Place 2 Tablespoons salted butter, thinly sliced and 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar into the body of a stand mixer with the hook attachment.
Warm 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons milk, in the microwave in 15-second intervals until it reaches 105-110°F. Pour half of the milk into the stand mixer. Stir for a few seconds to combine, the butter will not fully melt, but that’s okay.
Add 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast to the remaining warm milk, stir and let it sit for 5 minutes or until foamy. Pour into the mixer along with 1 large egg yolk, and stir to combine.
Add 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour of the flour to the mixer. Turn the mixer on medium-low, and scrape the sides as needed until a dough starts to form.
Turn the mixer onto medium-high speed, if the dough doesn’t start to clean the sides of the bowl, start adding more flour, about a teaspoon at a time, until the sides of the bowl are cleaned. Knead the dough for 3 minutes, if the dough is still sticking slightly to the very bottom of the bowl, that’s okay.
In a large bowl, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Take the dough and turn it around in the bowl, so it gets coated in the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough to release the air bubbles.
Pour 1/2 cup salted butter, melted into an 8x8-inch baking dish. Lay the dough into the baking dish (along with any oil left in with the dough) and gently spread it out to the sides and corners, if it won’t stretch all the way, that’s okay. Some of the butter will pool on top.
Take a sharp knife and cut the dough into 9ths while in the pan.
Cover and place the dough in a warm place again and allow it to double. About 1 more hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown on top and when tapped on top they sound hollow. Immediately brush with more melted butter if desired and serve.
Notes
No warm place? No problem! If you don’t have a warm place to put the dough to rise, you can run the microwave with nothing in it for 30 seconds, then open it, close the door and allow the dough to rise in the microwave.
You can use ¼ cup of butter in place of the ½ cup in the bottom of the baking dish if you wanted the rolls a little on the lighter side, this technique will still work.
Freeze any leftovers for up to 3 months. Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days, they are best eaten right away if possible.