Fly off the plate rolls

Dinner rolls are incredibly important to me. They are a crucial part of Thanksgiving dinner and the process of eating the leftovers. They are necessary for making mashed potato and turkey sandwiches, which are essential to my happiness.

Biscuits are wonderful, but they don't do it for me on Thanksgiving. The perfect Thanksgiving roll has a light texture and a relatively soft crust. The flavor is delicate.

These were perfect.

{rolls, fluffy}

Fly off the plate rolls from Prairie Home Breads (a go to resource for excellent bread)

Makes 16 rolls

1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (I used milk instead)
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
3 3/4 to 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons instant nonfat dry milk (I left this out)
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons melted butter

*Proof the yeast - add it to the lukewarm water (or milk) along with 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar and let it sit for 5 minutes or so, until foamy.

*In a large bowl, stir together 3 cups of the flour, the salt, the dry milk powder (if using) and the rest of the sugar. Stir in the yeast mixture and then add the egg and the melted butter. Beat well.

*Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 7 - 10 minutes. The dough will be soft. Knead in up to 1 1/2 cups more flour until the dough is elastic and only slightly sticky. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside to rise, about 45 - 60 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

*Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and set aside. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Cut the dough in half, then cut each piece in half again. Cut each quarter of dough into 4 equal portions and form each portion loosely into a ball. Place 7 rolls around the perimeter and 1 roll in the middle of each prepared pan. Cover with clean tea towels and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. (If you need a bit more time, you can put the pans in the fridge after about 30 minutes. They'll hold there for a couple hours with no problem.)

*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls for 15 minutes, or until risen and lightly browned. Serve warm.