Astor House Rolls

Directions

1. 1
   Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and let stand until foamy. Put 5 cups flour in a large bowl (you can use a mixer with a dough hook if you want) and make a well in the center. Add the yeast mixture, salt, sugar, softened butter, and milk and stir, slowly incorporating the flour from the sides. Then stir and beat the mixture until a ball of dough has formed. Pour the dough and any remaining flour onto a work surface and gradually knead in the remaining one cup of flour.
2. 2
   Put the dough in a clean bowl, cover, and let rise until light and fluffy and almost doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
3. 3
   Punch down the dough and knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes-you should need very little, if any, extra flour for this step. Return to the bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size.
4. 4
   Punch down the dough and divide into 22 pieces. Shape each piece into a tight round (Nancy Silverton instructs: cup your hand lightly around the dough, round it against the friction of a work surface to form a smooth bun, beginning slowly and increasing speed as ball becomes tighter and smoother). Keep the other pieces covered in plastic wrap while you work.
5. 5
   Beginning with the first round, flatten each roll, seam side up, to 1/2-inch-thick. Place 1 teaspoon butter in the center, lift one edge of the dough, and pull it up and over the butter, forming a turnover-shaped roll, and pinch the edges firmly closed to seal in the butter.
6. 6
   Arrange rolls 3 inches apart on nonstick baking sheets (or baking sheets covered with parchment). Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled, about 1 hour.
7. 7
   Heat the oven to 425° F.
8. 8
   Bake until the rolls are puffed, golden, and cooked through, about 16 minutes. Cool on baking racks.