Description
Warm, homemade bread fills kitchens with comfort, and fluffy baked bread delivers pure satisfaction straight from your oven. Fresh slices spread with butter make delightful moments at any mealtime.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup warm whole milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter
Supporting Ingredients:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
Finishing Ingredients:
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
- 1 tablespoon milk (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Warm 1 cup milk to exactly 110F in a small bowl. Dissolve 2 ¼ teaspoons yeast and ¼ cup sugar into the warm milk. Allow mixture to become foamy for 5 minutes.
- Whisk 3 room temperature eggs and ½ cup melted butter together in a large mixing bowl. Pour the yeast mixture into the egg mixture and thoroughly combine.
- Gradually incorporate 4 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt into the liquid ingredients. Mix until the dough becomes sticky and cohesive.
- Transfer dough onto a flour-dusted surface. Knead the dough for 8 minutes, creating a smooth and stretchy texture. Your hands will develop an even consistency.
- Place the kneaded dough into a butter-greased bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1-2 hours until the volume doubles.
- Punch down the risen dough and separate into 15 equal portions. Roll each section into a round ball with your palms.
- Arrange the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, keeping slight separation between them. Cover and let rise again for 30-45 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 350F. Gently brush each roll with the prepared egg wash using a pastry brush.
- Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes until they turn a rich golden brown color. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Check yeast freshness by ensuring it becomes foamy and bubbly during proofing, which confirms the yeast is active and will help bread rise properly.
- Warm surfaces and ingredients create the best environment for dough rising, so keep your kitchen around 75-80F for optimal proofing conditions.
- Use a digital thermometer when warming milk to hit exactly 110F, as temperatures outside this range can kill or under-activate yeast.
- Kneading develops gluten and creates soft texture, so stretch and fold the dough consistently during the 8-10 minute kneading process to build strength.
- Prep Time: 13 hours 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Category: Breads
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 317 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 131 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 62 mg