Dinner Rolls

By tschnet1

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 teaspoons (or 2 packets) rapid-rise (or instant) yeast
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (2 tablespoons reserved)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 6 cups unbleached flour

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from 12tomatoes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Let the milk stand off the heat until a skim forms over the surface. Use a spoon to skim the skin off the surface and discard.

Transfer the milk to a large mixing bowl (use a stand mixer if your have one). Add 12 tablespoons melted butter, the honey, and the salt. Whisk to combine, then let the mixture cool.

When the mixture is warm enough to touch (about 90 or 100F), whisk in eggs and yeast until combined.

Add the flour to the bowl, and use a dough hook on the stand mixer (or by hand), mix until all ingredients are well combined. When pressed with a finger, the dough should end up feeling tacky and moist, but hsouldn't stick to your finger. If it's too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead some more just to be sure.

Lightly spray a medium bowl with nonstick cooking spray, then transfer the dough to the bowl. Lightly coat the surface of the dough with the cooking spray, then cover with plastic wrap.

Let the dough rise in a warm location until doubled in size (about 2 to 3 hours)

Coat 9-inch round cake pans (should need about 4 of them) with cooking spray.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough in half, then pat one half out into about a 12x10" rectangle, making sure to press out the air from one edge to the other.

Roll the dough into a cylinder about 10" long.

Using a chef's knife, cut the cylinder in half, then cut each of those pieces into 8 pieces each so you end up with 16 evenly sliced pieces.

Repeat the pricess with the second half of the dough.

Form the pieces of dough into smooth rounds, then arrange the rolls in the prepared cake pans (one in the center, and you should be able to fit about 7 other rounds around it. This should be enough to fill all four cake pans.

Lightly cover the cake pans with non-stick plastic wrap (or where the downward facing side is coated with non-stick spray), then securely cover the pans with foil.

Refrigerate for at least 24 to 48 hours.

On the day of baking, remove the foil from the pans and let the rolls rise in a room-temperature location until doubled in volume (about 6 to 7 hours). Once the rolls have doubled in volume, heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the plastic wrap, brush the rolls with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with a little salt.

Bake until a deep, golden brown (14 to 18 minutes).

Cool the rolls in the pans but on a wire rack for about 3 minutes. Transfer the rolls from the pans to rest directly on the rack, then let cool 10 to 15 minutes. Break the rolls apart and serve warm.