Scrolling through recipes on Pinterest and this was the recipe that caught my eye - "Lunch Lady Cafeteria Rolls." I don't know about you but I certainly don't have fond memories of the rolls that were served by the lunch ladies when I was in school. (Keep in mind that it's been 25 years since I've been in a school cafeteria and lunch room protocol has changed in the last quarter decade.) Apparently my experience with underwhelming cafeteria rolls was not the norm though, there WERE school kids around the country being served delicious, fresh baked rolls on their school lunch tray every day.
The image that comes to my mind when I read "lunch lady cafeteria rolls" was completely different than the picture that accompanied the recipe on reallifedinner.com. I can assure you that these were NOT the rolls that were being served in our school cafeteria.
I have to admit that I was feeling a little cheated out of warm cafeteria rolls when I found a link at the bottom of the recipe to another page that featured Lunch Lady Cafeteria Cinnamon Rolls! Seriously, were there kids in the 80's eating delicious, freshly baked cinnamon rolls in the school cafeteria in the morning? I'm fairly certain that my school never served breakfast - let alone a warm, homemade cinnamon roll.
I may not have grown up eating fresh bread in my school cafeteria but it's never too late to make up for lost time. I made a batch of these rolls for my family last week.
Apparently the lunch ladies of the 80s were quite efficient. They used the same dough for the cinnamon rolls as they did for the rolls. I decided to do the same. I made 1 batch of dough and divided it in half. I made a dozen cinnamon rolls and a pan of rolls to serve with dinner. (Those lunch ladies are pretty clever.)
Posting the roll recipe today and tomorrow, I'll post the directions for turning the dough into cinnamon rolls.
Lunch Lady Cafeteria Rolls
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 + 3/4 teaspoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 + 3/4 teaspoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/8 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons shortening
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons shortening
Add yeast and sugar to warm water and let sit for 3-5 minutes.
Add melted butter (cooled), milk, eggs and salt to yeast mixture.
In a large bowl combine flour and sugar. Stir until combined. Cut in shortening.
Pour liquid yeast mixture into flour mixture. Knead until smooth.
Place dough in a warm area, covered, until it doubles in size.
After dough has doubled in size, punch it down and knead with your hands one more time for 2 minutes. If dough is a bit sticky sprinkle it with flour as needed. Divide dough in half if you like. Use half for rolls and half for cinnamon rolls.
Divide half of dough into small pieces for rolls.
Shape and place in a greased baking dish. (Cover and let rise 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight.)
Bake rolls 12 minutes at 400.
Remove from pans to cool completely.
Gently pull rolls apart.
So now I want to hear from those of you who were eating fresh baked rolls and cinnamon rolls in their school cafeteria in the 80s. I have a feeling that it was geographically specific but I want to hear from you to confirm my suspicions. If the lunch ladies in your school cafeteria were. And don't worry, if you're like me and you missed out on fresh rolls in your school cafeteria - now you can bake them for yourself at home.
Ciao!
I ate amazing lunch lady rolls in the schools in WV I went to. In Ohio they only served Italian bread. Also in WV we had amazing lunch lady pepperoni rolls!! Yum. Your rolls look delish!
ReplyDeleteWV schools in the 80s and 90s were sometimes better than eating at home! Places I've traveled to can't believe it when I run down a typical menu for school. And please don't get me started on the pepperoni rolls😝
DeleteThe 80's? We were eating these rolls in the 50's, 60's and 70's
DeleteIn the 50s, 60s & 70s in Hawai'i parochial schools served every morning and lunch.
DeleteOh yes those rolls were the best in the 60 and 70’s
DeleteI ate lunch lady rolls and they were delicious
DeleteI didn’t see anything it all has what it needs to make them
DeleteI can’t find your directions on turning this dough into cinnamon rolls.
DeleteIn elementary school and jr high in the 70's in Texas, my school cafeterias made food fresh on campus, including bread. You'd go through your school day smelling the food being made for you. By the late 70's early 80's that all disappeared. I tell my kids the stories of smelling bread baking in school and how sad I am that they didn't get to experience that. Hope that helps on your concept of geographical musings.
DeleteSame, loved the smell of the food. I loved the rolls.
DeleteI still had the pleasure of eating this little piece of heaven until I retired last June with 38 years teaching. Believe me, I will still join my daughter ( still teaching) for their thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Both served with homemade cornbread stuffing and the rolls!
