Classic Dinner Rolls

Day 16, Recipe 10

There is nothing better than the smell of fresh baked bread. It always reminds me of my Grandma Fanny's house. She has always made her own bread, and her house smells so yummy! So last night at like 5, I decided to make some dinner rolls. My first attempt did not rise, but I tried again and they came out terrific... even though we ate them while watching a movie at like 9!! I think my mistake was putting the salt to close to the yeast. So here is the recipe for the yummy dinner rolls. Make sure you copy it down for Thanksgiving!!

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking

Ingredients:

1 package (2 ½ teaspoons) active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, plus 1 egg beaten
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. In a mixer, dissolve the yeast in warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the milk (I heated mine just slightly), sugar, 2 eggs, butter, flour, and salt. Place the bowl on the mixer, attach the dough hook and knead on low speed. Add a little more flour only if the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5-7 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Remove the dough from the bowl. *If you do not have a mixer all of this can be done by hand, first incorporating the ingredients with a whisk and then using a wooden spoon until a mass forms. Then scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5-7 minutes.

2. Form the dough into a ball, transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap (I also cover with a towel). Let the dough rise in a warm, draft free spot until it doubles in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.

3. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. (I used my silicone baking sheets)

4. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a clean work surface. Cut it in half. Cut each half into 8 pieces (16 rolls total). Roll each piece against the work surface into a round ball. Place the balls onto the prepared pans, spacing evenly, cover loosely with a kitchen towel, and let them rise until puffy and pillow-soft when gently squeezed, 30-40 minutes.

5. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees.

6. Brush the rolls lightly with the beaten egg. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm. (I baked mine 20 minutes and they would have been fine at 18)