Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls

In a medium bowl, mix together water, 2 tbsp of the sugar and all the yeast. Whisk together until the yeast is dissolved.

Let stand about 2-3 minutes, or until the yeast is foamy. Then, stir in 1 cup of the flour. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fixed with the dough hook attachment, combine melted butter and milk on low speed. Scrape in the yeast mixture, the rest of the sugar, 2 cups of the flour and salt.

Turn mixer to medium-high speed, adding the remaining cup of flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl (stop adding flour once its done this, even if you still have some left).

Pour dough into a lightly greased large bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Take dough out of bowl and place on a lightly floured countertop. Using your fingers, push down dough into a rectangle, about 10 by 16 inches and about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch tall.

Using a bench scraper or pizza cutter, cut dough down the middle lengthwise. Then, cut each half of the dough crosswise into about 9-12 pieces each. The pieces will look like strips.

Roll each end of the strip under itself so it almost looks like a cinnamon roll on its side. Keeping the roll upright, place a roll in the center of a round pizza stone or 14-inch cast iron skillet and continue to place rolls around the center roll, forming a large circle. Leave some space between each roll, but they must all just be touching each other. Allow to rest about 15-20 minutes, uncovered.

Using about 1 tbsp butter, brush the tops of the rolls. Bake 15-20 minutes or until rolls are puffy and a golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit five minutes before serving warm. For a pull-apart effect, leave the circle together and place the whole thing on a round plate so guests can pull off the rolls.