Dinner rolls

Almost all the dinner rolls that we get here in Qatar are made with milk and eggs. Dinner rolls with milk and egg are definitely more tender as eggs and milk add to the texture.

I wanted to re-create the London bakery rolls that my kids were so much in love with. And I did succeed. My happiness knew no bounds when my elder one certified this one as being exactly like the London bakery ones.

Though there are lots and lots of recipes on the net, somehow this one works the best for me. The recipe as such is very simple. Proof the yeast, mix up everything, knead, let rise and bake. Proofing and kneading, when done properly give perfect rolls.

The warm water to proof the yeast should be a bit warmer than lukewarm. The temperature generally recommended is 43°C/110°F. I normally go by my sense of touch. The water should be as hot as you can stick your finger in.

Also, I prefer to let my dough sit for at least 5 minutes before starting to knead. This lets the flour absorb all the liquid. Then knead the dough for a good 8-10 minutes for the gluten to develop.

Milk wash on the rolls before baking will help in browning. You can also use an egg wash. But I always use milk as I feel egg darkens more than my liking.

Brush the rolls liberally with butter as soon as they are out of the oven. This helps in softening the crust. Let the rolls cool on a wire rack. I always prefer to cover the rolls with a cloth to prevent them from becoming dry.

Store these in an airtight container for lasting freshness. A polythene bag like the one we get at the stores works the best. But since most of us including me are trying to avoid plastic as much as possible, you can use steel containers like me.

For People who do not have a stand mixer

• Proof the yeast in a big-sized bowl with the milk and a tsp of sugar. Add the remaining sugar, egg, salt, and butter. Mix well and then add the flour.
• Mix up gently with a ladle or spatula for a good few minutes, till you see the dough forming strands as you mix.
• Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a floured countertop and knead for 8-10 minutes adding flour in small installments, till you get a tacky dough.
• Tacky means sticking to your hand when touched but still can be easily released, unlike a sticky dough.  Tacky dough usually sticks to the bowl or counter and is not completely dry.
• Proceed with the recipe as given below.

Alternatively, you can also use the kneading hook that comes with most hand mixers.

This is my base recipe for all breads using egg and milk. From my experience, I have found that the dough is more forgiving when there is an egg in a recipe 🙂 . So if you are okay with eggs do give this a try.

People looking for eggless rolls please look up my Eggless dinner rolls recipe, which is equally good but uses a different technique.

Make it and enjoy it as much as we did 🙂 . I bet you will never go back to the store-bought ones.

If you are new to bread baking or baking in general, head over to my baking basics page to get a basic idea about baking.

Over to the recipe..

Hema’s P.S

• While kneading, only add as much flour as needed. Agreed, that initially the dough will be sticky esp when you knead by hand. But if you add too much flour the rolls will not turn out soft.
• Proofing can vary from 1 hr to as much as required to double the dough in size. And this is hugely dependant on environmental factors.
• Butter gives the best flavor, but you can use oil too if you prefer.
• If you wish to half the recipe use a small egg for 1½ cups of flour, and just halve the rest of the ingredients. Likewise, 1 large egg will suffice for 4½ cups of flour.
• The gram or volume measures are indicative of the exact amount that I had used in this recipe.

 

 

Do have a glance at my other bakes 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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