Bread Recipe: Soft White Bread Rolls

As we approach week seven of lockdown, many are still self-isolating at home and not heading out shopping as they used to.  If you are one of those and somehow still have some bread flour and yeast at hand then this is a typical UK bread recipe is perfect to be made at home.  The dough can be used for rolls, hot dog buns, pizza base or anything you fancy, the best part about is that you can make the dough and let it rise overnight or make a batch first thing in the morning just in time for lunch.  These rolls are usually best eaten fresh but will keep for a few days or can be frozen on the day they are baked.  As there are only two of us in the house so I usually give half of the batch to either my daughter (when we are not in lockdown) or to the neighbours. It’s a great way to share and not waste food.

Soft White Bread Rolls Recipe

Ingredients:

500g bread flour
7g (one sachet) fast-action yeast or 20g of fresh yeast (I nearly always use fresh yeast)
1 ½ tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
300ml lukewarm water
3 tbsp olive oil (I did not use olive oil but rapeseed oil)
plus flour for dusting

Method:

• Firstly before we start, keep in mind that the dough’s first rise can be done overnight in the fridge in a lightly oiled bowl.
• Combine the salt, flour, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Ensure that the salt does not touch the yeast. It’s better to put the salt at the bottom and then add the other ingredients.
• Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the 300ml water and 3tbsp of oil into the well and mix until it forms a dough.
• Transfer the dough to the worktop and start to knead or use a mixer with a dough hook. The dough will be quite wet, try not to add much flour. Knead for ten minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic (either by hand or in the mixer, I usually do it in the mixer but if I want a workout, doing by hand is quite therapeutic.)
• Place your smooth dough into a covered bowl and leave to prove for an hour. (If you have made your dough in the evening then you can leave in the fridge overnight.)
• Once the hour has passed (or for the dough which has been in the fridge overnight) and the dough has doubled in size, knockback for a few minutes (I did it for a couple but the recipe states 10 min), then roll into a long sausage shape and divide into 8 equal pieces (they will be around 100g each).

• Form each one into a small flat round and place on baking trays, cover with a tea towel and leave to prove again for an hour.
• Whilst proving, preheat the oven to 220C/fan (as I use my small oven which is not fan, I baked them at 230C).
• When the rolls have rested and increased in size (usually around double) cook them in the oven for 10-15 minutes (did mine for 11 min).  They should be golden brown and when tapping the bottom of the rolls to check if they are cooked, they should sound hollow.
• Transfer onto a wired rack and cover them with a clean tea towel when cooling (I did not cover them, they are perfect as is. This will absorb the moisture from the heat coming off the rolls.

By: Brigitte Kershaw

You may also want to read this:

Homemade Boulangerie Style French Baguette Recipe 

Very Lazy Ingredient Review and Recipes for you to try

DoubleTree Hotel’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe