Homemade Dinner Rolls...

Back again with my Bread Baking Mania...I am truly addicted to the aroma of freshly baked bread at home. These days, I have reduced the number of hours I am working because my Health is not permitting me too those long hours continuously on my feet...So I decide to cut back on my working hours and what better to do with the free hours at home than make some yummy goodies that we both eat. (Read it as My Husband does not Fuss about...:-D)

I took out the recipe I had for baking Dinner Rolls which we got in our Yeast Goods class which I used on regular basis when at School in other Kitchen classes...I used to bake these rolls to serve as accompaniment to Soups, Stews to get extra points when the final dish was served for our chef to taste and evaluate. Some Chefs were impressed as to how I found time in between cooking 4 items in a 4hour kitchen class...I always ended up getting extra points for making that extra bit of effort...and this practice helped me in my Advanced Yeast Goods Class..(I scored 98/100...highest in the school...)

The above picture is My First Dinner Roll....(It felt Great holding it)...Now the secret is that the recipe is very easy to follow and make...and they have always worked whatever be the situation...So here goes the Recipe...

Ingredients:
200gms Plain Flour/Wholemeal Flour (If you can get - Bakers or Bread Flour)
10gms Active Dry Yeast (or 5 gms Fresh Yeast)
120ml Milk
1tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsps Butter (melted and cooled)
To Finish:
Caraway(Ajwain) Seeds/Sesame seeds
Milk to brush on top

Process:

1) Firstly heat the milk to lukewarm stage or 37*C. Be careful the milk should not be Hot if not the yeast will not be activated.

2) Add the Yeast and Sugar in a bowl and add the warm milk to it. Mix to dissolve and add the warm milk. Leave it aside till a froth develops and increases in volume. This means that the Yeast has been activated.(This Process is called Basic Proove)

3) Meanwhile Sift the flour 2 to 3 times to aerate it and add the Salt to it and keep aside.

4) Once the Yeast is ready, form a bay in the flour and slowly mix the flour to form a dough by adding the yeast mixture little by little. While mixing the flour move your hands in a circular motion collecting dough to the liquid as the hand is moving.

5) Once the dough is formed. Cover and keep aside to Proove(rise) again for about an hour or till the dough doubles in its volume.

6) Once the dough has doubled in volume, remove it onto a lightly floured surface. Then knock back the dough to its original size by kneading it in slow motion using the palm of your hand. Continue kneading for another 10 minutes till the dough is smooth and elastic.

7) Then add the melted butter and knead again till butter is well incorporated into the dough.

8) Divide into 6 equal portions (above recipe makes 6 rolls) and shape them into rolls by rolling them in a circular motion using the palms of your hands and place them on a lightly oiled baking tray. (refer picture below)

9) Leave them in a warm spot for another 20/30 minutes to rise again. (picture below)

10) Once they have risen to double their size, brush them with milk on top and sprinkle few Caraway or sesame seeds.

11)Bake them in a Preheated 200*C oven for 10 to 15 minutes or till they get a nice golden colour on top.

Disclaimer: Oven Temperatures Vary...so adjust accordingly...

12) Serve them warm from the Oven as fresh bread is at its best of taste when warm. They can be served along side soups or any dish as an accompaniment.

I eat them as it is...:-D because I bake mine using Wholemeal Flour as a healthier option....

I had these pictures that I shot long ago for the purpose of blogging...but back then never had the time to blog as regularly... as i do now...So I am using the same snaps I shot back then for this post... But I recently baked them as an accompaniment to Spicy Pav Bhaji...

Image Source: My Trusty Phone Camera
Recipe Source: Yeast Goods Class (with my own additions and deletions ofcourse..he he...:-D)

Try this recipe out and do let me know how it comes out...Until then Happy Cooking....:-)

Foccacia (Italian Herb Bread)...

Winter is one time of the year I actually donot mind spending hours in front of a Hot Oven be it in the comfort of our Home or at Work...It is just not the heat but the delicious aromas that waft around the apartment when baking anything that actually inspires me to bake more and more...especially on a cold evening and guess what it tickles B's hunger pangs even more and he actually eats more than he usually does (which I am very happy about...because he is thin as a stick)...and enjoys the meal...and usually does not complain like he always does...

