Fluffy Dinner Rolls

My sister Libby recommended the Fluffy Dinner rolls from the recent Cook's Illustrated.
They were very tasty - here is my version.

Ingredients:

Tangzhong Flour Paste

• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons bread flour

Dough

• 1/2 cup cold milk (I used 1%)
• 1 large egg
   
• 11 ounces bread flour
• 1.5 teaspoons yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 4 tablespoons butter - softened
• Sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions:

1. Start the tangzhong paste - whisk 1/2 cup water w/ 3 tablespoon of flour together.
2. Microwave, whisking every 15 seconds until stiff, thick, and pudding-like (30 to 75 seconds, depending on power of your microwave. Mine was more like putty in 40 seconds, I will use 70% power next time.)
3. Scoop paste into stand mixer bowl, add milk, stir until smooth.
4. Add egg and yeast, and whisk that in.
   
5. Whisk in roughly 1/3 of flour 
6. Switch to dough hook, add rest of flour, mix on low (Kitchenmaid 1 or 2) for 1 to 2 minutes.
7. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
   
8. After resting, add sugar and salt and mix for 5 minutes on medium-low (Kitchenaid 3 or 4)
9. With mixer running, add softened butter ~1 tablespoon at a tie, scraping down sides of bowl.
10. Mix for another 5 minutes on 4 (medium-low) - it will be sticky.
    
11. Lightly flour a counter, plop dough on counter and lightly knead to form ball.
12. Lightly grease mixing bowl with cooking spray, put dough back in in to rise.
13. Spray lightly with cooking spray, cover w/ plastic or lid.
14. Let rise for about 1 hour or so.
    Pre-heat oven to 375 with rack in bottom third of oven.
    
15. Grease 9” pan. (I used a large pie pan.)
16. Press dough out on lightly floured surface (use a piece of parchment paper)
17. Press dough into an 8 x 9 inch rectangle.
18. Cut dough into 12 even pieces.
19. Flatten each piece into 2 x 8 strip, roll up along short side like a jelly roll into a 3 inch-ish wide roll (the roll expands!)
20. Place 11 of rolls seam side down on outside of perimeter of pan, and place 1 in center.
    
    


21. Let rolls rise for 45 minutes to 1 hr until doubled.
22. Place pan on lower rack, bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
23. Cook pan on wire rack for 3 or so minutes, then invert to remove rolls.
24. Brush tops and sides with melted butter. (Or rub some butter around on rolls while they are still warm.)
25. Let cool for at lest 20 minutes before eating. 

Carole's Notes:

These were really good - I will make them again. The sesames don't stick very well when you try to put on the butter at the end.

The tangzhong paste in the recipe adds extra moisture to the dough. This helps keep them moist and fluffy for a couple of days. Other similar recipes are called Japanese Milk Bread.

I found that the jelly roll roll up process gives a croissant-like feel to the the finished roll.

Recipe is barely adapted from https://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/8660-fluffy-dinner-rolls