Ingredients / Shopping List
250g strong flour ½ tsp spoon salt 1 x 7g sachet of fast action dried yeast( or 15g fresh yeast) 150ml warm water1 tblsp rapeseed oilOptional: Milk and egg glazePoppy seedsSesame seeds
Prep to Cook: Mixing bowl, wooden spoon, measuring jug, scissors, flour dredger, baking tray, pastry brush, basin. Warm place to rise the rolls. Oven
Prep:
Put the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
Add the contents of the sachet of easy blend yeast.
Alternately use fresh yeast: blend with ½ tsp sugar and 30ml of warm water. Leave to 'froth' for 10 mins.
Mix well and then add the liquid milk and oil together.
Combine to form a soft but not sticky dough.
Work the dough for a while until you can turn it out onto the worktop.
Knead for 6 minutes so that the dough is elastic and spongy.
Divide into 4 or 6 portions
Shape as desired: plaits, cottage loaf, knot, plain rolls.
Place on a flat greased baking tray.
Glaze if you wish with egg and milk mix.
Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds (optional).
LEAVE in a warm place to rise, until the rolls double in size.
About 30 minutes.
Transfer to a pre-heated oven 210°C or Gas mark 7.
Cook for 12 – 15 minutes until golden and crisp.
Fresh yeast can be used to make these bread rolls. Use 15g fresh yeast to replace the 7g easy blend yeast sachet.
Cooks Know How: Making bread is an organised process. Each ingredient has its function. The bread flour forms the bulk of the mixture and it contains the proteins that make gluten once a dough is made. Bread flour contains about 14g of protein per 100g whereas plain white flour contains 9g protein per 100g.Gluten is important because it is stretchy and allows the dough to rise. The little oil incorporated into the dough helps to prevent staling and makes the bread keep for longer. Yeast (either fresh or easy blend) is the raising agent. It is biological and utilises the flour (or the sugar) as energy and creates a gas carbon dioxide. The gas gradually raises the dough, which can be seen as the shapes double in size. The salt helps flavour and also strengthens the gluten formation. The liquid mix of milk and oil enables the dough to form and creates a little steam during the cooking which helps rising. The crust of bread dries more due to the heat of the oven and become crisp and golden, mainly due to the effect of heat making the flour starch change to sweeter dextrins. The process or techniques used when making bread are also important, kneading is the special technique that develops the gluten and distributes the yeast cells. Shaping and leaving the dough to rise in a warm place is essential for the yeast to have time to work and produce gas. Baking destroys the yeast cells so they do not continue to produce carbon dioxide. Baking in a hot oven browns the rolls, and denatures the protein gluten so that is sets and holds the risen shape. This is checked when holding the roll in an oven glove and tapping the base of the roll to see if it sounds hollow. The Grain Chain website www.grainchain.com has a wonderful range of resources about bread and bread making.Glazes are optional but they make the surface of bread rolls glossy. Texture and flavour from attractive additions such as poppy seed or sesame seeds also add interest