Homemade Milk Kifli

Crumble the yeast into a small bowl, sprinkle sugar over it, and mash with a fork until it becomes liquid. Add one tablespoon of flour from the measured amount and one-third of the lukewarm milk. Mix well, then let it rise for about 10 minutes. If nothing happens after 15 minutes, start over with fresh yeast.

Mix the remaining flour with salt, oil, the rest of the milk, and the risen yeast. Using the dough hook of a kitchen robot, knead for about 10 minutes until you get a smooth, elastic dough. The goal is a silky, almost non-sticky, play-dough-like consistency. If it's too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk; if it's too sticky, sprinkle in a little more flour.

Place the kneaded dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with foil, and let it rise at room temperature for about 45 minutes, until it doubles in size.