Are you intimidated by the idea of baking with yeast? Here's a great recipe from King Arthur Baking. It makes a big batch in no time flat - great to take along to a pot luck to show off your talents. The only adjustment I made was to mince up some fresh herbs in the dough, which added a bit of color and a hint of garden freshness.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113g) lukewarm water
- 2 cups (454g) warm milk (100°F to 110°F)
- 3 tablespoons (43g) butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (21g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (28g) yeast, instant yeast preferred
- 6 to 7 cups (723g to 843g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Instructions
-
Combine the water, milk, butter, sugar, salt and yeast in a
large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir well and let sit for 6
to 8 minutes, or until you see the yeast begin to foam.
-
Add 5 cups of flour and mix by hand or with the paddle
attachment until the dough forms a rough, shaggy mass. The dough will
not form a ball at this point, but will be just shy of coming together.
-
Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time and blend with the dough hook
until a smooth ball begins to form. Knead by hand for about 10 minutes,
or by machine for 4 to 5 minutes until a soft, smooth ball of dough is
formed. The dough should feel elastic and slightly tacky to the touch.
-
Lightly spray your work bowl with cooking spray and place the
dough in the bowl. Spritz the top of the dough with spray as well and
cover lightly with plastic wrap or a shower cap. Let rise for 20 minutes
at room temperature or until the dough is full and puffy.
-
Gently deflate the dough and pat out to a rough rectangle
about 8 inches by 12 inches. Cut the dough into 4 long strips, then cut
each strip into 6 portions for a total of 24 dough balls. Shape into
round balls as you would shape meatballs, using your cupped hands to
roll the dough. Spritz your hands with cooking spray to prevent
sticking.
-
You can place the rolls into any of the following pans, well
greased or lined with parchment paper: One half-sheet baking pan or 2
quarter-sheet pans. Two 13" x 9" x 2" pans. Four 8" or 9" round baking
pans OR a combination of any of these pans.
-
After the rolls are in the pans, cover again with your
plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for another 20 to 25
minutes, or until well rounded and full looking. If you are baking now,
preheat the oven to 350°F.
-
Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and
an internal thermometer reads 190°F. You can brush the baked rolls with
melted butter if desired. Serve warm, store leftovers in a plastic bag
for up to 3 days.
-
If you want to freeze the unbaked buns, place in the pans as
described in step 6 and allow to rise for 10 minutes. Wrap airtight and
freeze for up to 4 weeks. To bake, thaw overnight in the fridge, then
unwrap and bake as directed.
Tips from our Bakers
- Yes, you read that yeast amount correctly. This is a quick rise recipe, hence the higher amount of yeast.
- This recipe as written makes 2 dozen large, fist-sized rolls. Feel free to make a larger number of (smaller) rolls simply by dividing the dough into a greater number of pieces initially.
