Soft and Fluffy Dinner Roll

I have been trying my very best to make a soft and fluffy sweet dough for ages only to end up with a rock hard one. I lost interest in it but not until I found a recipe that requires minimal ingredients and easy to follow instructions of a Dinner Roll from The Food Charlatan.

I suggest sparing your hand mixer from using in this recipe because mine broke while making this mouth-watering bread for the second time. I suggest that you use the Heavy Duty Stand Mixer or the Commercial Grade Dough Mixer.

Below is the recipe adapted from The Food Charlatan:

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 2 cups of milk
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup butter-flavored shortening OR real butter
• 1 egg
• 4-5 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 4 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing

Instructions

1. In a small bowl or coffee mug, microwave the 1/2 cup water for 20-30 seconds, until it is lukewarm but not hot.
2. Add the yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar and stir. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes. Watch it so it doesn't overflow!*
3. In a glass measuring cup, microwave 2 cups milk for 1-2 minutes until it is warm but not hot.
4. In a large bowl or stand mixer, add 1/3 cup sugar, salt, and shortening, and 2 cups of the flour. Stir together with a wooden spoon.
5. Add the warm milk, yeast mixture, and 1 egg. Mix well and let rest 5 minutes. At this point, I started using the dough hook on my mixer.
6. Add 2-3 (or up to 3 and 1/2) cups flour, one cup at a time, mixing in between. Once all the flour has been incorporated, knead for 5-6 minutes, using your hands or the dough hook.
7. Grease a large bowl well with oil or butter. Scrape all the dough into the bowl, shape it together, then turn it over so that the top is greased.
8. Cover loosely with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
9. Punch down the dough. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball (pinch one end with your fingers).
10. Place the rolls in 2 well-greased pans. I used one 9x13 pan and one 2 quart casserole dish.
11. Cover the pans with tea towels and let them rise in a warm spot for another 30-45 minutes, until doubled in size. When they are almost done rising, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
12. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown all across the top.
13. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter.
14. Eat hot! 

Make sure that your yeast mixture is foamy. If not, discard it and buy new yeast.

All of us in the family love how it tastes. I sprinkled some sugar and cheese and it tastes heavenly!