In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl, combine water, the yeast, and a pinch of the sugar. Let it sit for a few minutes until it gets foamy.

Melt 1/2 of the butter while the yeast is sitting. Let it cool slightly.

To the yeast mixture, add the rest of the sugar, the melted butter, the milk, and the egg. Mix to combine. Add 2 cups of the flour and the salt and mix. Continue to add flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough comes together. It will still stick to the bottom of the bowl, but should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes. If making by hand, pour the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, 5-10 minutes.

Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Add the dough to the bowl and turn the dough over to coat. Cover the bowl with a towel or with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled, 1-2 hours.

Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper or grease with butter.

Once the dough has risen, punch the dough down then pour out onto a floured surface. Cut the dough in half.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the remaining butter.

Working with one half of the dough at a time, roll the dough into a rectangle about 8 inches by 12 inches. Brush half of the butter over the dough. Cut the dough in half lengthwise (I like to use a pizza cutter.) Fold the dough of each of these long rectangles in half lengthwise, leaving about half of an inch uncovered. Cut each piece into 4 pieces, making 8 rolls from the first half of the dough. Place the rolls in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the other half of the dough and other half of the melted butter. You will have 16 rolls total, with 4 rows of 4 rolls each in the baking dish.

Cover the dish with plastic wrap or a towel and let it rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Once the rolls have finished rising, place the pan in the oven and bake until the rolls are golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle with finishing salt, if desired.