1 tablespoon yeast
½ cup warm water
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup warm milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
Nonstick cooking spray
In a medium bowl, whisk together the yeast, warm water and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the yeast mixture, milk, butter and eggs. Beat with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together into a sticky ball.
Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel and place it in a warm, draft-free place, such as on the kitchen countertop or in the oven with the light turned on, and let rise until doubled in size, 60-90 minutes.
Punch down the dough and transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and form them into balls. Spray the balls lightly with nonstick cooking spray and then cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size again, about 45 minutes.
While the dough is rising for the second time, preheat the oven to 400 F and spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Once the balls have doubled in size, arrange them in the prepared baking pan. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool for a minute or two in the pan. Serve warm.
