Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining sugar, egg, butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. With a dough hook or paddle attachment, mix/beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the remaining flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough seems too wet to a point where kneading (next step) would be impossible, beat in more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough, similar to the photos above. Dough should be soft and a little sticky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.

Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 3 full minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 3 full minutes.

Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours).

Grease a 22×33 cm baking pan or two 22cm square or round baking pans. You can also bake the rolls in a cast iron skillet or lined baking sheet.

When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 14-16 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it– it doesn’t need to be perfect!) Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange in prepared baking pan.

Cover shaped rolls with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow rising until puffy, about 1 hour.

Adjust the oven rack to a lower position and preheat the oven to 177°C. (It’s best to bake the rolls towards the bottom of the oven so the tops don’t burn.)

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven, brush with optional honey butter topping, and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Cover leftover rolls tightly and store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.