Buffalo Chicken Pizza

I've been on a major pizza kick lately. The kind of obsessed where I can find just about any excuse for a pizza night. The Bruins are on? Can't have hockey night without pizza. Friday or Saturday? Weekends practically require pizza. A rainy, chilly week late in May? Totally calls for comfort food. We've been making so much pizza that at this point we're a well-oiled machine with an efficient system in place for making the dough, topping the pizzas and getting them in and out of the oven.  If I've thought ahead, made the dough in advance and stashed it in the freezer, homemade pizza is a really easy weeknight meal, and way cheaper than ordering it from a local shop.  As long as we have mozzarella on hand (which is the case about 90% of the time), we'll use that along with whatever other toppings we can rustle up from our fridge and pantry. 





A few days ago I grilled several chicken breasts with the intention of using a portion to top my salad for lunch that day and saving the rest for lunches later in the week.  I had one salad but then I fell in love with the idea of using the leftovers to make buffalo chicken pizza instead.  I searched and searched until I found a recipe that was exactly what I pictured in my mind - a base of tangy ranch-like sauce topped with shredded chicken (coated with hot sauce), cheese and sweet red onions.  With each component I made, I got more excited about this pizza, and when it finally emerged from the oven, I gave serious thought to skipping the photos and just digging in.  I'm really glad I did take a few shots though so I could share it; I even bumped it ahead of a few other posts I had planned so I could tell you about it before the weekend.  This is probably among my favorite pizzas I've ever made - everything just works together to create a really flavorful and not overly spicy result.   

I barely adapted this recipe from the awesome Bridget over at The Way the Cookie Crumbles.  Mainly, I omitted the blue cheese, which we aren't big fans of, and compensated with extra mozzarella.  I made the buffalo and white sauces in advance and refrigerated them, leaving only the assembly for the last minute.  Also, I doubled this recipe & made two 12-inch pizzas. 



Buffalo Chicken Pizza
barely adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles

1 lb pizza dough, stretched to a 12-inch round (I haven't blogged a recent favorite, but this one is in heavy rotation too)

Buffalo Sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup Frank’s hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

White Sauce
1 tablespoon plain yogurt (I used nonfat Greek yogurt)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
pinch of sugar
pinch of garlic powder

1 large (or 2 small) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup red onion, diced

At least 30 minutes before you plan to bake the pizza, preheat oven to 500 F.  Set a pizza stone on the bottom rack of your oven.

To make the buffalo sauce, add the butter to a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat.  Cook until melted, then mix in the hot sauce, brown sugar and cider vinegar.  Add the shredded chicken and toss to coat with the sauce.

To make the white sauce, mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar, garlic powder and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a small bowl to combine.  Set aside.

Transfer the dough to a well-floured pizza peel, if you have one.  (We don't, so I always use parchment paper.)  Spread the white sauce in a thin, even layer over the dough, leaving a small border around the edge.  Top with the chicken, then the mozzarella and finally the red onion.   Bake on the preheated pizza stone (or the back of a baking sheet if you don't have one) for about 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbling and browned.  Transfer the pizza to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake

When I was growing up there was a restaurant chain called Newport Creamery that had several locations throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts, including a store in my hometown.  Though they were open all day serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, I'm pretty sure the ice cream and shakes were the big draw.  Their shakes were called Awful Awfuls, which at the time I didn't think much of, but strikes me as a really bizarre name now.  I'm not entirely sure where the name originated but their slogan was "Awful big, awful good," and boy were they - the chocolate mint was always my favorite.  The restaurant was just down the street from my high school and many of my friends worked there, so it became a bit of a hangout, which means I drank more than my fair share of Awful Awfuls.



I've probably only been to Newport Creamery once or twice since graduating from high school (there isn't a location where Shane and I live now, which as much as I hate to admit it, is probably a good thing) and I definitely miss the occasional Awful Awful.  I always chose an Awful Awful over a bowl of ice cream back then, but now I rarely, if ever, find myself ordering a milkshake when we go to our local ice cream shop.  Maybe I was spoiled and nothing compares now :)  In any case, occasionally I'll make milkshakes at home instead, mainly when I come across a flavor that particularly resonates with me (or if I find one I think Shane will love).

