40-Hour Week Dinner Rolls A.K.A. Scoop-and-Bake Dinner Rolls

We love music here at The Greasy Skillet. There are days when carefully selected playlists are as essential in the kitchen as sharp knives.
We don't discriminate when it comes to music. We spin an eclectic mix of music in our kitchen.

I love songs that mention geographic locales. I trace this love back to singing Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" back in my elementary school days. When I hear a song that mentions a dot or squiggle on a map, I start thinking about the possibilities the road has to offer. Of course, some of those possibilities involve food.

However, I've noticed songwriters often ignore the state of Kansas. They seem to favor those Southern states or California, and if I had a dollar for every song that mentioned Texas, I could retire and blog full time.

I have encountered a few songs that mention the Great State of Kansas. Over the next few weeks I will spotlight some of those songs, and since this is a food blog, I'll throw in a recipe to accompany each song.

When I told Mr. Crankypants about this feature he actually smiled and seemed excited - something I rarely see from him. When I revealed the song I would use to kickoff this feature, he threw a fit and screamed, "Nooooo. You can't feature that song. It's crap. It's schmaltzy drivel. It has slick, over-produced sound that sounds canned. In fact, it's the equivalent of canned mushrooms. You wouldn't use canned mushrooms in a recipe."

I then explained to him that this song was part of my youth, and here at the The Greasy Skillet I strive to be honest, even if it is a bit ugly. I told him that a people shouldn't have to defend their musical tastes. I also told him that I don't have a problem occasionally using canned mushrooms when I cook. To conclude my argument, I simply informed him that this was my blog and I would do whatever the heck I wanted to do and schmalty drivel is redundant.

He simply grimaced through my whole explanation.

Today's featured song is "40-Hour Week" by Alabama. I have fond memories of this song. When I was in middle school, I'd spend the weekend with my cousin who lived in Quenemo, Kansas. In the afternoons, we take a pocketfull of quarters and head down to the travern, where we'd waste away the afternoon shooting pool, playing Galaga, and eating junk food. We'd also pump quarters into the jukebox. Between cuts from Def Leppard and Pat Benetar, we'd play some Alabama

The song "40-Hour Week" praises the hard workin' folk across American. It's just one of many country songs that explores this theme, but at one time I really loved the song because it was the first song that mentioned my home state.

There are people in this country who work hard every day
Not for fame or fortune do they strive
But the fruits of their labor are worth more than their pay
And it's time a few of them were recognized

Hello Detroit auto workers, let me thank you for your time
You work a forty hour week for a livin', just to send it on down the line
Hello Pittsburgh steel mill workers, let me thank you for your time
You work a forty hour week for a livin', just to send it on down the line

This is for the one who swings the hammer, driving home the nail
Or the one behind the counter, ringing up the sale
Or the one who fights the fires, the one who brings the mail
For everyone who works behind the scenes

You can see them every morning in the factories and the fields
In the city streets and the quiet country towns
Working together like spokes inside a wheel
They keep this country turning around

Hello Kansas wheat field farmer, let me thank you for your time
You work a forty hour week for a livin', just to send it on down the line
Hello West Virginia coal miner, let me thank you for your time
You work a forty hour week for a livin', just to send it on down the line

This is for the one who drives the big rig, up and down the road
Or the one out in the warehouse, bringing in the load
Or the waitress, the mechanic, the policeman on patrol
For everyone who works behind the scenes

With a spirit you can't replace with no machine
Hello America let me thank you for your time

You wont' find this song on my Ipod, but if I heard "40-Hour Week" blaring from a bar jukebox, I'd hoist a beer and heartily sing that line about Kansas wheat field farmers.

Here's a recipe for those who people who work hard each day and find it difficult to fit a little baking into the schedule:

Scoop-and-Bake Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 14/ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg

Preparation:

1. Grease a twelve-cup muffin tin.
   
2. Whisk 1 1/4 cups of the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Whisk in the butter, egg, and water until it is smooth. Add the remaining 1 cup of flour and mix until it's combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place until the batter has doubled in size. This will take about 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Punch the dough down. Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin cups. I use a large ice cream scoop. Cover the muffin cups with greased plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the batter reaches the rims of the muffin cups, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the rolls until golden, 14 to 18 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes before removing.
   
5. Serve

What's your favorite song that mentions a geographic locale?

May your tank always be full,
muddywaters

Next week Josh Ritter's "Lawrence, KS" will be in the spotlight.