Easy No Knead Yeast Rolls

 

The no knead bread craze reached a frenzy a few years ago.  I never really bought into the idea because by kneading the dough you're actually developing the gluten in the flour which is a very important step in basic bread making.  But, as I looked more closely at some of the recipes out there from Martha Stewart and beyond, my curiosity was peaked, and I wondered if it would really work.  So, this recipe is my own version after reading through a multitude of recipes available on this subject. And, it truly is easy, and requires no special equipment.  After developing this recipe, what can I say, I'm a "no knead" believer now!!

You'll need:
4 cups all purpose flour
2  envelopes rapid rise yeast [1/4 ounce each]
1 1/3 cup of lukewarm water or milk
1 stick of melted butter, divided
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tsp
1 tsp salt

In a measuring cup, dissolve both packets of yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in 1 1/3 cup of lukewarm water.  If you use hot water, it will kill the yeast, so, make sure the water is lukewarm not boiling.  Let the yeast mixture sit on the counter for 5-7 minutes to allow the yeast to "bloom."  You'll see bubbles and froth begin to gather on the top. 

In a medium size mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar with a whisk, then add the egg.

After the yeast has developed, add it to the dry ingredients in the bowl, along with 5 tablespoons of melted butter.  Begin to blend the ingredients together, using a large spoon.  I used a silicone spatula, and the dough didn't stick to it, making this task a lot easier.  At first, it looked like this...

And then it looked like this......

Then, after I incorporated all of the flour, it looked like this.....I then placed it into a buttered bowl, and covered it with a damp cloth.

 Allow the dough to sit in a warm, draft free place, covered for 1 hour.  After one hour, the dough had doubled.  The smell of the rising dough was heavenly and could only be topped by the aroma of the rolls while they were baking!

You can make these rolls any size you like.  I lightly sprayed a 2 ounce ice cream scoop with cooking spray and used it to separate the dough into even portions.  We want the rolls to be uniform in size so they'll bake evenly.  Arrange the rolls side by side, in a buttered metal baking pan. I used a 10 inch spring form pan.  You can bake these rolls in a glass dish, but, a metal pan will give a nice crunch to the crust.  Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and using a pastry brush, lightly brush the tops.  I saved a little of the melted butter to brush on top after the rolls came out of the oven, too.  How many times can I say butter in this recipe?  But, we're making bread, right?  ☺ At this point, you can cover and allow the rolls to rise again until doubled, [about an hour] even stored in the refrigerator overnight.  But, I baked them immediately, so, the rolls you see in the pictures didn't rise twice.   Patience?  Not so much...

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-22 minutes.  Gorgeous, right?  It doesn't get much simpler, or better than that!  Serve hot.  Yield: 24  small rolls or 12 large rolls

 

Cook's note:

If you'd like to make these rolls ahead of time:  After forming the dough into rolls, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. and refrigerate.   Uncover and brush with melted butter, just before baking at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes until golden.  The rolls will continue to slowly rise even in the refrigerator.