I flagged this toasted marshmallow milkshake recipe a while ago and now that the weather is finally starting to warm up (this rainy, chilly week notwithstanding), I gave it a go.  I halved the recipe & made it one afternoon for myself - I loved it so much I immediately made a second one.  It really does taste exactly like a toasted marshmallow!  I'm not a patient person so when toasting marshmallows I always set mine on fire and blow them out, which I think was beneficial here.  As Joy mentioned, the charred bits really give the shake a lot of flavor.  I used the flame on my gas stove to toast the marshmallows when I made the shake for myself but when I subsequently made the recipe again for Shane, I used my kitchen torch.  Both ways worked fine (the torch gave me more control, but took longer) though you could probably also use your broiler if you don't have a gas stove or a kitchen torch.  Whichever method works for you, I just urge you to try this shake if you're a toasted marshmallow fan - you won't be disappointed.



Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake
from Joy the Baker (who adapted it from The Good Stuff Cookbook by Spike Mendelsohn)

10 marshmallows (plus extra for garnish, if desired)
1 (heaping) cup vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup milk (I used 1%)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Skewer the marshmallows then toast them - you can do that using the flame on your gas stove, with a small kitchen torch or under the broiler in your oven.  If you use the broiler, keep a close eye on the marshmallows.  Let the toasted marshmallows cool briefly.

In your blender, combine the toasted marshmallows, ice cream, milk and vanilla extract.  Blend until combined.  You can adjust the consistency by adding ice cream (to thicken) or milk (to thin).  Serve garnished with extra toasted marshmallows.

Cheesy Chili Mac

One of the things that makes me happiest these days is spending time in my kitchen cooking meals for our little family of two and baking treats that we'll indulge in as well as share with others.  I love reading cookbooks and magazines or browsing food blogs for inspiration and then heading into the kitchen with an idea and the ability to make it happen.  Whether I'm chopping veggies, stirring a sauce, whipping up a batter in my mixer or kneeling in front of the oven peeking in to watch cupcakes rise, it's all good.  It wasn't that long ago I woke up every morning dreading yet another long day at a job that made me completely miserable and left little time for outside interests, so I'm especially grateful that my current situation allows me to spend so much time doing something I feel passionate about. 



As much as I love being in my kitchen, during the week I usually just want to get a quick dinner on the table, and preferably one that doesn't involve 3 pans, 2 cutting boards, 4 measuring cups and 2 knives because if there's one thing I'm not a big fan of, it's washing dishes.  Many of my favorite weeknight meals are one-pot recipes so I was instantly drawn to an issue of Cook's Country magazine I found recently containing quick and easy meals made in just one skillet.  This cheesy chili mac was the first recipe I tried, mainly because I had all of the ingredients on hand already.  Well, technically I didn't have ground beef as the recipe suggested, but that doesn't really count since I always substitute ground turkey anyway. 

The recipe was a cinch to throw together though I did have a moment of "is this really going to work?" as I cooked the pasta.  A combination of water and tomato sauce are added to the skillet and the elbow macaroni is cooked directly in that liquid.  It absorbs the liquid, creating a thick sauce and Shane and I both agreed the texture of the pasta didn't suffer as a result of this unusual method of preparation.  I do want to note that the dish is barely spicy so if you like more heat you'll probably want to think about adding red pepper flakes or hot sauce.  We both enjoyed this meal, and in fact, Shane even raved after reheating the leftovers the next night.  I am definitely looking forward to trying many more dishes from this magazine and hopefully adding some new one pot dinners to our rotation! 



Cheesy Chili Mac
adapted from Cook's Country via Skillet Suppers

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 pound ground turkey
2 cups water
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
8 oz (about 2 cups) elbow macaroni
1 1/2 -2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Set a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the oil.  Heat until shimmering.  Add the onion, chili powder, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pan.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the ground turkey and cook until it is no longer pink.

Stir the water and tomato sauce into the ground turkey mixture in the pan.  Add the pasta and stir to combine.  Cover the pan and increase the heat to medium-high.  Cook until the pasta is al dente, stirring frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking.  Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a vigorous simmer.  (My pasta took about 12-13 minutes to cook through.  The sauce will be thick by the time your pasta finishes.)

