Caramel Rolls

For the Rolls

1. Place the warm water (110° to 115° F) in a small bowl or measuring cup. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and set aside for 5 minutes, or until it becomes frothy on top and smells "yeasty". Very lightly butter the insides of two 9″ x 13″ pans, then set aside - Mom always prefers light-colored aluminum baking pans for this recipe.
2. In a small pan over medium heat, melt shortening in 1 cup of hot water. Remove from heat and add 1 cup cold water.
3. Add the water and shortening mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer, and then add the ¾ cup sugar, salt, and eggs, followed by the activated yeast mixture. With a dough hook attachment, mix these ingredients just until combined.
4. Then add the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing it in almost entirely each time before adding the next cup. When all flour has been incorporated, you will have a very soft dough that is easy to handle. At this point you can either use the dough right away or store the dough in the refrigerator for up to a week to make the rolls at a later time (see Notes section for details).
5. Cover the inside of a large bowl with a very light coating of oil. Place dough in the oiled bowl, turning it over to get some oil on all sides, so the top of the dough stays soft. Cover top of bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set in a warm place. Let dough rise to about double the original amount. This can take at least an hour, depending on the warmth of your surroundings, etc.

For the Caramel

1. While the dough is rising, prepare the caramel. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together brown sugar, cream, butter, corn syrup, and water until melted and combined. When it just starts to bubble (do not let it boil), remove the saucepan from the heat. It will have a cloudy appearance and will stay soft once the rolls are cooked. Divide the caramel between the two 9″ x 13″ pans, then set the pans aside to let the caramel cool while the dough continues to rise.

To Assemble

1. Once the dough has doubled, score it in half. With a rolling pin, on a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough half into a large rectangle shape, about 14″ x 8″.
2. Using the Cinnamon Sugar Filling ingredients, brush half of the melted butter over one dough rectangle. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the melted butter on the dough rectangle. Starting with the wide side of the dough rectangle, roll the dough up tightly, and finish by pinching the seam to seal it. Cut the dough roll into 12 equal slices, using a sharp serrated knife or a piece of dental floss or thread. Place dough slices, cut-sides facing up, in one of the 9″ x 13″ pans with caramel in the bottom. Repeat with the other half of the dough, to create a second pan of rolls.
3. Cover each pan with a clean kitchen towel and let dough rise again in a warm place, until dough has doubled in size. This can take at least an hour, depending on the warmth of your surroundings.
4. Preheat oven to 350° F. Place pans in oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. If you want to turn the rolls out onto a platter, let the rolls rest for 5-10 minutes after removing them from the oven before doing so. We usually just serve the rolls straight from the pan. If the rolls are at room temperature, I highly suggest warming them up just a bit, so they're warm and super tender!