When you make a dish that becomes famous in your social circle, keep making it. Hot rolls were a feature of tables across the South for decades but are rare these days. “I’m from Mississippi, and we always had rolls growing up,” says Angie Sarris, who now lives in John’s Creek, Georgia. “I miss my grandmother—she always had them on her table.” Sarris began making rolls for her parties, and now everyone, from her friends to her son’s college buddies to the guests at the local mission, expects her rolls. “Now I’m the Roll Lady,” she laughs. She embraces the name and bakes them often for guests and potluck dinners. Soft and sweet when hot, these rolls firm up after a day to become the base for another Southern party favorite: mini sandwiches filled with chicken salad or tenderloin.

HOMEMADE YEAST ROLLS IN A BREAD MACHINE

3 ¼ cups bread flour

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

8 tablespoons butter, divided

2 ½ teaspoons instant active dry yeast (bread machine yeast)

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Place the flour, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, 4 tablespoons of the butter, and the yeast in the bowl of a bread machine. Prepare according to the manufacturer’s recommendations for the dough setting. Let the dough rest in the machine until doubled in size.

Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Pull off pieces of dough and roll into balls. For lunch-size rolls, use 2 tablespoons of dough. For dinner rolls, use 3 tablespoons. For hamburger buns, use ½ cup. Arrange rolls on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Brush some of the melted butter on top of the rolls. Let rise for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake the rolls for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter again.

Makes 36 lunch rolls or 24 dinner rolls or 8 to 10 buns

Note: To make ahead, shape the dough into balls, brush with melted butter, and arrange on the baking sheet. Refrigerate 8 to 12 hours. Remove from refrigerator and let rise 30 minutes, then bake as directed.