Turn off the heat under the pan and add 1 cup of the cheese.  Stir to incorporate/melt then season the dish to taste with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle remaining cheese (1/2 - 1 cup depending on how cheesy you want your dish) over the top and cover the pan again.  Let stand for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese melts.   

Ultimate Cinnamon Buns

In my opinion, if you're going to eat an indulgent breakfast, you can't do much better than freshly baked cinnamon buns.  Rich, tender dough baked until golden brown with a sweet, gooey brown sugar and cinnamon filling and, as if that weren't decadent enough, a thick cream cheese glaze to top it all off.  I've rarely been disappointed by a cinnamon bun recipe (and I've tried quite a few) and these were no exception.  A few months ago I saw this recipe on an episode of Cook's Country and made a mental note to try them the next time we were entertaining.  That occasion happened to be our Mother's Day brunch, and it worked out perfectly.  You can do all of the prep the day before and let the rolls proof overnight in the fridge.  The following morning just bake and top with the glaze before guests arrive.  I love that it leaves me plenty of time for all of the other tasks I always seem to put off until the last minute when entertaining.



These rolls are called "ultimate" and I have to think it refers mostly to their size.  The recipe suggested dividing the dough into 8 rolls, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.  I went with 12 and still thought they were enormous!  These are also probably the most calorie-rich cinnamon rolls I've ever baked (a special occasion dish for sure) so making them a tad smaller assuaged the guilt a bit.  No huge surprise, we loved them - they're beyond tender and I could have eaten the glaze with a spoon it was so delicious.  I squeezed all 12 rolls into a 13x9 pan but I would probably use 2 pans next time instead.  Things got pretty tight with 12 and I think the rolls in the center suffered slightly - they were still on the gooey side when the other rolls were baked to perfection.  Shane and I had no problem sharing the gooey bits, but I wouldn't have wanted to serve them to company.       



Ultimate Cinnamon Buns
slightly adapted from Cook's Country

Dough
3/4 cup warm whole milk (about 110 F)
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
3 large eggs, at room temperature
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened

Filling
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Glaze
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 200 F.  When the oven reaches temp, turn it off.  Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, allowing excess to hang over edges.  Spray the foil with cooking spray.  (You may want to split the rolls up into 2 pans if you divide the dough into 12 pieces versus 8.)

Combine the milk and yeast in a measuring cup; whisk to dissolve the yeast.  Add the eggs to the measuring cup and whisk to incorporate.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt.  Mix briefly to combine.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the milk mixture to the bowl in a steady stream then continue mixing until a rough dough comes together.  Increase the speed to medium-low and add the butter, one piece at a time, until incorporated.  Continue kneading for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and clears the sides of the bowl.  (If the dough is still wet and sticky after 10 minutes, add flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.)  Turn the dough out onto your work surface and shape into a smooth ball.  Transfer the dough to a large bowl that's been sprayed with cooking spray.  Cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl in the warm oven.  Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

To make the filling: Whisk the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl.  Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and roll into an 18-inch square.  Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.  Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and press gently.  Roll the dough into a tight cylinder and pinch the end to seal.  Cut the cylinder into 12 equal pieces (or 8 if you want really, really big rolls) and transfer the pieces to the prepared pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise in warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  (Alternatively, before letting the cut rolls rise, transfer the pan to the fridge for up to 24 hours.  When you are ready to bake the rolls, let them sit at room temperature for an hour before proceeding with the recipe below.)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Bake the rolls for 35-40 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.  Meanwhile, make the glaze by whisking the cream cheese, milk, vanilla and confectioner's sugar in a medium bowl.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and top the rolls with 1/2 cup of the glaze.  Let cool for 30 minutes then top with remaining glaze (optional) and serve.

Caramel-Filled Brownies

I go through phases with desserts and lately I've been all about caramel.  Not too long ago that's something you probably wouldn't have heard me say; I feared making caramel and rarely had good results.  It still doesn't always turn out on the first try for me, but I'm more confident in the process and actually think it's pretty fun.  After I made these salted caramel cheesecake bars recently, I had a ton of leftover caramel in my fridge and started digging through my bookmarked recipes for ways to use it up.  Without realizing it, I'd saved these brownies from 3 different blogs so it only made sense to give them a try.



