Today I tried to re-make the Rustic Dinner Rolls from last week, trying to correct my failure to adjust for using active dry yeast. Also, I was better organized and was able to cut the preparation time down to 3-1/2 hours.
I'm still making mistakes, but they are still 5-star.
Differences:
- This time I dissolved the yeast in 115 degree water and honey, and waited 10 minutes to see the bubbling action (carbon dioxide being released from yeast multiplication).
- I let the rising occur in a warm (but turned off) oven.
- The dough was able to double in size, where the last time I made them they only increased by perhaps 50%.
- The dough was much wetter this time, I added a few extra tablespoons of bread flour to compensate. Unfortunately, I added the extra flour too early in the kneading. I should have waited to the end, but was afraid that I’d end up over-kneading.
- The final rolls were about the same size (i.e. same rise). This time the rising was much more consistent throughout the 3 hours rising time, whereas the last time most of the rising occurred in the final 30 minutes (sitting on-top of the hot oven).
Issues:
- When spraying the rolls with water just prior to putting them into the 500-degree oven, I sprayed too heavily. The results: an even, but bland, crust rather than bubbly crust I was hoping for.
- Also, I forgot to lower the oven from 500-degrees to 400-degrees, so they were a little overcooked. Still delicious; affecting more the texture than the taste.
Rating: 5-star.
Cost: $1 for 16 rolls.
How much work? Low/Medium.
How big of a mess? Low/Medium.
Started: 2:30 pm Ready: 6:00.
A great way to proof your dough is to take a ramekin full of water and put it in your microwave for 10 minutes on high and then push the ramekin to a back corner. This will create a warm, moist environment that your dough will love.
[...] Italian Bread After a few attempts at bread-making (rustic dinner rolls and almost no-knead bread), my latest attempt is Rustic Italian Bread. These recipes have taught [...]