KS Quotient
Easy: Fuss-free, easily mixed ingredients. No hand-shaping.
These rolls are tender, rich, and aromatic, due to an ample addition of butter and a very long first rise that develops a fine yeast flavor and fragrance. They taste like the classic home-style butter rolls my mother sometimes baked, but I've eliminated the hand-shaping, which makes these much easier to prepare. I simply plop portions of dough into muffin tins, butter the tops, then set them aside to rise. Yes, sidestepping the traditional shaping means that the rolls come out looking like plain muffins, but since the dough is moister and is manipulated less, they are even more succulent and tender than hand-shaped ones.
To bake all the rolls at once, you'll need 18 standard-size muffin tin cups (about 2¾ inches across at the top), or 12 jumbo muffin tin cups (3½ to 3¾ inches across at the top). If you don't have enough muffin cups, use what's on hand to bake an initial batch of rolls. Keep the unused dough refrigerated for up to 24 hours, then stir well. Place in the tins and rise and bake as for the first batch.
Yield: 12 large or 18 medium muffin-shaped rolls
2½ cups (12.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour, plus ½ cup (2.5 ounces), plus more as needed
5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 1/8 teaspoons table salt
½ teaspoon instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
1½ cups ice water, plus more if needed
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus 1½ tablespoons more for brushing over rolls
1/3 cup top-quality instant nonfat dry milk powder (don't use a generic brand)
First Rise In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together 2½ cups flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, the salt, and yeast. Stir in the water, scraping down the sides just until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. The mixture should be the consistency of very thick pancake batter; if necessary, stir in just enough more water, a bit at a time, to thin it, or more flour to thicken it slightly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 15 to 20 hours.
Second Rise Vigorously stir ¼ cup butter, the milk powder, and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar into the dough until very well blended. Stirring vigorously and scraping down the bowl as needed, gradually add ½ cup flour or enough more flour to yield a dough slightly thicker than thick pancake batter.
Generously grease or spray 12 giant-size muffin cups or 18 regular-size muffin cups with nonstick spray. For large muffin cups, use a well-greased ¼-cup measure and scoop up scant cupfuls of dough; for small muffin cups, use a 1/8 -cup measure (or coffee scoop) and scoop up generous cupfuls of dough. Put the portions in the cups, then divide any leftover dough evenly among them. Drizzle 1½ tablespoons butter over the roll tops, dividing it among them. With fingertips, spread out the butter and smooth each top until the dough surface looks completely smooth. Tent the muffin tins with nonstick spray—coated foil.
Let Rise Using Any of These Methods For a 1½- to 2½-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate, covered, for 4 to 48 hours, then set out at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough nears the foil. Remove it and continue until the dough doubles from its deflated size. Sift a little flour over the roll tops for garnish.
Baking Preliminaries 15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375°F.
Baking Bake on the lower rack for 18 to 23 minutes, until the tops are nicely browned. Tent the pans with foil and continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes more, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part of a center roll comes out with just a few particles clinging to the bottom (or until the center registers 205° to 208°F on an instant-read thermometer), to be sure the centers are done. Cool in the pan on wire racks for 10 minutes. Sift a little more flour over the rolls if desired. Transfer the rolls to a bread basket for serving.
Serving and StoringBest served warm. Reheat, wrapped in foil in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or wrapped in paper towels in a microwave oven on medium power for 15 seconds per roll. Store airtight in plastic at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or freeze, airtight, for up to 2 months. Thaw before reheating.