This is an easy and versatile bread. Be creative and use the dough to make burger buns topped with sesame seeds or even hot dog rolls!
Ingredients
1 cup whole milk, heated to 180 then cooled to 110
2 and 1/4 teaspoons instant y east (1 standard packet)
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 large egg
1/4 cup (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour or bread flour* (spooned & leveled)
optional topping: 2 Tablespoons (28g) melted unsalted butter mixed with 1 Tablespoon honey
Instructions
1. Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the remaining sugar, egg, butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. With a dough hook or paddle attachment, mix/beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then add the remaining flour. Using the dough hook, beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough seems too wet after two minutes of hydration , beat in more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough. Be sure to allow the dough to hydrate after each addition of flour. Dough should be soft and a little sticky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.
3. Knead the dough for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes.
4. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and allow it to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. (I always set my oven on the bread proof setting so the dough rises in about an hour. If you let it rise on the counter, it can take up to 2 hours.)
4, Grease a 9×13 glass baking dish. I prefer glass so the rolls don’t over brown. Alternatively, you can use a 9,13 inch baking pan or two 9-inch square or round baking pans. You can also bake the rolls in a cast iron skillet or on a lined baking sheet.
5, When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 14-16 equal pieces using a bench scraper. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange in prepared baking pan.
6. Cover shaped rolls with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
7. Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F. (It’s best to bake the rolls towards the bottom of the oven so the tops don’t burn.)
12.Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven, brush with optional honey butter topping, and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving.