Honey-Butter Dinner Rolls

Paul has his favorite dinner rolls which I shared on here a long time ago. Those are wonderful - soft, fluffy, quick, and easy! BUT now it's time to share MY personal favorite go-to roll recipe. I like my rolls sweetened with honey and glazed with rich honey-butter, making for a soft, slightly sticky treat that pairs wonderfully with ham, chicken, or just about anything. Having one of these rolls leftover to eat as a snack the next day is pure bliss. Last time I made these, Lucy and I adored splitting them open and spreading some huckleberry jam on the halves. I've also made these rolls extra large to use for ham and swiss sandwiches.

Admittedly, the problem with these rolls is that when I serve them alongside a lentil soup or something, inevitably my kids will ONLY eat them for their dinner. As much as I hate to admit it, man truly cannot survive on carbs alone but my kids sure do try. I should probably stop serving so many delicious breads at dinnertime so they actually try to eat the main course.

Up next...a recipe to serve with these rolls that my kids actually ate with gusto! Stay tuned!

Honey-Butter Dinner Rolls

2¼ tsp. instant yeast
1 cup warm water (105-115˚ F)
¼ cup honey
3 tablespoons canola oil
1¼ tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast and warm water.  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.  Switch to the dough hook and, with the mixer on low speed, incorporate the remaining 1 cup of flour.  Continue kneading on low speed for about 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 30 seconds.  Cover with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes.  Punch the dough down and divide into 10-12 equal size pieces.  Shape each piece into a smooth ball and place into a round, lightly greased 9- or 10-inch round baking dish, spacing evenly.  Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 40-45 minutes. I've let them go as long as an hour. Just make sure they double!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Mix together the melted butter and honey, and brush the tops of the rolls with the mixture (sometimes I wait to brush them on until midway through baking time as the glaze does cause darken quite a bit in the oven!).  Bake for 22-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the rolls are baked through.  Let cool slightly before serving.