DeleteI went to two different county schools in Ava through the 70’s and 80’s and the rolls were amazing. Often I would just get two rolls and a milk. It was the best part of any meal and for the last 40 yrs , I’ve striven to do the same for my family at any special meal.
DeleteI ate lunchroom lady rolls in 68 and 69. Went to catholic high school in 66 and 67. Was thrilled to go to public school AND lunch lady rolls were part of the reason.
DeleteYayyyyyyyyy lunchroom ladies😍
Yes indeed. When I was 13 in junior high school we had rolls everyday made fresh. Used real silverware and plates and had awesome hot lunches. Mondays were always meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and those delicious rolls
Delete70's in Oklahoma!
DeleteVictoria,Tx my mother in law was one of the best cafeteria ladies you all are talking about. Yes they would baked fresh cinnamon rolls. When she bake these cinnamon rolls we would enjoy them as well.
DeleteI ate these rolls in the 60s in junior high and don't forget the delicious peanut butter cookies. At about 10am that aroma was everywhere.
DeleteI'm like you. Feel completely cheated but cannot wait to try these. Thank you for posting.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way,we were cheated, the one thing I loved was the peach cobbler
DeleteI need cinnamon roll recipe if you have it please
DeleteI used to work in the school cafeteria and used to make these rolls. So yummy I have made them since I’ve been retired and so yummy
DeleteI grew up in Florida in the sixties and seventies--Gadsden Co., Polk Co., and Lake Co.--all of the rolls at all of these schools were great! Also the cookies!
DeleteGreat rolls
DeleteIn Childress, TX, in the 1960’s, amazing rolls, peanut butter cookies the size of wagon wheels, you got 2!…. And the turkey pot pie!! I still make my turkey pot pie the same! Kids love it!
DeleteI worked in the lunch room in the 70’s and we made these rolls, used a large mixer and didn’t need them by hand, they were delicious.
DeleteI was a cafeteria lady in the '80s, and I lost my recipe. Although it's not quite the same, as what I used to make, I'm going to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteLet me know how my recipe measures up. Thanks for following the blog.
DeleteSorry that I took so long Amy. They came out great! I made the rolls and the cinnamon rolls (once I had the dough, making it into cinnamon rolls was easy, I remembered that part) The only thing that I changed was, as soon as they came out of the oven, we used to brush melted butter over the tops. I worked at a school in south Louisiana, just north of New Orleans, I'm pretty sure that most of the schools in St.Tammany Parrish did this final step also. Thanks again for the recipe
DeleteI think the secret ingredient missing in this recipe is dry powdered milk if that helps for that amount I’d put 1/2 cup .
DeleteWhat is shortening and what substitute can you use instead?
DeleteCrisco. Baking section. They have it now in blocks measured off like butter or cream cheese
DeleteMy next door neighbor was a lunch lady who made those fantastic rolls at my school everyday. I was in Daytona Beach Florida and I wish I had her recipe, she was originally from Kentucky and they really were delicious. I still remember the taste of them and I was looking to see if anyone else still thought about them, and low and behold I found these recipes. I am anxious to make these. I am 64 years old now so to remember a taste after this many years, means they were awesome. Linda Gilbert
Deleteis this recipe the same.
DeleteI'd like to give them a try. I just went looking for school cafeteria rolls. In the late 80's early, early 90's our cafeteria in Florida would make rolls that looked like this, but not every day. Sometimes they would have this cinnamon sugar glaze over them. Either way I was super excited when i saw its was a roll day!
ReplyDeleteSame here South FL, best rolls n the cinnamon rolls was also sold twice out the year. O' the memories!
DeleteIs the all purpose flour
DeleteWe had fresh yeast rolls in our cafeteria every day! Southeast Texas cafeteria rolls were the best from 1975 until 1988. My children had them until they left elementary school, then our schools went to frozen every thing.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the idea of kids eating healthy homemade food in the school lunchroom. I wish that was still the case today. I guess I'll just have to make homemade rolls at home for my family. I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as my family does.
DeleteOn your recipe u have a measurement of 1/2 tbs with no description of what is is, please clarify
ReplyDeleteIm so glad that you caught that. I think that I get in too big of a hurry sometimes when I copy my recipes. The 1/2 teaspoon ingredient that was missing was salt. I corrected the recipe. Hope you enjoy and thanks for stopping by the blog.
DeleteWhat kind of flour,can you use bread flour?
