Soft Bread Rolls Recipe

Directions

• Mixing and Kneading
• Put the flour in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the salt in one side of the bowl, and the yeast and sugar on the other side. Add the optional diastatic malt powder. Turn on the mixer to low (setting 1 on a KitchenAid), and add the water.
• When the ingredients are getting together, add the shortening in little bit, and make sure they are fully incorporated. Knead on low speed for 4-5 minutes.
• When the dough is starting to form a cohesive ball, increase the mixer to medium and continue mixing for 2-3 minutes. When the dough is creeping up the dough hook and is clearing the bowl, check the consistency of the dough.
• To test whether the dough is ready, pull a corner of the dough and stretch it. It should form a thin pane, so thin, light shines through it: the windowpane test. If it rips too easily, knead a bit longer.
• Kneading by Hand
• If you don’t have stand mixer or don’t want to use it, you don’t have to. Place the flour in a large bowl, add the salt to one side and the yeast to another. Add the diastatic malt powder. Add the water, and with a spoon or your hand, mix all ingredients together until it forms a shaggy dough. When there are no more dry bits in the bowl, tip the bowl over.
• Start kneading. Your kneading technique is your preference, as long as you put in the elbow grease. Kneading will take you about 10 minutes. Use the windowpane test to check whether your dough is ready.
• Bulk Rise
• Lightly grease a large bowl with a neutral oil. Fold the edges of the dough under itself so you create a nice taut ball with some tension in the skin. Place in the bowl and cover with cling wrap or a damp towel.
• Let the dough rise on our kitchen counter or another relatively warm place in your house, but avoid a hot spot (on the heaters) or in the direct sun: a tough skin will form and you will see and taste that in the final product. It will double in roughly 1 to 1.5 hours. If you want to slow this down because you need more time, you can place it in the fridge. Cover the top of the dough with a little bit of neutral oil to prevent it drying out.
• Shaping
• Preheat your oven to 425F/210C.
• After the dough has risen, and looks smooth, tip the bowl over on a lightly floured workspace. This dough makes 8 standard size buns or 12 small buns. You can eyeball the size, or be fanatic about it, and use a scale.
• Place a piece of dough on its back, and fold the corners over to the center. Repeat for all corners. Pinch the center together. Flip the little dough ball over, and cup your hand over it. With a slow but deliberate motion, roll the bowl inside your cupped hand on your work bench until the dough ball is round, with a nice, tight skin. Do t use flour or oil: the friction will create the tension you need. Repeat for all rolls.
• Place the rolls in a non-stick, square pan. If you have them touch, they will grow together, which is standard for some of the rolls, or have 2 inch distance between the rolls to bake them separately. Alternatively, use a cast-iron skillet. No need to pre-heat the skillet.
• Let the rolls rest and proof for 30-45 minutes until light and puffy.
• Bake and Cool
• Place the rolls in the preheated oven. Bake for 17-19 minutes. Check after 15 minutes to see if the bottom browns faster than the tops. If that is the case, place a cold baking sheet under the baking sheet you’re using: this will delay it just enough.
• When the tops are an even golden-brown, remote from the oven and immediately place on a wiring rack to cool completely.
• These are best the day of baking. You can keep them on the counter for 3 days, and the fridge for a week – but they will get a bit tougher in the cold fridge.