Baby it's cold outside.....Homemade Sandwich Rolls!

Happy Sunday, it was 9 degrees outside today when we left this morning for church!  It was COLD!  I am loving the cold, but again, wish we had some snow. 

I made Homemade Sandwich Rolls last week, and they were really delicious!  It was the same recipe as my dinner rolls, just made them bigger for a sandwich.  My Hubby and Becca really enjoyed them, and I will make them again this week.  If you haven't tried baking bread yet, this recipe is really one to try, and it's so easy, especially if you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer.  If you don't have one, you can always do it all by hand, just follow my simple steps. Do not let "yeast" scare you, it's simple and so rewarding, and there's nothing like the smell of fresh baked bread!

Homemade Sandwich Rolls

1 1/4 cup warm water from the tap (WARM, NOT HOT, COOL TO YOUR WRIST)

3 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast

1 TBS sugar

In a bowl, add the water, then the yeast, and the sugar. Stir with a fork, set aside for about 5 mins until bubbles and foamy, if it doesn't get foamy, the yeast must be dead, buy new yeast and start over!

Getting all bubbly - that's good Yeast, and it's proofing!

TIP: Yeast can be expensive, I buy a huge package at COSTCO for only $4.00. If you buy it in the grocery store, it's a small bottle and like $6.00, or the envelopes are like $2.99 each. Yeast is something I would always buy in bulk, and I always store it in the frig!

In a Kitchen Aid Mixer bowl, add the following:

4 1/2 cup Bread Flour (you can use All-Purpose, but Bread Flour really is BEST for baking bread)

1/4 cup oil (I use Canola)

1 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

In my Kitchen Aid Mixer - My Favorite appliance!!!

If you don't have a Kitchen Aid Mixer, by all means make your bread by hand....using the same method here, but instead of the mixer kneading your dough, you will have to by hand. Combine it all in a large bowl, and with a wooden spoon first get it all mixed, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead that dough  for about 10 minutes or so....add some flour if it gets sticky, pushing the dough to and away from you.  You will know it's done when it's not VERY STICKY and you form a ball, and is smooth to the touch like a baby's bottom..... :)

Back to the Kitchen Aid Mixer Method

1. When the yeast is all foamy, (if the yeast doesn't turn foamy after about 5-10 minutes, your yeast must not be "alive" look at the expiration date, throw out and go buy new yeast, I usually store yeast in the frig) add it to the mixer bowl with the flour and other ingredients. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low. Now is the dough coming together, forming a ball, or does it look like a batter? If it looks like a batter you need more flour, add about 1/4 cup, now it should be coming together starting to form a ball around the dough hook, make sure you scrape the sides down, it may still be sticky, take the remaining dough off the hook and with floured hands combine all the dough forming it into a nice smooth ball.

See my hand working the dough into a nice ball!

2. Grease a large bowl with about 2 TBS of oil, put the dough in the bowl, turning it to make sure both sides are oiled. Cover with a kitchen towel or foil. Let sit on a warm surface, I usually put the bowl on the stove, for one hour until doubled in size, about 2 hours or so.

All risen and doubled in size!

3. When the dough is done rising and doubled, punch the dough down getting all the air bubbles out, it will feel elastic, cut the dough into 8 even pieces and form into little balls, about the size of a golf ball. Or with floured hands, roll each piece into a thick rope, and tie into a knot, tuck the tail under so it looks like a round ball.

Tie into a knot, then tuck the tail under, put on a cookie sheet for it's second rising!

4. Grease a cookie sheet, put each roll on. Now you have to let it rise again forming the rolls, cover with a kitchen towel, or I use a piece of GREASED wax paper, and let them rise for 1/2 hour until doubled.

Rising for the Oven, sorry these were my whole wheat rolls, don't have a picture of white rolls rising!

5. If you wish, you can brush the rolls very lightly, you don't want to deflate the rolls, with an egg wash, 1 egg with 2 tsp water mixed, and sprinkle poppy seeds or sesame seeds on top. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes until lightly brown. Cook on a rack!

Cooling on a rack....YUMMO!