DeleteTo inquirers: The recipe is at the end of the original posting. However, there’s not usually a great deal of difference I’ve seen in basic yeast roll recipes. Also, most of the recipes you’ll find if you just Google “dinner rolls” or “yeast rolls,” are family sized; make them a few times, trying all purpose flour (or bread flour if specified), more salt or less salt, etc. Don’t mess with the amount of yeast, flour, sugar, and liquid.
DeleteRead as much as you can about yeast bread and its chemistry; you may be surprised by how much you’ll find, and how uncomplicated good bread can be! My memory is not what it was, but several years ago, a food editor—I’m pretty sure from The NY Times—published a wonderful no-knead bread recipe. Try Googling that—I know you’ll find it. (I won’t repeat it here because as an OLD English teacher, I fear inadvertently not giving due credit.) Don’t expect it to be a gorgeous loaf. Reserve judgement until you try a warm, buttered slice, and try not to eat the whole loaf! Anyway, the reward of developing a really good recipe is that it can elevate the simplest meal to the level of mastery. And yes, you can make incredible cinnamon rolls from a basic yeast bread!
I was in school between 1970 and 1983 and we moved a lot. I remember we had pretty amazing rolls in school in LaMarque, TX, but when I moved to my dad's in California and went to school at Las Lomas High School, the yeast rolls they made each morning before school were absolutely amazing. Each one took two hands to wrap around and they contained two little smoked sausage links and some kind of wonderful yellow cheese and had a lightly salted, buttery topping. I would definitely pay to get my hands on those rolls again
ReplyDeleteThat sounds amazing. Lunch ladies from the 70s are guarding those special roll secrets pretty closely. I hope you give my version of the lunch lady rolls a try though. They are pretty tasty. Thanks for stopping by the blog.
DeleteI worked for 10 years in A high School 1972 until 1983 .I cooked for the high school and 5 grades school kids . We had homemade rolls every day. Cinnamon rolls every morning for high school kids breakfast. Everything that us cafeteria women made was all from scratch everything. Now the grandkids go to school and their lunch that’s made at the school premises are terrible.
DeleteI just found this today, and am going to make these this week. I am currently a lunch lady in SE Idaho, and work at the local jr. high. We make all our bread. Rolls, cinnamon rolls, loaves of bread, bread sticks, and did make all our burger and sandwich buns until last spring. We use the same recipe for them all, with small variations. We serve some kind of bread everyday. I love the smell and process of making rolls for the schools, but using such a huge recipe, I've been looking for a smaller version to use at home. I can't wait to give this a try!! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteWhere can I find the recipe for the rolls?
DeleteI started school in 1949 in small-town Texas. Our “Lunch Ladies” cooked our lunches from scratch, including hot rolls. Delicious! (And the Baby Boom from WW II required several army barracks as classrooms—not ideal conditions, and many kids to accommodate!) To beginner cooks: most yeast roll recipes just need a little more sugar, rolled into a rectangle, smeared with soft butter, sprinkled liberally w/cinnamon & sugar, and cut into segments. Then allow to rise; bake; and cool. Ice with buttercream—or cream cheese icing, even better!
DeleteYes, I was one of those very lucky children to have these rolls & the cinnamon rolls which they called Bunker Hill in my school in Comfort, West Virginia. We had a lot of great food at our schools. I moved to Florida as an adult & raised my son her, though I feel I put him through good schools here, the food was awful. Thank you for posting this recipe. I have wanted it to so long & as a baker who does farmers markets, I'd love to bring these back to popularity within the farmers market community.
ReplyDeleteI am so excited to try these!! I went to school in the 80s-90s in Southeast Texas and we had THE BEST rolls & cinnamon rolls ever!!! U could smell the baking all morning long. In high school if we didn't have the first lunch, I had a teacher that would let us leave to go buy rolls and bring them to class lol. We would bring them back in those coca cola cardboard case boxes and share them lol. These look just like them so I can't wait!!! Thank u!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat great memories of your school cafeteria. You were very fortunate to grow up during a time and in an area where homemade rolls were the norm and not the exception. I hope that these rolls bring back some good memories of your days in high school.
DeleteTHANKS for this recipe! I LOVED the rolls...but the cinnamon toast they made out of the left over rolls is what I am craving:) I am gonna make these rolls with the whole of the dough...but use half for cinnamon toast:)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you enjoyed the roll recipe. This is definitely one of my favorites. I've made the whole batch into cinnamon rolls and I'm not the least bit ashamed of it. LOL. Thanks for stopping by the blog.
