Con’s Kefir (or Dairy-free) Buns

I make this several times a week. There’s nothing like buns hot from the oven, especially with butter and honey or just basil butter.

• 1 Tablespoon (T) yeast (I use saf-instant yeast with cold well water. If using active yeast, also use appropriately lukewarm water
• scant 1/3 cup (c.) maple syrup (or sugar, see less organic variation below)
• scant 1/3 c. filled with equal amounts of (organic unsweetened homemade) applesauce and (home-rendered) lard. Use other shortening if desired
• 3 c. flour (I use a concentrated flour; depending on what you use, you may want to add 1/4 cup to each cup [for a total of 3 3/4 c. flour)
• 1 teaspoon (t) salt
• 1 c. filled with 1 large egg and then strained kefir milk (or water for a dairy-free version)

In a bread machine, add the above ingredients. Set on dough cycle. When finished, gently shape dough into about a dozen or fewer rolls, approximately two-three inches in diameter. Raise 20 minutes or so, bake (optional: slightly greased–I use an old butter wrapper from those I keep in a plastic bag in the freezer) on baking stone or other baking sheet at 350 degrees convection for 10-15 minutes or until well browned.

For a less organic, non-kefir version using sugar, decrease flour to 2 2/3 c. and substitute water for the kefir milk.