Fluffy Make Ahead Dinner Rollscooks Country Recipes

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, shut oven off. Grease large bowl with 1 tablespoon butter. Line 13 by 9-inch baking dish with foil, leaving overhang on all sides. Grease foil with 1 tablespoon butter.
• Place milk, honey, shortening, and remaining 3 tablespoons butter in large measuring cup. Microwave on high power until milk is warm (110 degrees) and butter and shortening begin to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir well.
• Mix 4 1/2 cups flour, yeast, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn mixer to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium, add 1 egg, and mix until dough is smooth, about 2 minutes. Add another 1/2 cup flour and knead until dough is shiny and smooth and comes away from sides of mixing bowl, 6 to 7 minutes (add up to 1/2 cup more flour if dough is too sticky). Turn dough onto unfloured surface and knead briefly to form smooth, cohesive ball. Transfer dough to buttered bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in turned-off oven until dough has doubled in size, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Punch down dough on floured surface and divide into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into thick cylinder and cut each cylinder into 5 equal pieces. Working one piece at a time (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) and following photos, form dough pieces into smooth, taut rounds and arrange in prepared baking dish. Lightly press on dough rounds so they just touch each other. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and return to turned-off oven until dough rounds have doubled in size, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Remove dish from oven and heat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap baking dish and brush rolls with egg-water mixture. Bake until rolls are deep golden brown, 25 to 27 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Using handles of foil sling, remove rolls from baking dish and cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Remove foil from rolls, return to rack, and cool completely, about 2 hours longer. Keeping rolls together, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil; freeze for up to 1 month.
• To serve: Remove plastic wrap and foil (reserve foil) from rolls, wrap in reserved foil, and defrost at room temperature for 2 hours. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake foil-wrapped rolls on baking sheet until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve.
• Rolls without a Mixer: In step 3, mix 4 1/2 cups flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Make well in flour, then add milk mixture and egg to well. Stir with wooden spoon until dough becomes shaggy and difficult to stir. Turn dough out onto floured work surface and knead, adding remaining 1/2 cup flour (or more as needed), until dough forms smooth, cohesive ball, about 10 minutes. Proceed as directed.

Steps:

• Cook's Note: I almost forgot to tell you-I used White Lily flour in this, which is a soft wheat flour. I like it for the delicate texture it adds. You may wonder why I mention it, but not all flours are created equal. Even among brands, there are differences, and it stems from the type of flour they use, which makes the protein count vary. Really high protein flours (often called bread flours) absorb a lot of water, and lower protein flours (cake flour is probably the lowest) absorb less. Each brand will use a different blend, and the one I used absorbs less on the whole, but is known, especially in the Southern US, for its excellence especially for making tender flaky biscuits. So this is why it may sometimes seem the water you add doesn't work right, on occasion. So in making dinner rolls, just as in bread, you start with an amount of water in the bowl, and you want to add flour, about a half cup at a time, until it comes together and forms the dough ball, coming away from the sides of the bowl. It shouldn't be as runny as cake batter or add more flour. It shouldn't be dry and crumbly or cracked, or you have added too much flour and need to add a little water and work it in until you get the dough ball. This is why you should never just dump all the flour in at once. I know most bread makers already know this, but there is always someone just finding out, and I got your back here.
• In your stand mixer, place warm water to heat the bowl.
• When the temperature of the water reaches 110F, drain off all but one cup.
• Sprinkle yeast over the water and let it soften.
• Add room temperature melted butter, sugar, room temperature eggs, and salt.
• Add dough hook and run mixer on low, adding flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough comes together, adjusting flour amount if necessary, then run mixer until dough is fairly smooth.
• Turn dough out into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half, then each half into 4 pieces, then each piece into thirds. Roll each piece into a log and cut into three more pieces, and roll in between lightly oiled hands into smooth balls.
• Place dough balls on waxed paper on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about an hour or so. Place balls in a freezer bag, and keep frozen until needed.
• To prepare, grease a muffin tin and place three balls into each cup. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm, draft-free place for several hours or until doubled in size.
• Bake at 375F for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, thoroughly mix 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and undissolved dry yeast. Set aside.
• In a saucepan, combine milk, water and margarine or butter.
• Heat over low heat until liquids are very warm (120 to 130 degrees F). (Margarine does not need to melt).
• Gradually add warm milk mixture to the dry ingredients.
• Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. (I use my KitchenAid Mixer).
• Add 1/2 cup flour and beat at high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough.
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top.
• Cover and place the bowl over a pan of water that is about 98 degrees.
• Let rise for 15 minutes.
• Punch dough down and turn out on a lightly floured board.
• Shape into rolls and place them on a well grease pan.
• Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 15 minutes or until almost doubled in bulk.
• Bake at 425 degrees F for about 12 minutes.