Cottage Cheese Dinner Rolls

Soft and fluffy honey butter dinner rolls with a touch of sweetness from honey and an ultra-tender crumb thanks to cottage cheese.

Ingredients needed:

3/4 cup whole milk

1 cup whole milk cottage cheese

2 Tablespoons honey or granulated sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (one standard packet)

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter very soft

1 large egg room temperature

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 1/2 - 4 cups bread flour

6 Tablespoons salted butter very soft

3 Tablespoons honey

Steps to Take:

1. Blend the cottage cheese and milk until smooth. Transfer to a microwave safe bowl and heat until 110°F, about 45 seconds. Pour the cottage cheese mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer with the yeast and 1 Tablespoon of honey or sugar. You can do this in a large bowl by hand with a wooden spoon if you don’t have a stand mixer. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it sit for 5 minutes.

2. Add the remaining tablespoon of sugar, butter, egg, salt, and 2 cups of the flour. Beat together with the paddle attachment until it starts to come together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough starts to pull away form the sides of the bowl, 1-2 minutes. The dough should be soft, shaggy, and slightly sticky.

3. Once the dough pulls away from the bowl, switch to the dough hook and knead for 5 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead by hand. Add 1 Tablespoon of flour to the dough if it becomes too stick as you knead.

4. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Transfer the dough to the bowl and turn it in the bowl to coat the dough in the oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, 1-2 hours. I like to turn my oven on to the lowest setting then turn it off and proof the dough in the warm oven (or use a proof setting).

5. Grease a 9x13-inch pan or two square or circle cake pans. Press the dough down gently with your fist to release some of the air. Divide the dough into 15-16 equal dough balls. I like to use a dough scraper to cut the dough ball in quarters and then cut each quarter into quarters again. Shape each piece of dough into a ball by pulling the edges and pinching them in the center. Arrange them when the smoothest side up in the prepared baking pan (I placed them 3x5b ut 4x4 works too). Cover and rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until they’re puffy and doubled in size.

6. Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust the oven rack to the lowest position.

7. Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown, rotating them in the oven halfway through. Tent with foil if they’re browning too much. The rolls will have a firm top when they come out of the oven but will soften after adding the butter.

8. While they bake, mix the very soft salted butter and honey in a small bowl with a fork or spoon. When the rolls are done, spread a generous amount of butter on top of each warm roll. Serve the rolls with any remaining honey butter on the side.

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