Fluffy Dinner Rolls

Why this recipe works When it’s time to prepare for a dinner party or holiday meal, the rolls typically get the last thought. That’s too bad, because soft homemade dinner rolls beat plastic wrapped store-bought versions any day. We wanted to develop a roll anyone could feel comfortable making—one with a fluffy crumb and a rich flavor. Before getting started, we assumed using all butter in the dough would give us the texture and flavor we desired. We were wrong. Instead, we found it best to use a duo of fats. Butter alone yielded flavorful rolls, but they were heavy (and greasy). Substituting vegetable shortening for a portion of the butter delivered a soft crumb. Why? It turns out that shortening coats the gluten strands in the flour more effectively than butter, creating tenderness. It also prevents the rolls from drying out. Whole milk provided our rolls with just the right level of moisture and richness, and one egg contributed structure and flavor. For a hint of sweetness, tasters preferred honey to sugar. When it came time to shape the rolls, we didn’t need professional skills; forming the dough into balls and then cupping each ball and dragging it across the counter were all it took to form tight rounds. We lined the baking dish with a foil sling before adding the shaped dough so that it was easy to get the baked rolls out of the pan without flipping the pan over and damaging the tops. Finally, brushing the dough with an egg wash before baking gave the rolls a deep goldenbrown color. As a bonus, this dough can be refrigerated overnight after shaping into rolls, making it not only easy to serve rolls for a special meal but convenient too.

MAKES: 15 rolls

RISING TIME: 2½ to 3½ hours

BAKING TIME: 25 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 4½ to 5 hours

KEY EQUIPMENT: 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pastry brush

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 cups (25 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1½ cups (12 ounces) whole milk, room temperature
• ⅓ cup (4 ounces) honey
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 4 tablespoons (1⅔ ounces) vegetable shortening, melted
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water and pinch salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, yeast, and salt. In a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together milk, honey, egg, melted shortening, and melted butter until the honey has dissolved.
2. Using the dough hook attachment on low speed, slowly add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and clears the sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 30 seconds. Place the dough seam side down in a lightly greased large bowl or container. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size, approximately 1½ to 2 hours.
4. Create a foil sling for a 13 by 9-inch baking dish by folding two long sheets of aluminum foil. The first sheet should be 13 inches wide, and the second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay the sheets of foil in the dish perpendicular to each other, with the extra foil hanging over the edges of the dish. Press the foil into the corners and up the sides of the dish, smoothing it flush to the dish. Spray the foil with vegetable oil spray.
5. Press down on the dough to deflate it. Transfer the dough to a clean counter and stretch it into an even 15-inch log. Cut the log into 15 equal pieces, approximately 3 ounces each, and cover them loosely with greased plastic.
6. Working with one piece of dough at a time, form it into a rough ball by stretching the dough around your thumbs and pinching the edges together so that the top is smooth. Place the ball seam side down on the clean counter and, using your cupped hand, drag it in small circles until the dough feels taut and round.
7. Arrange the dough balls seam side down into 5 rows of 3 in the prepared dish. Cover loosely with greased plastic and let them rise until nearly doubled in size and the dough springs back minimally when poked gently with your knuckle, approximately 1 to 1½ hours. (If desired, the unrisen rolls can be refrigerated for at least 8 hours or up to 16 hours. Let the rolls sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.)
8. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Gently brush the rolls with the egg mixture and bake until golden brown, typically 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the dish halfway through baking. Let the rolls cool in the dish for 15 minutes. Using the foil overhang, transfer the rolls to a wire rack. Serve them warm or at room temperature.