This recipe produces a batch of bread rolls in under an hour which is quite remarkable.
It’s better than going to the shop to buy flaccid, pappy rolls when you want an impromptu burger or your son tells you he needs a packed lunch and you have no bread at 7pm on a Sunday.
Do you call them rolls? Or cobs? Or stotties or barms?
I say cob…or even bread cob, just to be clear that I don’t mean a small horse or some corn.
Usually my aim, when making bread is to produce something with a complex taste, a dense crumb and a crisp crust. Not here though. This is for when you want a light fluffy ‘dinner roll’ or something to wrap around a slice of meatloaf which is how I shall be eating these in about an hour’s time. (I’ll share the meatloaf recipe soon as it is completely delicious)
The method is just little bit bonkers. It breaks most of the rules of bread baking. It’s fast, it uses hot-hot water, it doesn’t use strong bread flour, the bread goes into a cool oven, then you turn it up after it’s in. It’s all quite strange, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
It works by the hot water warming the flour, the sugar helping the yeast and the oven proving the dough along the way. Quite ingenious. I can’t take the credit as the initial idea came from Jamie Cooks It Up and I just tailored it for British measurements and taste.
I have made these with half and half, brown and white flour quite successfully and for my next trick I plan to make half a tray of round rolls and half a tray of iced buns.
A Dozen Soft Bread Rolls
175ml Milk
55g Butter
175ml Hot Water
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Salt
600g Plain Flour (not strong bread flour)
1 Heaped Tablespoon Instant Yeast (2 x 7g sachets)
1 Beaten Egg mixed with a good pinch of salt to glaze
Preheat the oven to 70°c (155°f) no, it’s not very hot at all! It’s just for proving
Butter a deep baking pan – 9″ x 13″ approximately – I line mine with non stick foil
Put the milk and butter in a measuring jug. Melt in microwave for a 1½ minutes.
Add the sugar and salt to the hot milk and butter, stir well, and add to the stand mixer bowl.
Measure 175ml of very hot water in the jug (nearly too hot for your hand)
Add the hot water to the mixer bowl.
Add about half the flour and let it mix with the dough hook for 1 minute.
Add the yeast, mix a little, then add the rest of the flour.
Allow the dough to knead for 5 minutes, scraping the dough down into the bowl if necessary.
Scrape the soft dough into the centre and cover with cling film (or a hotel shower cap)
Allow to prove for 5 minutes.
Rub a little oil onto a clean worktop and tip the dough on to it.
Cut the dough into quarters, then each quarter into 3 to give you 12.
Roll into balls and place in the greased pan.
Brush with a beaten egg mixed with a pinch of salt.*
Place the pan in the 70°c oven for 20 minutes or until the buns have risen to the top of the pan.
Turn the oven to 180°c/350°f (whilst the tray is still in there) and bake for another 15-18** minutes.
Take the buns out when golden brown.
Best eaten straight away. They keep until next day in a sealed container or you can freeze them.
*You can leave this step out or brush them with melted butter as they come out of the oven
**If your oven takes ages to warm up this may take longer, I press the boost button on my oven
Adapted for metric measurements and my taste from Jamie Cooks it Up: Fluffy Dinner Rolls
bbalthaser23
November 17, 2013
Parker House Rolls are yum, but those look delicious!
egg me on
November 17, 2013
I love the way you roll. (And yes, I call them rolls.)
idiosyncratic eye
November 17, 2013
They look just like Mr Bryant’s rolls, which is so awesome that I can’t wait to try out this recipe! 🙂
Sam Sin
November 17, 2013
Looks so simple but with great results!
sweetrosie
November 17, 2013
Love it! Cheers for a great new recipe to try.
deliciousandmichelle
November 17, 2013
these look amazing! Will def be trying them out.
Sarah | The Sugar Hit
November 17, 2013
These look great – fantastic photos and perfect for all the leftovers eating that needs to be done at this time of year!
simplyvegetarian777
November 17, 2013
Lovely 🙂
parisaskitchen
November 18, 2013
Looks so perfect! I love how homemade bread always tastes better and lasts longer too than the store bought ones.. Thanks for sharing 🙂
deliciouscravings
November 18, 2013
Reblogged this on deliciouscravings.
superfoodista
November 18, 2013
These looks so fantastic and tasty!! And just love the pictures as always – you guys amaze me!!! Love it! 😉
That other cook...
November 18, 2013
love making these. Yours look so perfect and your photos are so beautiful. Great post, thank you!!!
shopscoop.co.za
November 18, 2013
Reblogged this on shopscoop.co.za.
Francesca
November 18, 2013
These are beautiful and look so soft and delicious!
thingswemake.co.uk
November 19, 2013
Thanks everyone for your smashing comments. I thought that these would be popular!
sara
November 19, 2013
Lovely! These look really yummy, and I’m so interested to try this new technique!
brendonthesmilingchef
November 20, 2013
I am so inspired by these photos!!!
lemonylovesbaking
November 20, 2013
I’m super excited about the possibilities of making iced buns in an hour…. fab photos as always!
Anne
November 21, 2013
They are so beautiful and tempting that I had to make some tonight although I used bread flour instead with part wholemeal flour . In the oven right now and I am so impatient that I keep staring at the oven glass… thanks a lot and looking forward to seeing pictures of the iced buns. Anne
thingswemake.co.uk
November 21, 2013
*fingers crossed!*
Pandu
November 27, 2013
those look so tasty, I have to try this.
wendy@chezchloe
November 27, 2013
These are gorgeous. I have my sourdough fed and sitting on the counter to make bread for Thanksgiving. Now I’m second guessing that choice and want to make these instead. Just wanna butter one up, sop up some gravy and shove it in my mouth! mmmm.
sarahvang
December 1, 2013
tonights the 4th time i am making these and a winner every time!
thingswemake.co.uk
December 11, 2013
Fabulous news.
sara
December 12, 2013
I made these for dinner today – so delicious and fabulously easy!!
thingswemake.co.uk
December 12, 2013
Great! Glad you like them Sara 🙂
1pekanbarurentalcar
December 24, 2013
Reblogged this on 1pekanbarurentalcar's Blog.
Jo
February 14, 2014
Yum! I highly revommend this recipe, very easy and yummy