The Best Dinner Rolls

Combine water, yeast, sugar, oil, salt and 3 cups of the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, mix until the dough comes together. Slowly add the last cup of flour, stopping when the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It should be smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky. You may not need the full 4 cups of flour, judge the dough by how it feels, not how much flour you’ve added.

Knead the dough for 5 minutes (10 if mixing by hand) until it’s very smooth. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Let it rise until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly oiled countertop. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a round ball. The easiest way is to roll the piece of dough against the countertop underneath your hand until it forms into a smooth ball. Place the shaped rolls on a lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Cover them loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap and let them rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Once the rolls have risen, bake for 12–14 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. Remove them from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely before storing in a sealed plastic bag for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.