Never Fail Rolls - Really?

The problem with following recipes of old-timers is that they are often sketchy. Momma's rolls. She made them on occasion, I assume when she had the urge for bread. I don't recall her making them for holidays, but when she did make them, it was a very special occasion for us! We would all eat until they were gone, bemoaning the fact that they were gone. Usually accompanying these yeasty delicacies were her signature pinto beans. We often joked about her supplementing her income with a "beanery".
As I said, the problem is sketchy recipes. Her recipe just had the ingredients and one word instructions with what to do with them.
Not enough for me!
Therefore, I turned to a similar recipe that her best friend, Jewell, wrote out for someone named Judy. (I suspect it was my childhood next door neighbor.) These instructions were very detailed, so the fact that my Never Fail Rolls did indeed somewhat fail must be my own fault. Timing perhaps, because the actual making and kneading the dough went quite well. They were to be kept in the frig until needed, where it was supposed to double in size.
It didn't, so I took it out and left it in the cold bowl to double in the warm kitchen. I had to eventually place that bowl on the hot crockpot, which did the trick. Now they are rising in the pan, but the 1 hr. Jewell recommended isn't doing the trick. I'm not sure they were be ready for our family dinner tonight since it's already time for the family to meet. Hmmm. What to do?
We ate late and the rolls were certainly not like Momma's, but they weren't totally hopeless either.
It's a good thing I'm going to a bread-making class next Saturday.