
Let stand until yeast dissolves.
Add 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp. salt.
Beat w/mixer for 2 minutes.
Add melted butter and 2 eggs.
Beat 2 minutes.
Slowly add 41/2 cups flour and mix well.
Let rise in warm place undisturbed til double in size.
Punch down and make into rolls.
Let rolls rise about 1 hour in warm spot undisturbed.
Bake for about 30 minutes (or until golden brown) in 350* oven.
Gently rub tops with butter!
This recipe is near and dear to my family's heart—please use it and let me know what you think! Just remember to give your gratitude to the school folk that it came from, if that is your kind of thing :)
Much love,
Sierra Joleen
Thank you for the recipe! I’m new to using magic in the kitchen. I appreciate the connection between ingredients and intentions.