Make-Way-Ahead Dinner Rolls

• servings: 16 rolls
• total time: 5 hr 15 min

Ingredients

Flour Paste

½ cup water

3 tablespoons bread flour

Dough

¾ cup milk, chilled

2⅔ cups (14⅔ ounces/416 grams) bread flour

1 large egg

2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1¼ teaspoons table salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Vegetable oil spray

Directions

For The Flour Paste:

Whisk ½ cup water and 3 tablespoons bread flour in small bowl until no lumps remain. Microwave, whisking every 20 seconds, until mixture thickens to stiff, pasty consistency, 40 to 80 seconds.

For The Dough:

In bowl of stand mixer, whisk flour paste and ¾ cup chilled milk until smooth. Add 14⅔ ounces bread flour, 1 large egg, and 2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise 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 2 tablespoons sugar and 1¼ teaspoons table salt and mix on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. With mixer running, add 2 tablespoons softened unsalted 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.