There are a few additional steps involved in making this recipe compared to traditional brownies.  The brownie batter itself is pretty standard, but instead of baking it all at once, half is added to the pan and baked, then once it cools briefly, the caramel is poured on top and then covered with the remaining half of the brownie batter.  Here's the thing - the recipe actually call for melting down store-bought caramel candies with heavy cream for the caramel layer.  I decided to try subbing my leftover salted caramel sauce instead and while the brownies were tasty, they were sort of a mess.  It was nearly impossible to spread the brownie batter over the sauce so instead those two layers were essentially swirled together.  It took much longer for the brownies to bake and the caramel bubbled out the sides quite a bit and left me trying to chisel the brownies out of the pan.



I'm rarely motivated to make a dessert recipe twice, nevermind twice in the same week, but these were good and since I happened to find some caramel candies (I used these) hiding in my pantry, I tried them again in hopes of achieving a distinct, visible caramel layer.  The results were better in every way - they were easier to assemble, they baked perfectly and visually, they were a million times more appetizing.  These are insanely rich - the brownie is fudgy and chocolatey with an ooey gooey layer of caramel in the middle (though I swear they aren't as messy as they appear in the photo).  If I made them again I'd add salt to the caramel layer for that sweet/salty combo but otherwise wouldn't change a thing.

Caramel-Filled Brownies
adapted from The Pastry Queen, by Rebecca Rather

{There were pecans in this recipe (they were added to the caramel layer as well as sprinkled on top) which I omitted since we don't love nuts but you could add them for a turtle brownie effect.  I also halved the recipe and baked it in an 8x8 baking dish - I used the same baking times as are listed below for the full recipe.}

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
14 oz. caramel candies, unwrapped
1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a 13x9 baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides to lift the brownies out.  Spray thoroughly with cooking spray.

Place the butter and bittersweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30-second bursts at 50% power, stirring in between, until completely melted and smooth.  Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the bowl and whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick and glossy.  Stir in the flour and salt with a rubber spatula, mixing just until combined.

Transfer half of the batter to the prepared baking pan and spread in an even layer.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes.  Maintain oven temperature.

Meanwhile, add the caramels and heavy cream to a medium saucepan and set over medium-low heat.  Cook, stirring frequently, until completely melted and smooth.  Immediately pour the caramel over the brownies and spread evenly.  (If you finish melting the caramels before the brownies have cooled for 20 minutes, just set the pan over very low heat to keep warm.  Otherwise, the caramel will harden and be difficult to spread.)  Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the caramel layer and spread to cover.  (My brownie batter was thick so I microwaved it for 1 minute to make it more fluid.)   Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the brownies.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the brownies cool completely in the pan.  Run a thin knife along the sides of the pan to loosen any caramel that might be stuck, then use the foil to lift the brownies from the pan and cut into squares for serving.

Lemon Bundt Cake

Sorry it's been so quiet around here the past few days.  Blogger ran into some issues which made it impossible for me to publish new posts.  If you've tried to comment over the past 2 days and have run into any problems, I apologize - that was likely also a result of the Blogger outage.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that things will return to normal now and we can get back to the important stuff - the food :)



Back in early March, when I'd had just about all the snowy, cold winter weather I could take, I bought a giant bag of bright, cheery lemons and started baking.  I shared these lemon bars soon after and within that post promised to tell you about a lemon cake I'd made recently as well.  For whatever reason I never got around to writing that post and had completely forgotten about it until I discovered the photos in my Flickr account the other day.  This isn't the first time I've told that story about a recipe I made and it probably won't be the last.  One of these days I'll learn the lesson about organization in all of this and find a few spare hours to do something about it.  For now I'm just glad to finally tell you about this cake, which I absolutely loved.

If you're a lemon lover, this cake won't disappoint.  It's packed with more lemon flavor than any cake I've ever made and the texture is perfectly tender.  Plus, it's not very labor intensive; since it's a bundt you don't even have to frost it - you could simply eat it plain or dust it with a bit of powdered sugar.  I like the way a glaze drips down the sides of a bundt so I almost always make one where it's an option but this cake won't suffer if you skip it.  I halved the recipe below and baked my bundt in a 6-cup pan with no problem.  I think I ate two slices within the first day after I made it and wound up calling a friend to see if I could share the rest with her since it was proving to be so difficult to resist!



