Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the butter, granulated sugar, and salt until well combined.

Step 2

Add the eggs into the mixture and stir until incorporated. The mixture will look curdled at this point.

Step 3

Warm the milk slightly. I typically warm it for about 30 seconds in the microwave. It should be barely warm to the touch and not hot. Stir the milk into the mixture until incorporated.

Step 4

Add 4 cups of the flour and the package of yeast into the bowl and stir to combine. Reserve the 5th cup of flour to add in if needed while kneading the dough. If you will be following the instructions for prepping the rolls the day before baking, make sure you are using active dry yeast. If you will be baking the same day, you can use either active dry or rapid rise yeast. You do not need to hydrate the yeast before adding it into the dough.

Step 5

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it by hand for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. You may need to work in a little more flour as you knead it if it is sticking to the counter too much. The dough will become less sticky as it is kneaded and the gluten structure forms. Alternatively, you can knead it with your dough hook in a stand mixer on medium high speed for about 8 minutes.

Step 6

Transfer the dough back to a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Step 7

At this point, the dough needs to rise (ferment) until about double in size. You can do this at room temperature and it will take about 45 minutes if you used rapid rise yeast or about 90 minutes if you used active dry yeast. If you want to shape the rolls the next day, you can refrigerate the dough immediately after kneading it and allow it to slowly rise in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. (If you would rather refrigerate the rolls after they are shaped to bake the next day, proof the dough at room temperature and see the notes in step 10.)

Step 8

After your dough has risen, gently press down in the middle of the dough to press all of the gas out of it. Turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it evenly into 12 or 16 pieces.

Step 9

To shape the rolls, pull down on the sides of the dough creating a seam at the bottom. Place the piece of dough seam side down on an un-floured part of the countertop. Cup your hand over the dough and roll it under your hand to form a smooth piece of dough. Place the shaped rolls on a parchment lined sheet pan or in a 9" x 13" (23 x 33 cm) baking dish. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap.

Step 10

At this point the rolls need to rise a second time (proof) until about double in size. You can proof them at room temperature to bake them the same day, or you can proof them in the refrigerator overnight. The rolls will take about 45 minutes at room temperature if you used rapid rise yeast and will take about 75-90 minutes if you used active dry. If you want to let them rise in the refrigerator overnight, you can refrigerate them right after shaping them for 12-18 hours. They need to come out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before baking.

Step 11

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). As an optional step, brush the rolls with an egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 TBSP of water) to give them a nice shine once baked. Bake the rolls on the center rack in the oven until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Step 12

Brush the baked rolls with melted butter and sprinkle with some flaky salt if desired.