Rolls @ Dinner = Clean Plate Club

Ways to get my kids to eat dinner - make rolls or biscuits. "Mom, can I have another?" Sure, finish your plate... "OK!" Done. I opted to make a half recipe since three rolls per person seemed.... excessive.
This is a simple recipe - no mixer needed. I used my trusty dough whisk to bring it all together and let it sit in my oven with the light on since it's COLD here. There are no warm areas of my kitchen unless the oven is on. These were a simple roll to make and the kids loved them. Andy liked how they were like a chewy crusty piece of bread all wrapped up in a trusty little roll. I liked that my kids had clean plates from dinner. We all win.

Easy, No-Knead Dinner Rolls
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast or active dry yeast
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves or other herbs
2 cups lukewarm water, see notes above
room temperature butter, about 2 tablespoons, plus more for brushing

If you are using instant yeast: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, instant yeast, and fresh thyme leaves. Add the water. Mix until the flour is absorbed. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel or cloth bowl cover. Place in a warm spot to rise (see notes above) for 1.5 to 2 hours.
If you are using active dry yeast: In a small mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar into the water. Sprinkle the yeast over top. There is no need to stir it up. Let it stand for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture is foamy and/or bubbling just a bit — this step will ensure that the yeast is active. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and thyme. When the yeast-water-sugar mixture is foamy, stir it up, and add it to the flour bowl. Mix until the flour is absorbed. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel or cloth bowl cover. (At this point, you can cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 1 to 3 days.)
Place in a warm spot to rise (see notes above) for 1.5 to 2 hours. Meanwhile, generously butter a 12-cup muffin pan, plus a few ramekins (2 to 4) if you wish… recently, for simplicity, I have just been baking 12 large dinner rolls in my muffin tin and not bothering with the ramekins.
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Using two forks, punch down your dough, by pulling it from the sides — see video for guidance — and to the center. You want to loosen the dough entirely from the sides of the bowl. Take your two forks and divide the dough roughly into 6 portions. Then, using the two forks, scoop up half of each of these portions and plop each into a buttered muffin cup. Repeat with remaining dough. This won’t be pretty, but it doesn’t matter. Try your best to divide the dough equally, and if you have extra dough, bake it off in the buttered ramekins. Let the dough rise for about 17 to 20 minutes or until it has risen to just above the top of the muffin cups.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375º and make for 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and turn the rolls onto a cooling rack or directly into a bread basket. Pass the butter.