1 ¼ ounce packet active dry yeast or 2 ¼ teaspoons yeast (I use Saf-instant yeast in 1 lb pkg)
½ cup sugar
7 ½ to 8 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (I use King Arthur unbleached all purpose)
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus softened butter for brushing
2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
Place the yeast in ½ cup warm water(almost as warm as a warm bath) with 1 tablespoon sugar added . Let sit until
it bubbles and froths slightly. Set aside.
In mixer with a dough hook attachment:
Mix melted butter and milk at low speed. Add the eggs and mix until blended. Scrape the yeast mixture into
mixing bowl and mix until incorporated. Add ½ cup sugar, 7 cups of flour and 1 tablespoon of salt; mix until the
dough forms a ball, 2 to 3 minutes, adding up to ½ cup to 1 cup more flour if the dough is too wet and sticky.
Brush a large bowl with softened butter. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm
place for 2 – 2 ½ hours until dough doubles in volume.
Preheat the oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust with flour a clean flat surface or use a
non-stick silicone mat and turn the dough out onto it. Flour your hands; gently press the dough into a 16 by 8 inch
(or larger) rectangle, about ½ to ¾ inch thick. Don’t use a rolling pin.
With the long side of the dough in front of you, cut the dough lengthwise two times with a floured knife or pizza
cutter. You will nowhave 3 strips of dough. Don’t separate the long strips but cut the strips into 12 equal parts –
you will end up with 36 rolls.
16”
To form rolls, pick up each roll, fold the roll unevenly in half so the top part slightly overlaps the bottom half, then
tuck the overhang underneath. Place the rolls seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet in 3 tightly packed
rolls. (If making in advance, wrap the baking sheet tightly in plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 weeks.
Bake (at 375)until the rolls are bursting at the seams and golden brown – 18 to 20 minutes. (If frozen, bake 25
minutes at 325 then 10 minutes at 375.) Remove from the oven and brush with softened butter. Sprinkle with
kosher salt and serve immediately.
These rolls are AMAZING!!!! She served them her house as part of her epic NYC Thanksgiving dinner.
ReplyDeleteHere are some more hints from Amber:
The only thing that might effect the outcome is my rising phase produces dough that has risen pretty high –
much more so that when I bake bread. I have a setting on my stove that I just discovered (after 10 years) that
says “proof”. So I can set my oven on “proof” and the oven heats just a tiny bit. I put my hand in and I can’t feel
heat but when I touch the framework that holds the sliding shelves, they don’t feel cold like they would if the oven
was off. I keep the dough a good 2 hours in that environment and the dough is rising in a mounded shape above
the bowl and the dough is has a lot of air bubbles on the inside.
I do use King Arthurs unbleached all-purpose flour. For yeast I use the bulk package of Saf-instant yeast that comes
in a 1 lb package. I keep it in the refrigerator after opened and in the freezer before the package is opened. 1 ¼
once packet of yeast = 2 ¼ teaspoon yeast. I also try to have the eggs and milk at room temp. I usually don’t have
the time to accomplish that so I cheat a little bit and put the milk in the microwave for a quick zap and then float
the eggs in a bowl of water ever so slightly warm.
When I put the dough in the bowl to rise, I take it out of the mixing bowl and make a big ball with my hands then
put it in the buttered bowl. Then I turn the dough ball over so that all sides have been buttered.