Sweet Wheat Dinner Rolls

In addition to making Hot Cross Buns for Easter, I also adapted the recipe to make some decadent dinner rolls.  I'm pretty sure that even the most staunch white-bread enthusiast couldn't turn these down!

Sweet Wheat Dinner Rolls

Sponge:

7 oz. whole wheat flour

2 1/2 tsp. yeast

1 c. buttermilk (room temperature)

Dough:

16 oz. white bread flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. unsalted butter (softened)

5 eggs, beaten (cold)

sponge

Mix the ingredients for the sponge.  Cover and allow to sit for 2 hours.  

In a mixer, beat together the eggs, butter, salt, and sugar.  Add the sponge.  Gradually add the remaining flour (and extra if necessary).  After the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl, mix on medium speed for 5 minutes.  Turn onto a floured surface and knead briefly.  Cover and let rise for 1 1/2 hours.  

Punch the dough down, and divide it into 2 oz. portions.  (Work in quarter batches, and keep the remaining dough covered so that it doesn't dry out.) Roll each portion into a ball and place on a parchment-lined baking pan about 1" apart. Lightly spray with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise for 1 hour.  

Preheat the oven to 350 ˚F.  Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half way through.  Cool completely on a wire rack before serving. Makes 2 dozen rolls.

I tried to reproduce the Great Harvest Honey Bunny with a bit of extra dough.  Apparently that takes some practice...

Hot Cross Buns

As of two weeks ago, I had never attempted to make Hot Cross Buns. This seemed a bit ironic (as I am both a bread-baker and a Christian) so I thought I'd give it a try for Easter. The key elements of this recipe are the butter (lots of it!), eggs (5 of them!), and the addition of allspice. The resulting rolls are rich, slightly sweet, and wonderfully aromatic. A small amount of icing on top launches them into the 'irresistible' category.

Hot Cross Buns
from Crust and Crumb by Peter Reinhart

Sponge:
3 1/2 oz. white bread flour
2 tsp yeast
1 c. buttermilk (at room temperature)

Dough:
19 1/2 oz. white bread flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 Tbsp. allspice
1/2 c. unsalted butter (softened)
5 eggs, beaten (cold)
sponge

Mix the ingredients for the sponge.  Cover and allow to sit for 2 hours.  

In a mixer beat together the eggs, butter, salt, and sugar.  Add the sponge.  Gradually add the remaining flour (and extra if necessary). Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes once the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.  Turn onto a floured surface and knead briefly. Cover and let rise for 1 1/2 hours.

Punch the dough down, and divide it into 2 oz. portions.  (Work in quarter batches, and keep the remaining dough covered so that it doesn't dry out.) Roll each portion into a ball and place on a parchment-lined baking pan about 1" apart. Lightly spray with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise for 1 hour.*  

Preheat the oven to 350 ˚F.  Brush the tops of the buns with a mixture of egg yolk + 1 Tbsp. water.  Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half way through.  Cool completely on a wire rack before decorating the tops with icing. Makes 2 dozen buns.

*Alternatively, you may let the dough rise for 30 minutes, then wrap the pan in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight.  Remove the pan from the refrigerator about 1 1/2 hours before baking, allowing the buns to warm to room temperature first.  

Under Construction

As Easter approaches, I've got some recipes that I'm working on. Here's a preview of my hot cross buns:

Stay tuned!  Hopefully I'll have more details to post in the next couple of weeks.

Sesame Loaf

This is my creation of the weekend.  It has an enjoyable nutty flavor and makes a good change-of-pace sandwich bread.  Happy baking!

Sesame Loaf


2 c. water
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 pkg. (2 1/4 tsp) yeast
2 tsp. salt
1 c. rice flour
1/4 c. sesame seeds
4 c. white bread flour

Mix together the dry ingredients. Add these to the wet ingredients and, using a mixer with a dough hook, mix thoroughly (adding more flour if necessary) until the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Let rest 5 minutes. Knead again briefly, then cover and let rise for about an hour or until nearly double in size. Punch down, then shape into a loaf and place into a greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise for an hour or until nearly double in bulk. Bake at 350 ˚F for 25 minutes, then brush the top of the loaf with an egg yolk + 1 Tbsp. water mixture. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the bottom and sides of the loaf appear slightly golden. Cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.