Roll Playah

As I mentioned in the last bread post, lately I’ve been feeling much more comfortable with baking–at least bread. So much so that I got all crazy-like and just straight-up improvised some pretty tasty rolls. See, Milo was keen to make some bread with me, only he wanted to make his own. So I helped him measure out the stuff, but with an eye towards a different dough that would be good either for rolls or pizza dough the next day. The loaves I make are plenty big enough to last us three or four days, so I didn’t want any more bread lying around.

I did the plain old regular with my dough, but with his I made it stiffer by using less water. Both doughs sat overnight in the laundry room where the furnace keeps the temperature nice and warm. Mine I baked in the Dutch oven per usual, his I divided into eight pieces and shaped into rolls. Once proofed on the counter for an hour, I brushed the tops with egg and then sprinkled on some crunchy salt and minced rosemary from the plant in the dining room that’s very close to being put back in the herb garden. I baked them on a cookie sheet right next to the iron pot with the bread in it (our baking stone–a $3 floor tile–broke) since our new oven is so freaking huge.

After 20 minutes, they were perfect. After a brief cool-off, we lit into them, armed with luscious cultured butter and sharp cheddar. Damn. Later on, we had them for lunch, making little sandwiches with the leftover escabeche chicken thighs tossed with capers and homemade pimentón mayonnaise to make an obscenely tasty chicken salad. These rolls are henceforth a must-have item. Tomorrow, after I teach another pickling class, I’m making a big batch of dough so we can have many more of these on Sunday.

I’ve submitted this post to yeastspotting, where they loves them some good bread.