I was on a Bread Baking Mania sometime back...one item that I made sure that I baked on a regular basis was an Italian Herb Bread variety known as "Foccacia"... There is always a great debate on how the word 'Foccacia' is spelt and pronounced. Anyways I got this spelling from one of my teachers at school and he seems to be quite sure that this is the spelling...

We personally prefer this to the regular bread because it has olive oil and oregano, two of my favourite ingredients...and you can pile on any top garnish as you wish...I personally grate some cheddar cheese, chop up some olives and sun-dried tomatoes and spread that on top...to give that extra boost of taste....

You can eat this bread as it is or slice up and use as regular bread with whatever fillings you prefer...I eat it slices as it warm from the oven....or sometimes use it as an accompaniment to the soups and pasta dishes I make...

So here goes the recipe...to make one Loaf...

Ingredients:
250ml Water(lukewarm)
8gms Dry Yeast(1 Sachet) or 5gms if using Fresh Yeast
350gms Plain Flour
1teaspoon Salt
1teaspoon Dry Oregano
20ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Other Ingredients: (Optional)
A few Sun-Dried tomatoes( roughly diced)
A few Spanish Black Olives(sliced)
A Tablespoon of grated Cheddar Cheese
Some Dried Oregano to sprinkle on top
Olive Oil

Process:
1. Firstly Warm water until is body temperature or lukewarm...add the yeast to it and a teaspoon of SUGAR...then cover it and leave it aside for about 10 minutes...

2. Meanwhile sieve the flour... and add the salt, olive oil and dried oregano to the flour and mix in the ingredients well..

3. The yeast water after 10 minutes should appear frothy proving that the yeast has started growing...add this water to the flour mix and mix it till it becomes a smooth dough...if the dough appears sticky then add a little more flour to make the dough smooth...but a little moisture will actually help the dough to proove(yeast growing) well...knead well using your palms for about 10 minutes

4. Then place the dough in an oiled bowl...cover it and keep in it in a warm spot...and leave it till the dough doubles in size...

5. Then roll out the dough onto a floured surface and knock out all the air bubbles while kneading it...the dough will become its original size...

6. Then using fingers only shape the dough in the form of a loaf... and place it on a well oiled baking tray...(see the picture below for reference)

6. Then again place it in a warm spot the loaf increases in size (the above picture shows the already increased size of the loaf)...

7. Preheat the Oven to 180*C...

8. On the increased loaf, brush the top of the loaf liberally with olive oil...and sprinkle it with more Oregano...you can leave it like that if you donot like any other topping...but as I said earlier I like some stuff so I sprinkle grated cheese, olives and sun-dried tomatoes...(check the picture below for reference)

9. Then bake the loaf for about 15 - 20 minutes...the top of the loaf must be golden and when you lift the loaf and tap it on the bottom side...it should sound hollow...(be very careful when lifting the loaf to check this it will be very hot....use your oven mutt...so that it wont burn you...)

10. The finished product looks as the picture below...and as I already said you can eat as it is...and believe me the aromas are awesome and taste this warm bread on your palate cannot be described...and you will definitely fall in love with the art of Bread Baking...Trust me [:-)]

I will follow up this recipe with a wholesoup soup for which this bread goes as a great accompaniment...

Variation:

If you dont like Oregano...you can use dried Rosemary or Thyme....or any Italian Dried Herbs...

Image Source: My Trusty Phone Camera
Recipe Source: Bread Baking Class (with my own additions and deletions ofcourse..he he...:-D)

Disclaimer: Oven Temperatures Vary...so adjust accordingly...

Try this out and do let me know how it comes out...If you are trying baking bread for the first time...I suggest that you follow the recipe as it is...to avoid disappointment..(because remember baking is a art that you need to master before you can alter it...I have tried this many many times before I have gained the confidence...)

So Happy Cooking....:-)