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1
Whisk together the yeast, warm water, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it stand until the mixture looks foamy and bubbled up on top - about 5 minutes. (If the mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.)
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2
Stir the flour, salt, yogurt, chives, and 3/4 cup olive oil into the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon or the stand mixer paddle just until a soft dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead until the dough is smooth (or turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes). The dough will still look and feel slightly shaggy, from the oil; it won't have the perfectly smooth, taut feel of a more traditional yeast dough.
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3
Form dough into a ball and coat lightly with olive oil. Turn it over in the bowl and cover the bowl with a towel. Let rise until doubled - 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
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4
Oil the wells of two muffin tins lightly with olive oil and have them ready. Punch down the dough then separate it into four equal pieces with a sharp bench scraper. Keep the rest of the dough covered with a towel, while you roll out one of the pieces into a long, thin rectangle (about 12 inches by 18 inches). Brush the dough lightly with olive oil. Cut the dough crossways into 12 equal strips. Stack the strips, oiled side up, into a tall stack. (It is helpful to prop the stack against the rolling pin while doing this!) Cut the stack into 6 pieces. Turn each piece on its side, so the cut layers face up, and place in a prepared muffin cup. Separate the layers slightly so they fan outward. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
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5
Cover the muffin tins with a kitchen towel and let the rolls rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and dough fills cups, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
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6
Preheat oven to 350u00b0F. Bake the rolls until barely golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
