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Butter Fan Rolls

By Cristin Walsh

Published on February 2, 2015

Time

1¼ hours, plus 2¾ hours rising

Yield

Makes 12 rolls

Butter Fan Rolls

Ingredients

¾ cup warm milk (110 degrees)¼ cup (1 ¾ ounce/50 grams) sugar 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk, room temperature1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast 3 ½ cups (17 ½ ounces/496 grams) all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened, plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Before You Begin

Do not overflour the counter when rolling out the dough in step 3, and use a bench scraper to square off the edges of the rectangle. Make sure to plan ahead: This dough takes about 3 hours to rise before baking.

Instructions

  1. In bowl of stand mixer, combine milk, sugar, egg and yolk, and yeast and let sit until foamy, about 3 minutes. Add flour and salt. Fit stand mixer with dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until dough is shaggy, about 2 minutes.
  2. With mixer running, add softened butter 1 piece at a time until incorporated. Continue to knead until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to greased large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
  3. Grease 12-cup muffin tin. Press down on dough to deflate and transfer to lightly floured counter (do not overflour counter). Divide dough into 2 equal balls (about 1 pound or 454 grams each). Roll one dough ball into 15 by 12-inch rectangle with long side parallel to counter’s edge.
  4. Using pizza wheel, cut dough vertically into 6 (2 1/2-inch-wide by 12-inch-long) strips. Brush tops of 5 strips evenly with 1 tablespoon melted butter, leaving 1 strip unbuttered. Stack strips squarely on top of each other, buttered to unbuttered side, finishing with unbuttered strip on top.
  5. Using sharp knife, cut stacked dough strips crosswise into 6 equal stacks. Place stacks, cut side up, in each of 6 muffin cups. Repeat with remaining dough ball and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Cover tin loosely with plastic and let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle-position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
  6. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking. Brush rolls with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Let cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes. Remove rolls from muffin tin and transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Butter Fan Rolls
Photography by Joe Keller.

Butter Fan Rolls

Headshot of Cristin Walsh
By Cristin Walsh
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Time

1¼ hours, plus 2¾ hours rising

Yield

Makes 12 rolls

Ingredients

¾ cup warm milk (110 degrees)
¼ cup (1 ¾ ounce/50 grams) sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk, room temperature
1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
3 ½ cups (17 ½ ounces/496 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened, plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

¾ cup warm milk (110 degrees)
¼ cup (1 ¾ ounce/50 grams) sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk, room temperature
1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
3 ½ cups (17 ½ ounces/496 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened, plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

¾ cup warm milk (110 degrees)
¼ cup (1 ¾ ounce/50 grams) sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk, room temperature
1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
3 ½ cups (17 ½ ounces/496 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened, plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Some easy countertop construction produces delicious rolls with buttery layers that are fun to pull apart and eat. Milk and sugar combine with the butter to give these rolls plenty of richness.

Before You Begin

Do not overflour the counter when rolling out the dough in step 3, and use a bench scraper to square off the edges of the rectangle. Make sure to plan ahead: This dough takes about 3 hours to rise before baking.

Instructions

  1. In bowl of stand mixer, combine milk, sugar, egg and yolk, and yeast and let sit until foamy, about 3 minutes. Add flour and salt. Fit stand mixer with dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until dough is shaggy, about 2 minutes.
  2. With mixer running, add softened butter 1 piece at a time until incorporated. Continue to knead until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to greased large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
  3. Grease 12-cup muffin tin. Press down on dough to deflate and transfer to lightly floured counter (do not overflour counter). Divide dough into 2 equal balls (about 1 pound or 454 grams each). Roll one dough ball into 15 by 12-inch rectangle with long side parallel to counter’s edge.
  4. Using pizza wheel, cut dough vertically into 6 (2 1/2-inch-wide by 12-inch-long) strips. Brush tops of 5 strips evenly with 1 tablespoon melted butter, leaving 1 strip unbuttered. Stack strips squarely on top of each other, buttered to unbuttered side, finishing with unbuttered strip on top.
  5. Using sharp knife, cut stacked dough strips crosswise into 6 equal stacks. Place stacks, cut side up, in each of 6 muffin cups. Repeat with remaining dough ball and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Cover tin loosely with plastic and let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle-position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
  6. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking. Brush rolls with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Let cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes. Remove rolls from muffin tin and transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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