Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, (divided)
  • 3 teaspoons instant yeast ((or active dry --see Note 1))
  • 3 tablespoons honey, (separated)
  • 1-1/2 cups warm water
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4-1/2 cups (615g) white, all-purpose flour, (plus more for shaping rolls)
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt

Instruction

  • BUTTER: In the microwave, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl and set aside to come to room temperature.
  • YEAST: Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl add 3 teaspoons yeast and 1 tbsp. honey. Pour 1-1/2 cups warm water over (Note 2). Whisk and let sit 5-10 minutes (It should look creamy/foamy after 5 minutes (see photo). If not, the yeast is either dead or the water was too hot and you'll need to begin again or rolls won't rise.
  • BUTTER: To the melted butter bowl, add the remaining 2 tbsp. honey and 2 large eggs. Whisk until smooth and completely combined.
  • FLOUR AND SALT: In a very large bowl add 4-1/2 cups flour (weighing 615 grams if you have a scale!) and 2 tsp salt. Whisk. Make room in the center to add wet ingredients. Use a spatula to scrape every bit of the butter mixture and then the yeast mixture into the middle of the flour. Stir with a strong rubber spatula until a thick, shaggy dough forms with no dry streaks of flour (see photo -- it is sticky/wet). Cover with plastic wrap.
  • Two options for how to proceed:MAKE ROLLS TODAY: Let dough rise in a draft-free environment (~70 degrees F) for 90-120 minutes or until nearly tripled in size. (This is always 90 minutes at my home).MAKE ROLLS TOMORROW: Let dough rise in a draft-free environment (~70 degrees F) for 30 minutes. Then place on the bottom shelf of a fridge and refrigerate for 8 hours up to 12 hours (no longer). Remove and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or until dough is about 3 times the initial size.
  • SHAPE ROLLS: Spray a 9x13-inch pan generously with cooking spray. Sprinkle a large clean work surface with flour then tap all your fingers in flour. Dip a spatula in the flour. Use the flour-dusted spatula to scrape all the dough onto the floured surface. Sprinkle flour on top and then shape dough into an even-sized rectangular log. Cut into 4 equal pieces (just eyeball it!) and then each piece into 3 more pieces. (You will have 12 balls of dough.) Dust fingers and knife liberally as needed with more flour so the dough doesn't stick.
  • SHAPE ROLLS, CONT.: Working with one piece of dough at a time, use your fingers to pull the dough from the top, keeping a smooth top, and pinching it underneath. Place the pinched side on the work surface and gently roll the ball using your other hand to guide it into a round ball (the video is helpful here). Set shaped balls into prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough balls to get a tray filled with 4 rows of 3 rolls each. Lightly spray plastic wrap with cooking spray and set over rolls. Let rise for 20-30 (up to 45) minutes or until nearly doubled in size.
  • BAKE: While rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once the rolls have risen, remove plastic wrap and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the surface is golden brown and the rolls sound hollow when tapped. Remove from the oven and brush on the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.
  • ENJOY: Let slightly cool and then dig in! Rolls are best served same day, warm.