INGREDIENTS:
1 cup water
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon active-dry yeast*
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
extra melted butter, for brushing on top
INSTRUCTIONS:
Prep your oven and baking dish. Heat the oven to 400°F degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, and set aside.
Heat the liquids. In a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, stir together the water and melted butter, then add in the milk and honey and stir until combined.
Microwave the mixture for 1 minute and give it a stir. Continue microwaving the mixture in 15 second intervals, until it reaches 110°F degrees (it will be warm but not hot to the touch) and the butter is completely melted.
Add yeast. Pour the liquid mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer. Then sprinkle the yeast evenly on top, give it a quick stir with a fork to combine, and let the yeast activate for 5 minutes until it is foamy.
Add dry ingredients. Add in 3 1/2 cups of flour (not all of the flour) and the salt.
Mix. (See alternate instructions in the notes below for how to knead the dough by hand.) Use the dough-hook to mix in the dry ingredients on medium-low speed until combined.
If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add in 1/4 cup more flour at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is only slightly sticky to the touch. (Only use up to 4 cups of flour total.)
Continue mixing on low speed for 4-5 minutes until the dough is smooth. Then form the dough into a ball with your hands and transfer it to a greased bowl. Let the dough rise. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or paper towel, and let it rise briefly for 15 minutes.
Form the rolls.
Punch the dough down gently and cut it into 15 pieces of the same size. Create a ball out of each piece of dough, then put the dough balls in the prepared baking dish. The dough balls should rise for an additional 15-20 minutes after you cover the dish once again with a moist cloth or paper towel.
Bake. When the rolls are cooked through and the tops are a light golden brown, remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes.
Apply extra butter to the brush. Brush the rolls’ tops with melted butter and transfer the baking dish to a wire cooling rack. Serve hot. then enjoy while serving warm!