Recipe: Rosemary Honey Pull Apart Dinner Rolls

Based on a December 2012 video recipe from Food Wishes.  Prepared for dinner on December 25, 2012. Makes 35 rolls.

Ingredients

2¼ teaspoon (1 packet) rapid rise yeast
¼ cup warm (100°–110°) water
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
3 cups (approximately) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon milk
coarse salt

Instructions 

1. Mix the yeast and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer and let it stand for 10 minutes.
2. In a small sauce pan over low heat, barely melt the butter in the milk and take it off heat. (Measure the temperature of the mixture, if it is greater than 110°, cool it to no less than 100° in the refrigerator or freezer.)
3. Stir honey, salt, and rosemary into the yeast mixture.
4. Add 2½ cups flour and milk mixture.
5. Mix using the dough hook until the ingredients are combined.
6. Add approximately ¼ cup flour and mix, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
7. Continue adding flour and mixing until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
8. Knead the dough for 6 minutes on low speed. It will be soft, elastic, and slightly sticky.
9. Coat the dough with olive oil, cover the bowl with foil or plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1½ hours.
10. Turn the dough onto a cutting board and press flat into a rectangle.
11. Cut the rectangle into 6 equal width strips and cut each strip into 6 equal sized pieces.
12. Form each piece into a smooth ball by tucking the corners together.
13. Place the balls on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicon baking mat, 7 rows of 5 balls. The balls should be placed close together but not touching, leave about ¼-inch between balls.
14. Use the dough from the 36th piece to augment the smaller rolls so they're more uniform in size.
15. Beat the egg and milk together and brush the rolls with this egg wash.
16. Sprinkle sea salt on the rolls (or sesame seeds or poppy seeds).
17. Let the rolls rise for about 30 minutes.
18. Heat oven to 375° with a rack in the center position.
19. Bake the rolls until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
20. Let the rolls cool, serve warm, and "Enjoy!".

Mix yeast and warm water in bowl of stand mixer and let stand for 10 minutes.

Barely melt butter in milk.

Add chopped rosemary, honey, and salt to yeast mixture.

Combine yeast mixture, milk mixture, and 2½ cups flour.

Gradually add flour and mix until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl then knead for 6 minutes.

Coat the dough with olive oil and let rise, covered, at room temperature until doubled in volume.

Gently pat dough into a rectangle and cut into 36 equal-sized pieces.

Form into 35 balls, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with coarse salt.

Let rise for 30 minutes then bake at 375° until golden brown.