Soft No Knead Dinner Rolls (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Buns

01 - 1/2 cup water, comfortably warm to the touch
02 - 1 tbsp of instant dry yeast
03 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar—regular white sugar works too
04 - 4 cups of bread flour (plus a bit more for sprinkling)
05 - 1 1/2 tsp of sea salt or coarse cooking salt
06 - 1 cup whole or semi-skimmed milk, gently warmed
07 - 50 grams (about 3.5 tbsp) of unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
08 - 2 eggs at room temperature, whisked lightly with a fork

→ For brushing

09 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

# Instructions:

01 - Mix the yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the warm water over it and set aside for about 5 minutes until it starts forming bubbles.
02 - Grab a bowl and combine the flour, leftover sugar, and salt by stirring them together.
03 - Create a hollow space in the center of the dry mix. Pour in the milk, butter, eggs, and yeast liquid (froth and all). Stir everything with a wooden spoon until you get a thick and sticky texture—it won't pour, more like a muffin batter.
04 - Keep the dough in the same bowl. Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm spot (think 25°C/77°F+) for 1.5-2 hours until it swells to nearly triple its initial size. Bubbles should form on the surface.
05 - Cover a 31.5 x 23.5 cm (approx. 9 x 13") tray with baking paper, leaving some over the edges. Remove the towel, punch the dough to release air, and stir it briefly in the bowl to remove trapped bubbles.
06 - Sprinkle flour on your worktop and dump the dough onto it. Dust its top, gently stretch it into a log shape, and cut it into 4 equal sections. Then, divide each of these quarters into 3 smaller pieces (you’ll get 12 total). Take each portion, flatten it with your palm, gather the edges to the center, flip it to make the smooth side face up, and roll it briefly into a ball. Place the smooth side up on the tray. Repeat for the rest, arranging them into 3 rows of 4 rolls.
07 - Spray the tops of the rolls (or cover cling film) with a bit of oil, then drape cling film loosely over the tray. Leave the tray in a warm spot for 30-45 minutes until the rolls puff up to about 75% larger (not double).
08 - While the rolls are rising, heat the oven to 200°C (standard)/180°C (fan-assisted or convection).
09 - Bake the rolls for around 15-18 minutes until they develop a golden brown crust. Tap the middle to check—it should sound sort of hollow.
10 - Take the tray out, brush the rolls with the melted butter, and use the edges of the baking paper to transfer them to a cooling rack. Let them cool a bit before serving warm.

# Notes:

01 - If the yeast doesn’t bubble up in step one, it likely isn’t active. This means your dough won’t rise.
02 - Be gentle with your liquids. Hot milk or water can kill the yeast. Test the temperature with your finger—it should feel like a relaxed bath, not hot.
03 - Bread flour gives fluffier, softer results, but regular all-purpose flour works fine too.
04 - For a cozy rising spot, start an empty clothes dryer on low heat for 1-2 minutes, then place your bowl inside.
05 - These rolls aren’t super sweet—just one teaspoon of sugar per roll. You can dial it down to 2 tablespoons of sugar for the whole batch if you’d like.

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