Flaky Bread

Ingredients

for the dough

• 1/3 cup warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/3 cups milk warmed
• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/2 cups flour more or less as needed

for shaping the rolls

• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 1/4 cup butter melted

Instruction

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Let stand until the yeast is foamy.
2. Add the sugar, milk, butter, egg, and salt, and mix until well combined. Mix in two cups of flour. Slowly add the remaining flour a little at a time, and mix until dough is smooth and elastic, and slightly sticky to the touch.
3. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, 60-90 minutes.
4. After the dough has risen, gently punch it down and roll it out into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Spread the softened butter over two thirds of the dough.
5. Fold the unbuttered third of the dough over to the middle of the dough, then fold the opposite (buttered) third over the top to make three layers of dough. Place the dough on a baking sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm the butter.
6. After the dough has chilled, roll it out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Brush melted butter down the center half of the rectangle.
7. Fold both sides in toward the middle so the butter is covered. Roll out the dough gently with a rolling pin. Brush one half of the dough with butter, then fold the other side over on top.
8. In total you should use about half of the melted butter, and will use the remaining butter to brush on the hot rolls after they bake.
9. Roll out the dough just slightly, to about one inch thick. Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut the ends off of the dough, then cut the dough into 24 equal slices.
10. Lay each slice of dough down and flatten it slightly with your hand. Roll the dough up into a cylinder. Place each cylinder of dough into a well of a greased muffin tin.
11. Cover gently and let rise 1 1/2 – 2 hours, until the dough is 1/2 inch above the top of the muffin tin. Toward the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350.
12. Bake the rolls for 13-15 minutes, until golden brown. Brush the rolls with the remaining melted butter. Serve warm.