The Best Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

• For the yukone:
• 6 ounces cold water
• 2 1/2 ounces bread flour
• For the dough:
• 13 3/4 ounces bread flour
• 1/2 ounce sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast, such as SAF; not RapidRise or active dry, more info here

Directions

1. For the yukone, put the water and flour in either a 2-quart stainless steel saucier or a 10-inch skillet. Set the pan over medium heat and whisk the whole time, until the mixture tightens into a heavy paste with a mashed-potato texture, about 2 minutes. Scrape it out onto a plate, smooth it into a 1-inch layer, and let it cool, about 20 minutes, so it is not above 100 degrees F (38 degrees C).
2. For the dough, add the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast to a food processor with the metal blade in place, then pulse to mix. When everything is evenly blended, add the cooled yukone and water. Run the processor until the dough turns smooth, about 90 seconds. Move the dough to a lightly greased bowl; it will be a little warm and wildly sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic and refrigerate until the dough is about twice its size; depending on how warm the yukone was, this takes between 60 and 90 minutes.
3. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter with no flour, and resist the urge to knock out the air. Divide it into 12 roughly equal portions, 2 1/4 ounces or 60g each, then cup each piece under your palm and roll it in fast little circles until it becomes a smooth ball. Place the balls on a half sheet pan lined with parchment. Cover the pan with plastic and chill overnight; between 8 and 10 hours later, the rolls should feel puffy and soft.
4. Move an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Pour about 3 inches of water into a deep pot and get it boiling over high heat. While that happens, make a thick paper towel landing pad on either a baking sheet or a cutting board. With scissors, snip the parchment apart between the rolls. Taking 4 dough pieces at a time, lift them by their parchment and drop them into the boiling water upside down. Boil them for exactly 60 seconds, then use a slotted spoon to turn them right side up, giving the bottoms their turn to form a skin, and move them to the paper towels. As you go, you can peel away the parchment squares gently, or let them slide off by themselves. Set the rolls on a half sheet pan lined with parchment; you can bake them right away or let them sit at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown and blistered all the way around.
5. The rolls can go to the table immediately, or sit out for up to 6 hours at room temperature. If they have cooled and you like them hot, return them to a hot oven before serving, giving them 5 to 10 minutes.