Dinner Rolls

What a quick roll lacks is time, not less effort. This is what is important. This is the step that separates the baker from the apprentice, a quick roll from a great roll.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup water, body temperature
  • 1 teaspoon dry active yeast
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, heaping, if you use a fine grind salt only use 1/2 teaspoon
  • 3 tablespoons raw wheat germ, toasted in a saute pan until nutty smelling
  • 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened, plus some for brushing the rolls
  • 2 large eggs

Instructions:

  1. In the bowl of a mixer add the water and sprinkle in the yeast and let it bloom.
  2. Once it has dissolved add the rest of the ingredients adding the butter last. Save the butter wrapper.
  3. Using a dough hook mix the dough until it becomes elastic. Sit tight on adding any water the dough looks dry but it takes some time for the butter and eggs to hydrate the flour.
  4. It should form a loose ball and pull cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl and kneed it a few times until it is smooth and elastic.
  5. Grease the inside of the bowl wiping it with the reserved butter wrapper.
  6. Place the dough into the bowl and cover the bowl with a warm damp towel or plastic wrap and set it in a warm place. Just above room temp is fine. Set a timer for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
  7. Punch down the dough. Divide it into 9 equal pieces. Using the palm of your hand and rolling in a circular motion roll the pieces of dough into nine balls.
  8. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit into a 9 x 9 inch cake pan and place it on the bottom of the pan. Place the rolls into the pan keeping a little space between them. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and put them into the fridge.
  9. The next day remove them from the fridge and let them slow rise until they get to room temperature or have doubled from the original size from the day before.
  10. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake the rolls for 15 minutes and then brush them liberally with butter. bake them another 10 minutes until the tops are golden brown and delicious. Remove them from the oven and let them cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

 

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