DeleteI grew up in Virginia and attended school in Virginia Beach. I graduated in 1978 and all through school we had homemade rolls and pizza. In high school and junior high they had homemade cinnamon rolls, and various cakes, and desserts. By the time my oldest girl went to school all they did in the lunchroom was serve frozen warmed up foods.
ReplyDeleteI had amazing rolls brushed with butter in 1977 in Cali Riverside and they cost one nickel i walked to school and you could smell them for blocks away i am going to try this recipe.
ReplyDeleteI was raised in Ocean Beach Calif. 1963 was in High school, The rolls they served were 4 inches around, served with real butter. 2 rolls a 2 small cartons of ice cold milk was my lunch every day. Thelunches were great back then. My kids wouldn't eat the lunches they served. my kids are fifty plus now.
DeleteCan I freeze 1/2 the dough?
ReplyDeleteI grew up with the wonderful homemade breads in our elementary school and junior high in Southeast Texas (75-80s). I never got a recipe but I know that the rolls with salted butter on top, cinnamon rolls and the pigs in the blanket (hot dog and cheese) all used the same base recipe. My Mom had it once but I still haven't found it. I'm excited to try This! Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteYes,I did eat freshly baked rolls in school doing the 70s,80s but not cinnamon rolls or buns
ReplyDeleteThe recipe I'd like to find from school would be the crispy oven baked chicken. Anyone have it?
ReplyDeleteI crush up crackers and roll my chicken in it and put what's left on top. It's chrispy and so good
DeleteI went to school in Boone County, WV. LOVED the school rolls from 1972-1985. Have missed them ever since. However we did have a dish nearly everyone dumped out...farmer Jones special. Consisted of rice, cheese, and mystery ingredients. ���� We lived for the rolls!!
ReplyDeleteOur lunch ladies always served homemade rolls that look just like these. I cant wait to try this recipe to see if I have finally found that heavenly memory. Today, my grandchildren arent quite as lucky as I was to be served such good food in the school cafeteria.
ReplyDeleteI always have had homemade breads it the lunchroom (62-76) Pigs in a blanket, pizza, rolls, cinnamon rolls.... from St Louis, to Denver to California to Oregon... all homemade!
ReplyDeleteI was one of the lady that made rolls at my school. I went to that school and 20 years I wanted a part time job so I started working as a sub then I got hired in as a full time. I miss the homemade rolls also. I can't find my recipe. I'm going to give this recipe a try. I'm now retired. The school no longer make them they now buy frozen rolls.
ReplyDeleteOur school in SE Arkansas had buttered rolls, cinnamon rolls, and peanut butter pie. Those were the best!
ReplyDeleteOh my…I went to school in SE Arkansas! Our cafeteria rolls were the bomb! The peanut butter cookies, and pizza were equally as delicious. The cafeteria lady lived across the street from where we lived, and she would bring us leftover cookies and chocolate milk. Those days were the greatest.
DeleteDoes anyone have a recipe for the thick cafeteria peanut butter cookies that were made at McKeesport, PA Vocational High School, they were the best?
ReplyDeleteWhat size pan do you use?
ReplyDeleteI went to school in the late 70s and 80s in Michigan and we had those delicious rolls. Everybody loved them. They were the best thing about hot lunch.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of flour. All purpose, Bread flour. Self riseing?
ReplyDeleteAll Purpose worked for me.
DeleteCant wait to make these rolls they look yummy
ReplyDeleteThose were the good old days when schools had the best rolls. The cinnamon rolls and regular rolls were awesome. The food was all made from scratch back in 60's,70,and even 80's. I feel for these children having to eat these meals at school that are sub-standard for the most part. Both bread flour and all purpose will work with this receipe.
ReplyDeleteOur lunch ladies in Newcastle Wyoming made the best homemade rolls and they served peanut butter with them that melted in the warm rolls, Yum! Then I'd go home and Grama would have rolls coming out of the oven that were so delicious that your mouth would water so much you needed a bib!
ReplyDeleteSounds great.
ReplyDeleteWhat size baking pan...?
Had these life-saving dinner rolls in the 50'sin Mississippi. I say life-saving because the food was so bad the rolls were mostly all we could eat.
ReplyDeleteI had these rolls in the 60's in Olahoma, but our lunch ladies were great cooks.
