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1
Put butter and milk in a small saucepan and heat until you first see bubbles, stirring occasionally to keep milk from burning. Then remove from heat and add the cold water. [We're scalding the milk and then cooling it back down to not kill the yeast].
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2
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and warm water, then let sit for about 10 minutes.
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3
Once the yeast is activated and the milk mixture is under 130 degrees F, add the milk mixture to the yeast and also the sugar, egg, salt, and 2 cups of the flour. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until moistened and then mix on medium speed for two minutes. Then switch to a mixing spoon and add another 2 cups of flour. Finally, turn dough out on floured board and knead in additional flour to make a moderately stiff, soft dough. If you have a stand mixer, do all this mixing the easy way and use your dough hook.
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4
Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turn once to grease surface, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size--about one hour.
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5
The next step is to shape according to your desired final product, then cover and let rise again for about 45 minutes, then bake.
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6
For basic dinner rolls, divide dough into 16 pieces, roll each between your hands to make a ball. These will need to bake at 350 degrees F for about 15-18 minutes. For the more sugary products, use your favorite methods and fillings and increase your baking time as needed, temperature should be fine for most.
