Step 1

Mix the warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a cup and allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast.

Step 2

In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together 5 cups of all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt. Next, add shortening and mix until flour is semi-crumbly.

Step 3

Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment- beat on low for about 2 minutes. Increase the speed and allow it to mix for at least 10 minutes. The dough will start to pull away from the sides and the dough will become pliable.

Step 4

Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, or a clean damp kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise in my microwave for 2 hours.)

Step 5

Grease a baking sheet.

Step 6

When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Cut the dough into 1 ½ inch pieces (I like to weigh each dough to 50g for uniformed dinner rolls). Then shape each piece into a smooth ball using your hands and place on the greased cookie sheet.

Step 7

Cover dinner rolls with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow it to rise for 30 minutes.

Step 8

Brush the top of dinner rolls with vegan butter (optional), and bake for 17-20 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven allow dinner rolls to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.