DeleteThis recipe has become my go to for rolls. They are easy. They always turn out. And my family will fight each other for the last one!!!! Lol
ReplyDeleteI believe you have the wrong place to be advertising porn
ReplyDeleteUnkind person to say the comment!!!
DeleteI went to school in the 70's and it was usually on Fridays 2hen we had the best Homemade dinner rolls. I want the recipie for lunch ladies Toasted cheese sandwiches done on a cut in half Dinner roll.OMG delicious.
ReplyDeleteI went to school in VA. We homemade rolls, hamburger buns hotdog buns and pizza. I will certainly be trying these tomorrow
ReplyDeleteI was blessed in school b/c my precious grandmother was one of the lunch ladies. She would bring home some left over rolls��. I would immediately heat up the oven (no microwave in those days)warming the crispy bottoms then slather homemade salted butter. What beautiful memories y'all have brought back to me. TY for this recipe. Oh granny also made the BEST buttermilk biscuits too. No one makes them like she did
ReplyDeleteIn school from 1961-1973 never had breakfast and is year the school Mitch had a fire you had to bring your own lunch which wasn't much mostly peanut butter and crackers. I think somewhere around 3rd grade we got tools on the day before Thanksgiving and again at Christmas but they where never a regular thing. And I don't know if it was these. My area.
ReplyDeleteWent to school in Mikton-Freewster Oregon in the 70's & 80's. The lunch ladies at the country school Ferndale made the best mummy rolls & in High school, McLaughlin Union High, our lunch ladies made homemade rolls, cinnamon rolls, caramel cinnamon rolls & hamburger buns everyday. Great memories of the smell throughout the school. Thank you for the recipe, will definitely try.
ReplyDeleteCan the rolls be made in a bread machine?
ReplyDeleteMy mother made those rolls almost every day of the 22 years she worked in the elementary school cafeteria where we grew up in Inverness, Florida. They were the best in the county and the county level staff of the superintendent would come there to eat every week. Awesome Inverness Primary School. Yeah Beulah.
ReplyDeleteMy grandma was a lunch lady😍 so we were privileged to have these rolls any time we had get togethers. She was a great cook and made just about anything. The 70’s and 80’s were wonderful. We are from North Carolina near the Virginia border.
ReplyDeleteI attended school in Calif and the smell of fresh baked cinnamon rolls greeted us every morning. As a young adult I continued to crave them during my 1st pregnancy so my brother would slways bring home one for my weekly visits.They were the absolute best.
ReplyDeleteCan you make them in a bread maker?
ReplyDeleteI had delicious rolls at school at least one day a week. A few years after I graduated and our children started school I decided to work in the same cafeteria from my school days. I loved it! I learned how to make our homemade school rolls. They were as as the ones I had in school. I worked there for 27 years.
ReplyDeleteHello, first time making these, how long does it take to double in size? Just don’t want to keep checking and do harm to it
ReplyDeleteThanks
My mouth is watering just reading the recipe! Yes, we had these in central Illinois, too!!
ReplyDeleteUmm I don’t think 25 years ago would have been enough…. More like 40 or more!
ReplyDeleteI went to very small school late 70s early 80s. The food we had was homemade. The rolls were amazing. They made the best cinnamon toast for breakfast. My favorite meal was the fried chicken and sweet rice. I would give anything to go back. There were only 14 students in my class.
ReplyDeleteCan you freeze the other half and I have my dish of rolls setting for 30 minutes they smell delicious I’m I to put in fridge or can I bake these
ReplyDeleteThey are delicious thank you for sharing
ReplyDeleteI had them at home fresh out of the oven in the 60's and school through the 70's. My husband makes them for special occasions.
ReplyDeleteIn Mississippi we ate these rolls in the 60’s and yes they were delicious
ReplyDeleteHow long does it take the dough to double, approximately?
ReplyDeleteI love these but can I leave in Fridge a couple of days before I cook them?
ReplyDeleteI felt so so sorry for you reading your story. My Grandmother was one of the cooks in the cafeteria at the High School in Pensacola FL & her job was to make the rolls. They were like 3 to 4" high & so very very soft. First, I didn't get to eat them when they were warm. My dad was only stationed in Pensacola a little before we were moving AGAIN. My sister on the other hand got to eat them warm. BUT, my Grandma would come by & leave a tray of them to help my mom come home from work & cook dinner for 3 kids whose Dad was out at sea & they were so so good!!!
