Lightly grease baking pans, baking sheet, or muffin pans; set aside.
Prepare the bread according to your choice of techniques below.
Bread Machine Instructions:
Place all ingredient (in order given), except Egg Wash and Toppings in bread pan of your bread machine. Process according to manufacturer’s instructions for a dough setting. Do not be afraid to open the lid and check the dough. It should form a nice elastic ball. If you think the dough is too moist, add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time). The same is true if the dough is looking dry and gnarly. Add warm water (a tablespoon at a time).
If you can not judge your dough by looking, stick your finger in and feel the dough. It should be slightly tacky to the touch. When the bread machine has completed the dough cycle, remove the dough from the pan to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough several times and form the dough into an oval; cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Stand Up Mixer Instructions:
In a large bowl or in the bowl of a 5 quart stand mixer, combine all the ingredients in the order given except the Egg Wash and Toppings. Using a dough hook, mix everything together until a soft dough forms. It should form a nice elastic ball. If you think the dough is too moist, add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time). The same is true if the dough is looking dry and gnarly. Add warm water (a tablespoon at a time).
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until elastic, about 15 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
After resting, shape the dough as desired (see types of rolls below). Divide dough into 12 to 16 equal parts. Shape into smooth balls, flatten slightly, and place on a silicone mat covered baking sheet. For soft-sided buns, place them on a baking sheet 1/2-inch apart so they will grow together when they rise. For crisper buns, place them 3-inches apart.
For hamburger buns– Flatten the balls into 3 1/2-inch disks. Flatten the cylinders slightly (as dough rises more in the center so this will give a gently rounded top versus a high top).
For hot-dog buns– Roll the balls into cylinders, 4 1/2-inches in length. Flatten the cylinders slightly (as dough rises more in the center so this will give a gently rounded top versus a high top)
For 16 small rolls– Weigh dough into 2-ounce pieces.
For 13 large rolls– Weigh dough into 3-ounce pieces.
Place the formed dough balls on a cookie sheet that is dusted with cornmeal or use the Silicone Baking Mats. I personally recommend that you use the Silicone Baking Mats as nothing sticks to them.
Refrigerating or Freezing Unbaked Butter Rolls:
At this point, the rolls can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight (I have actually made them two days in advance) or frozen for 1 month. Before baking, allow rolls to thaw completely and rise in a warm place if frozen. I have found that I have to take the unbaked frozen rolls out of the freezer 3 to 4 hours before planning to bake. I just put the frozen rolls (container and rolls) on my counter (not in the refrigerator) and let thaw and rise.
You can also freeze rolls on a cookie sheet, and once frozen transfer to a plastic bag. This way you can bake up just the quantity you desire and not the entire batch.
If refrigerated, they can be either baked upon removing from the refrigerator or let come to a room temperature (I have done both ways). They do a slow rise overnight and it is not necessary to let them come to room temperature before baking.
Bake Immediately After Making:
Cover rolls loosely with plastic film and let rise in a warm place for approximately 30 to 40 minutes or until almost doubledin size (after rising, rolls should be touching each other and the sides of the pan).
Oven Bread Rising:Sometimes I use my oven for the rising. Turn the oven on for a minute or so, then turn it off again. This will warm the oven and make it a great environment for rising bread. If you can not comfortably press your hand against the inside of the oven door, the oven is too hot. Let it stand open to cool a bit.
Cool or Refrigerator Bread Rise: If I do not have the time to wait for the rise to finish or I know that I will be interrupted before the completed rise, I do a cool rise. A cool rise is when the dough is place in the refrigerator and left to rise slowly overnight approximately 8 to 12 hours. I usually do this after the first rise and the dough has been shaped into the rolls.
If desired, after rising and before baking, brush rolls with Egg Glaze and Toppings of your choice.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Bake for approximately 10 to 12 minutes or until theinternal temperatureof the bread is between 200 and 210 degrees F. using yourdigital thermometer.
When the buns are done, remove them from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
