Ingredients
1 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed (100 to 110 degrees)
2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast, from one packet
4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus 4 tablespoons, melted
2 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for spinkling
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Nonstick cooking spray
Preparation
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine milk and yeast and let stand for 5 minutes. Add flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, 5 tablespoons butter pieces, and sugar. With dough hook, mix on low until mixture just comes together. Increase to medium-high; beat until butter is incorporated and dough is soft, 10 minutes.
Lightly coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Form dough into a ball, place in bowl, and cover with a damp clean dish towel. Set aside in a warm, draft-free place and let rise until dough doubles in size, 1 to 2 hours (or refrigerate overnight; bring to room temperature before baking).
Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking pan with cooking spray. Turn dough out onto a work surface and loosely cover with damp towel so it doesn’t dry out. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 24 pieces, roll into smooth balls (about 2 inches each), and arrange in pan, 1/2 inch apart. Cover with towel and let rise until rolls begin to touch, 1 to 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush rolls with half the melted butter; bake until golden brown, 30 minutes. Brush with remaining melted butter, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.
Before brushing with butter and sprinkling with salt, store cooled rolls, wrapped in plastic, up to 2 days. Reheat in a 350-degree oven, 10 minutes. To freeze, place dough balls in a parchment-lined baking pan; cover with plastic and freeze. Store in freezer bags, 3 months. To bake, let rise in baking pan in a warm place, covered with a damp towel, until rolls just touch, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, then follow step 4.