ReplyDeleteI grew up in North Little Rock, Arkansas. I went to four different elementary schools and all four made the yeast rolls. I just thought it was "normal." They were always soooo good!!! You could smell these rolls every morning when you got to school. I have been wanting this recipe for years!! Thank you so much for posting this!! My husband grew up in Jones, Oklahoma and he said he grew up on these rolls too. I can't wait to make these for him!
ReplyDeleteI worked in the cafeteria for 10 years as a cook and 5 years as a manager. We would wait & put the salt in last. It had to do with them being more fluffy. They sure with good. Thanks for the recipe. I broke ours down for at home but I lost it. If you forgot to put the salt in it the children sure noticed it. Made a complete difference.we made enough for 400 rolls.
ReplyDeleteI was in school through the 80's and graduated in 92. We had AMAZING food in our school cafeterias and I would love to find some of the recipes those lunch ladies used. The grilled cheese sandwiches were spectacular and I've never been able to replicate them. The vegetable beef soup with big chunks of beef, carrots, potatoes, celery...so good. Foot long Weiner wraps with fresh made bread. And the rolls, yes, the rolls...we had a snack period- 15 minutes between period 2 and 3. I would go straight to the cafeteria's service window and buy a roll each day for 15 cents. They were big and soft and piping hot, right out of the oven. Back when school lunches were good!
ReplyDeleteI meant to include that the schools I attended were in Southern Oregon...since you mentioned location in your post.
ReplyDeleteYes, I had Wonderful hot rolls and cinnamon rolls in our school cafeteria in the 70's! They did not serve breakfast to us back then, the cinnamon rolls were our dessert on Fridays when they served chili. It was one of my favorite meals. I can't wait to try your recipe and see if it brings back memories! :-)
ReplyDeleteI grew up in tte 50s and graduated from high school 60 years ago in June and all through elementary school and high school that was the only thing that was always good - the yeast rolls. They would melt in your mouth. Sold 2 for a nickel and always lots of that USDA butter to slather onto them. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. Heading out of town but when I return I am trying this recipe
ReplyDeleteI worked in a cafeteria in Wisconsin where we made heat rolls and omg they were so good ! I’m so glad I found this recipe
ReplyDeleteOur cooks were real COOKS! The smell of the hot rolls would circulate throughout our building, silently informing us that we were going to have beef stew and hot rolls. Looking back at our amazing ladies, once a month, they would bake birthday cakes for lunch for that particular month. They would use real crisco white icing and decorate with colorful flours. Of course, these were baked in the large pans, but who cared! Each piece had a colorful rose on it and you were always excited to see what color you would get. No pre-fab, heat ‘em up meals like todays cafeterias. Sad to say, we never knew how lucky we were.
ReplyDeleteIt must be a WV tradition. I grew up in WV and the grade school we had amazing rolls. Peanut butter & syrup sandwiches & chili. All the meals were very good. But the Rolls really stand out. The schools are smaller than in other states. The little old lunch lady still comes in early in the morning and makes breakfast and lunch for the students. She has to be 80 years old. She loves making the kids happy. Just like a grandma ♥️
ReplyDeleteI was from Louisiana. I had the privilege of enjoying lunch lady rolls, cinnamon rolls and hamburger buns. My children also had the privilege of the same. I had during 60’s and 70’s. My children were 80’s and 90’s. Everyday we had homemade bread.
ReplyDeleteI hafd amazing lunch ladies that made us THE Best rolls! And Strombolli and so many homemade things. Had no idea how lucky i was. In Joyce, wa
ReplyDeleteI was eating these rolls in the 50s in elementary school and in the early 60s in high school. Our elementary lunches were plated so you got 2 rolls on your plate, but in high school it was cafeteria style and they were served in 2s. If you wanted just rolls you could get 2 for 5 cents. Plus we always had plenty of that USDA real butter at both schools. They would melt in your mouth they were so fluffy and oh so yummy. I am still a huge bread lover so am trying out this recipe right now. BTW I grew up in the heart of the Piedmont section of NC. I can't wait to try my finished product abd I like tte idea of using half of the dough for cinnamon rolls because an entire recipe of rolls is way too much for just me.
ReplyDeleteHere in Louisiana I had a friend who made the rolls and I remember distinctly they put powdered milk in them . Wasn’t a whole lot. I can’t be more helpful than that. I will try this one . It looks exactly the same as when I worked in the cafeteria. Thanks
ReplyDeleteWHERE IS THE CINNAMON ROLL RECIPE?
