I got this recipe first from my grandmother, who is anything but vegan, and tweaked the recipe. These rolls are fabulous, soft, and chewy. Personally, I like to throw fillers in the middle of the rolls, such as dairy-free cheese and jalapenos or veggie sausage. For those who may not look ahead at the steps, these are best if you start making them in the morning because they'll end up rising for a total of roughly 2 ½ to 3 hours.

2 cups warm water
1 Tablespoon dry active yeast

6 cups all-purpose flour (or half wheat/half all-purpose)
¼ cup sugar
1 scant Tablespoon salt
optional spices (½ teaspoon of each) oregano, rosemary, thyme, parsley

½ cup vegetable oil

1)
In a small bowl, combine yeast and warm water and allow to sit until foamy.

2)
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and spices (if desired). Gradually pour in yeast/water mixture, stirring while pouring, and mix until just incorporated. Add the vegetable oil and continue to mix until dough forms.

3)
On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a firm ball and place in an oiled bowl, cover with a cloth, and allow it to rise in a warm area, about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

4)
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and gently knead it about 2 minutes, then let it rise in the same fashion for another 30 minutes to an hour.

5)
Preheat the oven to 365F (185C) (odd, I know). Punch dough down again and separate into small balls sizing around a little larger than golf balls and place them on a nonstick or sprayed cookie sheet. I also spray mine with a little Pam to add shine to the rolls. Cover with a cloth and allow these to rise about half an hour. Bake the rolls about 15-20 minutes, or until they're golden on top and make a hollow noise when you tap them. Allow them to cool a little on the pan, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and enjoy them warm!