I found this one while flipping through an old copy of Canadian Living and decided to test it out. While they did take time (as you have to let the dough rise for an hour here and another hour there), they were relatively easy to put together – and were the perfect addition to our supper. And excellent for a sandwich the next day too. Enjoy.
Ingredients:
3 T. sugar, divided
1 1/2 c. milk, divided
1/4 c. butter
1 1/2 t. salt
1 T. active dry yeast (about a small packet and a half)
1 egg
4 1/2 c. flour (approx.)
Remove 1 1/2 t. of the sugar and set aside. Then in a saucepan, heat together 1 1/4 c. of the milk, butter and the remaining sugar and the salt over medium heat until butter melts. Let cool to room temperature – for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat remaining milk over medium heat just until warm and then pour into a large bowl. Stir in the reserved sugar until dissolved and sprinkle yeast over top. Let stand until frothy – about 10 minutes. Then whisk in butter mixture and egg.
Stir in 4 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, until soft ragged dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead – adding as much of the remaining flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking – until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). The secret to these buns and their fluffy texture is to be sure to use just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
Transfer to a large greased bowl – turning dough to grease all over. Then cover with a tea towel and allow to rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk – for about 90 minutes.
Punch dough down and turn out onto lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 20 similar-sized pieces. Shape each into a ball, folding ends underneath and pinching at the bottom and then rolling on the work surface in a circular motion with the seam side down until it looks like a smooth ball. Repeat with all dough pieces.
Place 2 balls of dough in the centre of a greased 9″ round cake pan – then place another 8 balls around centre of each. Repeat with a second greased cake pan. Cover each pan with a tea towel and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour). Then dust with flour.
Bake at 375F until rolls are golden and sound hollow when tapped – about 20 minutes. Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes and then transfer directly to racks or eat immediately.
*Can be frozen
I’m making these right now!