FLAKY DINNER ROLLS RECIPES

Steps:

• Place 5 Tbsp. butter in a medium bowl. Cook remaining 5 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling often, until butter foams, then turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in garlic; scrape butter mixture and all those toasty milk solids at the bottom of the pan into bowl with butter pieces. Reserve saucepan. Stir until all the butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Let sit, stirring occasionally, until butter is room temperature and solidified, 15–20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk ¼ cup milk, 3 Tbsp. flour, and ¼ cup water in reserved saucepan until smooth, then set over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until it becomes a very stiff paste resembling mashed potatoes, about 2 minutes. Scrape into the bowl of a stand mixer; reserve saucepan.
• Gently heat remaining ½ cup milk in reserved saucepan over low (it should be warm to the touch but not steaming hot). Remove from heat and let sit 1 minute. Add yeast and whisk until dissolved. Let mixture sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, brush bottom and sides of a 13x9" baking dish with 2 Tbsp. garlic butter; set aside. Set aside another 2 Tbsp. garlic butter in a small bowl for brushing over baked rolls.
• Add yeast mixture, sugar, 1 egg, and remaining 2¼ cups flour to paste in mixer bowl. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Add kosher salt, increase speed to medium, and continue mixing until dough forms a smooth single mass, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low again and add remaining garlic butter a tablespoonful at a time, waiting until incorporated before adding more. Once all of the garlic butter has been added, increase mixer speed back to medium and mix dough until very soft, smooth, and supple, another 8–10 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl; form dough into a ball and place in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft-free spot until doubled in size, 45–60 minutes.
• Punch down dough and knead several times to deflate, then turn out onto a clean work surface. To form the rolls, divide dough into 15 equal pieces (about 1½ oz. each). Working one at a time and keeping other pieces covered in plastic, fold edges of dough underneath, pinching bottom to seal. Turn 90° and fold and pinch again. Repeat process until you have created a smooth sphere with no seams except at the bottom.
• Place ball on work surface and rest the side of your hand next to it so your palm and fingers are cupped around it. Drag the ball toward you, using friction against the work surface to create tension and stretch the surface of the dough into a smooth, taut dome. This shaping method tightens the gluten over the surface so the rolls rise evenly upward and outward instead of slumping into amorphous blobs. Repeat with remaining balls of dough and place in prepared pan in a 5x3 grid, spacing evenly apart.
• Loosely cover pan with plastic wrap and let rolls rise in a warm draft-free spot until doubled in size and touching, 35–45 minutes (to test, poke one with an oiled finger; dough should spring back but leave a slight indentation).
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°. Beat remaining egg in another small bowl until yolks and whites are incorporated and no streaks remain. Gently brush tops of rolls with egg, then sprinkle with sea salt.
• Bake rolls until they are deep golden brown, 20–25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and brush warm rolls with reserved 2 Tbsp. garlic butter; let cool in pan 10 minutes.
• Slide an offset spatula around sides and underneath rolls to loosen, then invert onto rack and turn right side up. Let cool at least another 15 minutes before serving.
• Do Ahead: Dough can be formed into rolls (do not let rise) 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Let rise before baking; this may take around 3 hours.

Steps:

• Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray and set aside.
• Place the milk, sugar, yeast, flour, egg yolks, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine on low speed for 1 minute. Change the paddle attachment to the dough hook and rest the dough for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add 2 ounces of the butter and mix on low speed. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and you are able to gently pull the dough into a thin sheet that light will pass through, about 8 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll and shape with your hands to form a large ball. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm, dry place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and roll into a 12 by 12-inch square, about 1/2-inch thick. Melt the remaining 1/2 ounce butter and brush onto the top of the dough.
• Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 12 (12 by 1-inch) strips. Stack the strips into 2 stacks of 6 strips each. Lay the stacks on their sides and cut each stack into 6 (2-inch) wide pieces. Lay each piece on its side into a prepared muffin tin cup. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, dry place to rise until doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the plastic wrap and bake until the rolls reach an internal temperature of 200 degrees F, 8 to 10 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.
• Remove the muffin tin to a cooling rack and cool for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.