The Secret To Making Homemade Dinner Rolls

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"Is there anything better than butter? Think it over, any time you taste something that's delicious beyond imagining and you say 'what's in this?' the answer is always going to be butter. The day there is a meteorite rushing toward Earth and we have thirty days to live, I am going to spend it eating butter. Here is my final word on the subject, you can never have too much butter."- Julie Powell, Julie & Julia

You guessed it, there is butter--lots of butter--in these rolls, and I must say, they are amazing.  They are everything you want in a perfect dinner roll: buttery, doughy, baked to a perfect golden brown, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!  You won't be able to eat just one.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 large egg                                                               
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 10 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter

Steps

Pour the milk, 3/4 cup white sugar, and 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter cut into cubes into a microwave safe bowl.

Heat for 1 minute at a time until the butter is melted.

In another bowl pour water over the yeast, and the 1 tablespoon white sugar.

In another large bowl add the milk mixture, and add 1 cup of flour, egg, and salt.

When the mixture has cooled, add the yeast mixture, and the remainder of the flour one cup at a time.

When the mixture became too thick to stir, I used my clean hands to mix thoroughly.

Once all the flour has been added, kneed the dough until it forms a nice ball.

Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

When the dough has risen, split it into four equal pieces.

Pat one of the pieces out into 1/2" thick sheet.

In a microwave safe bowl melt (you guessed it) 1/4 cup butter.

With a pastry brush, generously brush the sheet of dough with the melted butter.

Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into nine squares.

Gather the corners of each square and bring to the center, and crimp together.

  

Flip over and use your hand to shape the roll how you would like it.

Place each roll on to a well greased cookie sheet.

Leave a tiny amount of space between each roll (this allows room for rising.)

Cover the finished rolls and let rise for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

Melt 1/4 cup butter, and with a pastry brush, brush the tops of the rolls. 

Once the rolls have cooled, separate them and place them in a bowl (if you're planning to eat them right away, I would recommend making them this way), or into an air-tight container in the fridge.

Bring these to you next dinner party, you'll be the official roll maker from now on.

Enjoy!

   ~ Chef Megs