Cottage Cheese Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

• 0.25 cup warm water (About 110°F)
• 2 tbsp melted butter (For the dough)
• 0.5 cup whole milk
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 cup blended cottage cheese (Use 2% milkfat cottage cheese; blend until completely smooth)
• 1 large egg (Room temperature)
• 2.25 tsp instant yeast (One packet)
• 4.5 cup all-purpose flour (Use 4 1/4 cups initially, adding up to 4 3/4 cups as needed; amount estimated at the midpoint)
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• melted butter (Extra, for brushing the warm rolls)
• flaky salt (Optional, for sprinkling after baking)

Steps

1. 1

   In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the warm water, melted butter, whole milk, honey, smoothly blended cottage cheese, and room-temperature egg until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

2. 2

   Sprinkle in the instant yeast, 4 1/4 cups of the flour, and the fine sea salt. Mix with a dough hook or wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.

3. 3

   Add more flour as needed, up to the remaining amount, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky.

4. 4

   Knead the dough by hand or with the mixer for 8–10 minutes, until it feels soft and springy.

5. 5

   Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot for 60–75 minutes, until doubled in size.

6. 6

   Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Keep the pieces as evenly sized as possible.

7. 7

   Roll each piece into a ball and arrange the dough balls in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.

8. 8

   Cover the shaped rolls and let them rise again for 25–35 minutes, until puffy and nearly doubled in size.

9. 9

   Bake the rolls at 375°F for 15–18 minutes, until lightly golden brown on top and cooked through.

10. 10

    Brush the warm rolls generously with extra melted butter. Sprinkle with flaky salt if desired, then serve.

Notes

For make-ahead dough, cover it tightly after the first rise and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bring it to room temperature, shape the rolls, and continue with the second rise. Blending the cottage cheese completely smooth helps prevent curds in the finished rolls. Active dry yeast may be substituted by dissolving it in the warm water with a pinch of sugar and letting it bloom for 5–10 minutes before mixing. Optional variations include everything seasoning before baking or adding 1 teaspoon cinnamon and using cinnamon honey butter. The source also suggests using the rolls as slider buns.

Nutrition per serving

• bread
• side dish
• vegetarian
• baked
• yeast bread
• dinner
• holiday
• make-ahead