Texas Roadhouse rolls
Ingredients:
- 6 tbspbutter, cut into pieces
- ½ cuphoney
- 1½ cups2% or whole milk, scalded
- 1 cupwater, room temperature
- 1½ tbspinstant or active dry yeast
- 2large eggs
- 1 tbspsalt
- 7¾ cupsall-purpose or bread flour (up to 8 cups)
- melted butter, for brushing
Steps:
Put the and in a stand mixer bowl with the dough hook. Pour in the scalded , mix briefly, and let it sit until the butter is mostly melted.
Add the and let the mixture cool to 105 to 110°F.
Stir in the and let it sit 5 to 7 minutes, until bubbly and foamy.
Add the , and . Mix on medium-low, adding the a little at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides. It should be soft and a little sticky, not stiff.
Knead on medium for 4 to 5 minutes. Add more flour only if the dough is very sticky and clings to the bowl.
Cover and let the dough rise until doubled.
Turn it out onto a lightly greased surface and pat or roll it into a rectangle about 15 by 10 inches, ½ to ¾ inch thick.
Cut into 24 squares or rectangles. Uneven pieces are fine.
Line two half sheet pans with lightly greased parchment. Set the rolls about ½ inch apart, 12 per pan.
Cover and let rise 60 to 90 minutes, until puffy or doubled.
Bake at 350°F for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops and bottoms are lightly golden.
Brush the tops generously with right out of the oven.
Tips:
To scald milk, heat it until it steams and small bubbles form at the edge, just short of boiling. It helps make the rolls light.
No thermometer? The liquid should feel like warm bath water, not hot, before the yeast goes in.
Use 2% or whole milk, not skim.
Don't overflour. Mel used about 7¾ cups; stop once the dough is soft and just slightly sticky.
Swapping the honey for sugar? Use a little less flour.
Let the second rise go all the way for the fluffiest rolls.
A pizza wheel makes cutting easy. Trim any oversized rolls to even them out.
Cinnamon honey butter to serve: mix ½ cup salted butter, ¼ cup honey, ½ tsp cinnamon and about ¼ tsp vanilla until creamy.