*Heavenly* Honey Yeast Rolls

This post is dedicated entirely to a dear friend, Julie, who was kind enough to pass this recipe along to me. I have had the pleasure of enjoying her fresh made rolls on several occasions, and each time I couldn't get enough. To say these rolls are heavenly is an understatement. In fact, they should probably come with a special warning: baking these may induce you into a carb overload. That being said, these rolls are light and fluffy, and are perfect for an upcoming holiday party. In fact, the photos you see here were taken of a batch I made for a recent Christmas dinner party I hosted in my home.

Eat your tummies out friends. Here is the recipe, adapted a few times, but originally posted on A Cookie a Day .

Honey Yeast Rolls

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast (1 packet plus a little extra)
• 1 cup warm water (105°-115° F) 
• 1/8 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tbsp. canola oil (I've also used coconut oil - in a liquid state)
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 4 cups bread flour, separated
• cooking spray
• 1 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 tbsp. honey

Directions

In the bowl of an electric mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment), combine the yeast and warm water (straight hot from the tap is fine, not boiling, plus add 1/8 tsp sugar, mix until smooth, and let stand 5 minutes until foamy). 

Add the honey, oil, salt, and egg, and mix well. 

Add 3 cups of the flour, and mix until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining one cup of flour, and mix until it is incorporated into the dough. You want the end result to be one elastic ball, so add a little more flour if needed.

Switch to the dough hook, and continue kneading on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about eight minutes.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about two hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 seconds. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Punch the dough down and divide into 12 equal portions (or more for smaller rolls). My friend suggests  weighing the dough and dividing by 12, with each roll ending up around 2.7 ounces. (Keeping them really even is the key to having a pretty roll pan straight out of the oven.)

Shape each portion into a ball (stretch tops and fold dough under to make a smooth roll surface) and place into a 9 x 13 lightly greased glass baking dish, spacing evenly. 

Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 20 or 30 minutes - a bit longer is okay, too, as this is the final rise. 

Mix together the melted butter and honey, and brush lightly over the tops of the rolls. 

Bake at 400° for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Let me know if you end up making these, and how you like them! They freeze really well, so you might want to make a double batch and put half away for later. Trust me, you're going to thank yourself for it later. ;-)