Name: Make-Ahead Bread Rolls
Cook time: 120 min
Ingredients: ½ c water; 3 tbsp bread flour; ¾ c milk (chilled); 2⅔ c bread flour (14⅔ oz.); 1 egg; 2 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast; 2 tbsp sugar; 1¼ tsp table salt; 2 tbsp unsalted butter (softened); vegetable oil spray

Make-Ahead Bread Rolls

This amazing recipe is courtesy of America's Test Kitchen!

Print Recipe

Cook Time 2

rising, cooling, and freezing 3

Course Side Dish

Servings 16 rolls

Ingredients

Flour Paste

½ c water
3 tbsp bread flour

Dough

¾ c milk chilled
2⅔ c bread flour 14⅔ oz.
1 egg
2 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1¼ tsp table salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter softened
vegetable oil spray

Instructions

For the flour paste:

Whisk water and flour in a small bowl until no lumps remain. Microwave, whisking every 20 seconds, until mixture thickens to a stiff, pasty consistency, 40 to 80 seconds.

For the dough:

In bowl of stand mixer, whisk flour paste and milk until smooth. Add flour, egg, and yeast. Fit mixer with dough hook and mix on low speed until all flour is moistened, 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes.
Add sugar and salt and mix on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. With mixer running, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue to mix on medium-low speed until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes longer.
Transfer dough to lightly floured counter. Knead briefly to form ball and transfer, seam side down, to lightly greased bowl; coat surface of dough lightly with oil spray and cover. Let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Press dough to expel air, then transfer dough to counter. Pat into 8-inch square of even thickness. Using bench scraper or chef’s knife, cut dough into 16 equal pieces (4 rows by 4 rows). Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, form dough into smooth, taut balls. (To round, set piece of dough on unfloured counter. Loosely cup your lightly floured hand around dough and, without applying pressure to dough, move your hand in small circular motions. Tackiness of dough against counter and circular motion should work dough into smooth ball.) Arrange dough balls seam side down on prepared sheet, placing 5 balls down each long side and 6 down center. Cover and let rise until almost doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
When rolls are almost doubled in size, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Bake until rolls are risen and register 170 to 175 degrees, 14 to 16 minutes (rolls will have little to no color). Transfer sheet to wire rack and let cool completely, 30 to 45 minutes (rolls will wrinkle slightly). Transfer sheet to freezer and freeze rolls until solid, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer rolls to zipperlock bag and freeze for up to 6 weeks.

To serve:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange desired number of frozen rolls on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer rolls to wire rack and let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.