MAKES 1 1⁄2 DOZEN

You can prepare this dough and keep it in the fridge for up to a week, making as many rolls as needed on a day-to-day basis for your family's meals.

1 cup plus 1 tbsp. vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 1⁄2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2  7-gram packages active dry yeast
7 cups flour
1⁄4 cup butter, melted

1. Grease a baking sheet with 1 tbsp. shortening; set aside. Put remaining shortening, sugar, salt, and 1 cup boiling water into a large nonmetal bowl and stir to dissolve shortening; let cool to lukewarm. Add eggs and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

2. Put yeast and 1 cup warm water into a small bowl and stir to dissolve. Add yeast mixture to shortening mixture; stir to combine. Add flour and stir, first with a wooden spoon, then with your hands, to form a dough. Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface and knead gently until dough forms a smooth ball, 1–2 minutes. Clean out bowl, place dough inside, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out into an 8" × 15" rectangle. Cut out rounds using a 2 1⁄2" round biscuit cutter. Brush tops of each round with melted butter (reserve leftover butter), then fold each in half to form half-moon shapes, pressing down gently on edges to secure shape. Arrange rolls on the prepared baking sheet, spaced evenly apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to let rise until doubled in size, about 1–2 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 425°. Uncover rolls and bake until golden brown and cooked through, 13–15 minutes. Brush with reserved butter; let cool.