ReplyDeleteI’m an enjoyer of home made food in cafeterias in Arkansas and Chicago 60+ years ago.
ReplyDeleteI want the cinnamon roll recipe!!!! I’ve searched your website to no avail. I tried connecting by touching the name in your post without success and the link wasn’t at the bottom of the recipe as stated in the post. Please assist - thanks in advance.
How much rolls do this recipe make?
ReplyDeleteAny one from West Virginia school or other states know what they mixed with peanut butter that made the greatest peanut butter sandwiches
ReplyDeleteIn a small rural school in Western Kentucky, circa 1966, one could find the BEST soft and warm yeast rolls!
ReplyDeleteI started teaching in at the time a rural Indiana public school -yes cinnamon rolls and homemade rolls were served weekly. The smell in the building was amazing. We would have homemade turkey and noodles, homemade chili-it was all amazing. About 500 staff and students. Then as the school got bigger -about 650 now-government gets their hand in it -now everything is pre-processed and whole wheat- comes in a bag and merely heated up. Sad…..
ReplyDeleteI am from a small town in Virginia. My cousin was the lunch lady who made the rolls. She was known in the community as the roll lady. She made rolls for every church function, family gathering and community event. I will try your recipe for Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is good to reminisce, i want to know who has made these rolls and how they came out.
ReplyDeletewhere is the recipe
ReplyDeleteThese were great I just made them for thanksgiving dinner. I got an early start in case it didn't go well yum yum..
ReplyDeleteIf you make this all into rolls how many does it make and how many will fit in 9x13
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a small town in South Carolina. My neighbor made these yeast rolls. She did a twist with them. She made them into peanut butter rolls 🥰🥰
ReplyDeleteO my gosh!! We couldn’t wait till Friday to get one. The Best!!
We had lunch lady rolls in Northern Virginia in the 60’s and early 70’s. Also the homemade meat sauce and spaghetti were sooo good I used to beg my mom to be able to get TWO lunches on those days!
ReplyDeleteOur small school in southeast MN served delicious dinner rolls & cinnamon rolls (which I only got to enjoy when my bus wasn't too late to enjoy breakfast). My mom was one of the school cooks, so she may have brought home a recipe or two (though I've never been able to recreate the school's peanut butter cups as well). Thanks for sharing, will definitely try (as I've been on the hunt for a great cinnamon roll recipe for over a year!
ReplyDeleteIs that regular milk or powder milk?
ReplyDeleteHey it’s me again I’m asking is that an eighth of a cup of regular milk or powdered milk
ReplyDeleteI was one of those lunch ladies. And the baker on top of it. Yes me made homemade bread of some sort every day. Cinnamon rolls and chili for lunch.
ReplyDeleteNot a fan. These were very bland imo.
ReplyDeleteI went to grade school in the 60s at hiwassee elementary in va. and we had wonderful food including lunch lady rolls we even had preacher cookies ! I can't wait to make these rolls thank you for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteSoutheast Texas here. We had lunch lady rolls in the late 70s. Also had huge cinnamon rolls and twists for breakfast! Delish!
ReplyDeleteThe cafeteria dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls in the South in the 60sand 70s were HUGE and DELICIOUS! And yes you could smell them baking when you walked by the cafeteria on your way to class. They were so good!
ReplyDeleteWe ate these delicious rolls in our school cafeteria in the 70's
ReplyDeleteI made these rolls for ten years. We used thirty pounds of flour this made about seven hundred rolls. I loved making the rolls or cinnamon rolls. I cannot make these at home like I did at school. C CC C
ReplyDeletehow far ahead can these be made?
ReplyDeleteI remember these! I went to school in the South and they also made our hot dog and hamburger buns and Lunch lady pizza! You missed out! You always knew when they were making them because the aroma filled the whole school! Look up Lunch lady brownies, pizza and rolls. Sometimes called Cafeteria Lady.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Lunch lady Brownies and Cinnamon Rolls! Look them up! They're some pretty decent copycat recipes.
ReplyDeleteHow many rolls does half of the dough make? Can you make the dough and freeze it. Or make the diugh the day before you want bake the rolls?
ReplyDeleteDo the dough freeze well?
ReplyDeleteI went to high school in the 70’s and ate the best rolls I ever had! I could buy a single roll with butter for a nickel.
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