1-HOUR SOFT AND BUTTERY DINNER ROLLS

INGREDIENTS

1 cups water
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon active-dry yeast*
3.5 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
extra melted butter, for brushing on top

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep your oven and baking dish. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray, and set aside.
Warm the liquid ingredients. In a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, stir together the water, milk, butter and honey. Then microwave for 1 minute, and give it a stir. Then continue microwaving it in 15 second intervals, until the mixture is very warm to the touch but not hot or boiling (anywhere between 95°F-115°F), and the butter is completely melted. The temperature of the water is important here, because if it’s too hot (120°F or more), it will kill the yeast. If it’s too cool, the yeast will not activate. Just think — a little bit warmer than your body temperature.
Add yeast. Pour the liquid mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer. Then sprinkle the yeast evenly on top, and give it a quick stir with a fork to combine. Wait for five minutes, or until the yeast is foamy.
Add dry ingredients. Then add in 3.5 cups of flour (not all of the flour!) and the salt.
Mix. Using the dough-hook, mix on medium-low speed until the dry ingredients are combined. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add in 1/4 cup more flour at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is only slightly sticky to the touch. (Only use up to 4 cups of flour total.) Continue mixing on low speed for 4-5 minutes. Then form the dough into a ball with your hands and transfer it to a greased bowl.
Let the dough rise. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or paper towel, and let it rise briefly for 15 minutes.
Form the rolls. Gently punch the dough down and divide into 15 equal-sized pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place the dough balls in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover the dish again with a damp towel or paper towel, and let the dough balls rise for an additional 15-20 minutes.
Bake. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly golden brown on top and cooked through.
Brush with more butter. Remove the baking dish from the oven, and brush the tops of the rolls with butter. (Yum.)
Serve warm. And enjoy!

NOTES

*I buy my yeast in bulk. But if you’re buying the packets, note that 1 packet contains 2.25 teaspoons yeast. So this will call for a little more than 1 packet.