1package quick-acting active dry yeastor 2 1/4 tsp bulk quick acting yeast, I use SAF instant
1 1/3cupmilk105 to 115F degrees
3 to 3 1/2cupsflour or whole wheat flour
3tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
1tablespoonsugar
1teaspoonsalt
1tablespoonmelted butter
coarse salt
Instructions
Dissolve yeast in warm milk with sugar in electric mixer bowl. Stir in 1 cup flour, oil, and salt. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour, scraping dough from side of bowl, until soft dough forms (mine always requires all the flour, your climate may act differently). Cover and let rise in warm place until double, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Punch down dough in center and fold over a few times. Prep two cast iron skillets or stoneware bakers, or a 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Separate dough into 12 pieces and roll into balls, pinching the dough together with your fingers at the bottom. Place rolls into baking dish, leaving about 1/2" space between each. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake until crust is light golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Immediately remove from pan. Store loosely covered.
Par-Bake
Par-baking means that you are partially baking your bread and then freezing it to finish off later. Par-baking kills the yeast and creates the structure for the starches and proteins. This means it's essentially baked on the inside, but it hasn't developed that lovely golden crust on the outside yet. Par-baking allows you to bake bread or rolls to about 80% and then transport or save it to finish baking later.
When par-baking your rolls, you want them to have developed structure, meaning that your dough should feel firm to the touch, but they should not have browned yet. To par-bake these rolls, skip the step of brushing them with butter and adding the salt. That should be done once you remove them from the freezer.
Bake them in a preheated 400 F oven, only shorten the baking time to about 9 minutes or so. Of course, you may need to adjust your time as oven temps and climate conditions vary. Just keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven before they brown.
Allow them to cool a bit in the pan, about 20 minutes, then remove to a plate or sheet pan that will fit in the freezer. Place in the freezer, none of the rolls touching each other, and allow them to get hard, about 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and pop them into a zipper freezer bag, put back in the freezer until you are ready to bake them.
Par-Baking but not Freezing
You can par-bake your rolls in the morning to have later that night. This can be ideal for someone who wants to make rolls for a family gathering or party, but wants to skip the hassle of prepping and baking at someone else's house. Simply par-bake as instructed above, however instead of placing rolls in the freezer, just place them in the refrigerator until you are ready to leave. Transport in a covered container, then bake as described below, but you may need to cut the baking time a little because they are not frozen.
Bake Par-Baked Frozen Rolls
Remove desired number of rolls from freezer bag, do not thaw. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray, then brush each roll with melted butter and sprinkle with course salt. Bake in preheated 400 F oven for 12 minutes, or until browned.