Mom's Yeast Rolls (not my mom)

From: This website (not my mother's recipe; this is just what they are called)

Please note: Yeast rolls are what you might call my "nemesis". I cannot get them light and fluffy, so I am always trying new recipes. Even if a recipe doesn't work for me, you should still try it. You will probably have better luck with it than I! Plus, I am trying to do this without a bread machine. I own a bread machine but I know this can be done without using it.

Ingredients:
2 cups hot water
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold water
2 (.25) packages active dry yeast
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs

Melt butter in hot water. Add sugar and salt and stir. Add cold water and yeast. Stir to dissolve yeast. Add 3 cups flour and mix. Add eggs and 2 1/2 - 3 cups more flour. Mix, cover and let rise until dough doubles in size. Punch down and let rise 30 more minutes or until doubles. Make walnut size balls of dough. Place about 2 inches apart in a well-buttered 9x13 pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes. Brush tops of rolls with butter while hot.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I halved it.

What I'll do differently next time:
I'm not sure. What should I do differently to make them work?

Verdict:
Neutral. They had great flavor but they weren't fluffy. Why do my yeast rolls never fluff?? As you can see in the pictures, the second round fluffed more than the first ones for some reason. My rolls rise, but for some reason they don't fluff in the oven.

Printable version:

Ingredients:
2 cups hot water
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold water
2 (.25) packages active dry yeast
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs

Melt butter in hot water. Add sugar and salt and stir. Add cold water and yeast. Stir to dissolve yeast. Add 3 cups flour and mix. Add eggs and 2 1/2 - 3 cups more flour. Mix, cover and let rise until dough doubles in size. Punch down and let rise 30 more minutes or until doubles. Make walnut size balls of dough. Place about 2 inches apart in a well-buttered 9x13 pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes. Brush tops of rolls with butter while hot.