Lambert's Cafe's Throwed Rolls

Ingredients

1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar

1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast

1/4 cup tepid water (105°F to 110°F)

1 cup warm milk

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted, plus extra softened butter for the bowl and muffin tin

1 egg, beaten, at room temperature

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

Combine 1 teaspoon of the sugar with the yeast in the tepid water in a small bowl. Let stand until the yeast begins to foam, 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the milk, melted butter, 1/4 cup sugar, egg, and salt in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Stir in the yeast mixture and 3 1/2 cups of the flour in batches, adding a bit more if necessary to make a soft, pliable dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and let rest about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, clean the bowl and butter it generously.

Knead the dough gently for 4 to 5 minutes, adding flour if necessary, until it is smooth and silky.

Place the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Butter a 12-cup muffin tin.

Punch down the dough. Pinch off pieces about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (enough to fill half of a muffin cup) and roll into smooth balls.

Place two balls in each muffin cup. (It should be a tight fit.) Cover the muffin tin loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the rolls until the tops are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve as soon as they are cool enough to throw.

Notes

Dolly says: "The first time I ate at Lambert's, I thought somebody was mad at me. The minute we sat down, the waitress came over and started throwin' fresh baked rolls at us. What I didn't know is that this is a longtime tradition at Lambert's Cafe, a restaurant my road crew and I love to stop at whenver we're driving along Interstate 55 in Southeast Missouri. People come for miles to have rolls thrown at them. In fat, last year they baked more than 2 million."