It's probably worth noting that Cook's Illustrated called this a "light" recipe.  That's not why I made it and I wouldn't have pegged it as a light dessert after tasting it, but it's an added bonus.  There's still half a stick of butter and 1/4 cup of oil in this recipe but compared to the 2 1/4 sticks of butter in the standard lemon bundt on their site, it's a definite improvement.

Lemon Bundt Cake
from Cook's Illustrated

3 cups (12 oz) cake flour
2 cups (14 oz) sugar
1/4 cup lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch cream of tartar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon

Lemon Glaze
1 cup (4 oz) confectioners' sugar
5 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 F with a rack in the lower third.  Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour (or grease with butter and lightly coat with flour).

In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and the zest.  Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant.  Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl containing the sugar/zest mixture and whisk to combine everything.  In a large measuring cup, whisk the milk, egg yolks, oil, butter and vanilla.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy.  Add the cream of tartar then increase the speed to medium-high.   With the mixer running, add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until the whites are shiny and form stiff peaks.

Add the milk mixture and lemon juice to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.   Add one third of the egg whites to the bowl and stir to combine (to lighten the batter) then add the remaining egg whites and gently fold to incorporate (try not to deflate the whites).

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.   Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes then turn the cake out onto the rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze: Whisk everything together in a medium bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the cake letting it run down the sides. Let the glaze set for about 15 minutes.

Homemade Hamburger Rolls

Sometimes I wonder if Shane misses the pre-food blogging days when we used to just cook our food and eat it.  Now, every time I make a new recipe for dinner, Shane asks "you're going to put this on your blog, right?"  Often, the answer is a resounding yes.  I'm excited about the dish and can't wait to share, even if that means delaying dinner for a few minutes so I can set up and try to achieve a good shot.  The only problem is that I'm still very much a novice photographer so sometimes I take 50 pictures before I get one I like.  As you might imagine, dinner isn't terribly warm by that point.  The solution is usually for us just to eat dinner while it's hot and save leftovers that I can photograph later.  Leftovers weren't an option when I made these burgers, but Shane convinced me to take a few pictures anyway.  In the interest of saving time, I threw them on a plate on the deck railing next to the grill, snapped a pic and called it a day.  Not something I would normally do, but I'm trying to learn to be ok with shortcuts sometimes...a warm, juicy burger is worth it :)    

This is probably only the second time I've made homemade hamburger rolls so I haven't tried a ton of recipes, but frankly, I'm not sure I need to.  These were just about perfect.  They're sturdy enough for burgers yet still soft and light with just a touch of sweetness.  I joked on Twitter yesterday that I was too lazy to go to the store to buy hamburger rolls for dinner, so instead I was going to make them and that's just what I did.  These were so easy I really do think they took less effort than getting in the car and driving to the store.  Lightly toasted on the grill, they were leaps and bounds better than anything I could have bought anyway.

Homemade Hamburger Rolls
from King Arthur Flour

(I made this recipe using my stand mixer so those are the instructions I'm including but you could absolutely do this by hand or in a bread machine if you wanted.)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
3/4 - 1 cup warm water (about 110 F)

Topping
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the butter, egg, flour, sugar, salt, yeast and 3/4 cup of the water.  Mix on low speed until a rough dough comes together.  Continue kneading on low speed until the dough is soft and smooth, about 5-7 minutes.  You may need to add some of the remaining 1/4 cup of water if the weather is particularly dry where you are.  There shouldn't be dry bits of flour in the bottom of the bowl; if there are, slowly add a little bit of water at a time until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but clings to the bottom. 

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray.  Add the dough to the bowl, turning to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently press to deflate.  Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (or 8 if you want really large rolls).  Shape each piece into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Flatten the ball into a disk about 3 inches in diameter.  Repeat with all of the dough then cover and let the rolls rise for about an hour, or until they are noticeably puffy.  

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 F.  Once they've risen, brush the tops of the rolls with half of the melted butter.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden in color.  Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining butter.  Let cool.

Makes 12 rolls