Adapted from Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques & Recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman
Makes 12 rolls
Just as the awesome baking book noted above does, I’ve included both the volume and weight measurements. For best and most exact results, go by weight. But if you don’t have a kitchen scale handy, you can make do with volume measurements.
1# 1.6 oz (4 cups) bread flour
8.1 oz (1 cup) water, 100-110°F
1.8 oz (1) egg
1.4 oz (3 Tbl) butter, softened
1.1 oz (2 Tbl) sugar
0.9 oz (3 Tbl) dry milk (powdered milk)
0.4 oz (2 tsp) salt
0.09 oz (1 tsp) instant dry (or active dry) yeast
butter, as needed for greasing and brushing
Stir to combine the yeast & warm water in a small mixing bowl. Allow to rest 10 minutes.
Place the rest of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast-water mixture. Fit the mixer with a dough hook, and mix on first speed until the ingredients are incorporated, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to second speed and mix for 5 more minutes, until the dough is slightly stretchy.
Remove the hook from the mixer, cover the bowl with a damp towel, and allow the dough to rest 1 hour.
Grease the cups of a muffin pan with butter. Divide the dough into twelve 2.3-oz portions, trying to cut even, square pieces. Divide each portion into thirds (just eyeball it – no need to use the scale here). Lightly shape the little pieces into rounds and place them in groups of 3 into the buttered muffin cups. Cover the muffin pan lightly with a damp towel, and allow to rest in a warm spot until the dough has grown to about 1.5-2 times its original size, is rising slightly above the muffin cups, and is light to the touch. This will take about 2 hours or so. Brush the tops of the dough with melted butter.
Bake at 400°F until the tops are just lightly golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. (Even a few extra minutes of cooking will make for very tough rolls, so err on the side of taking them out a little early.) Immediately remove the rolls from the muffin cups and set on a cooling rack. Immediately brush the tops with more melted butter.
These are absolutely the best just out of the oven, with a smear of soft butter and a sprinkling of salt! But they’re also great for making a few hours ahead, and will stand up well, if stored at room temperature in air-tight containers. Allow the buns to cool to room temperature before storing in an air-tight container. They can be stored this way up to a day, but as with all freshly made breads, the quality declines quickly with time.
SERVED AT THIS DINNER PARTY
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