Bread Rolls

Homemade bread rolls are delicious

Bread rolls are a simple to make bread recipe from Italian Traditional Food. Bread rolls can be eaten with soup, pasta dishes, antipasti or just enjoyed on their own. Homemade bread rolls will be a pleasant change from the usual manufactured rolls. Also try Rustic Italian bread, Olive Bread, Grissini, Ciabatta, and Focaccia breads.

Makes: 16 rolls

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Resting Time: 130 minutes (approx)

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Oven Setting: Preheat to 190C (375F) or Gas Mark 5

Ingredients for bread rolls:

6 cups plain flour (all-purpose)
2 cups (approx) lukewarm water
2 packs of dry active yeast
2 tsp salt
1 egg white (beaten)
2 tbsp cornmeal

Method:

1. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water.

2. Set aside for a few minutes.

3. Sift the flour into a large warmed bowl.

4. Sprinkle in the salt.

5. Make a well in the flour using a wooden spoon.

6. Pour the yeast and water mixture into the flour well.

7. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of flour over top of the yeast mixture. Wait about 10 minutes for bubbles to appear in the yeast.

8. Once the bubbles have appeared, you can start to mix together the ingredients to form the dough.

9. The result at this stage should be a round, firm ball of dough. If it is too dry, add a little more lukewarm water. If it's too sticky, add a little more flour.

10. Remove the bread from the bowl.

11. Place on a lightly floured surface.

12. Knead it by pushing your palms into and then turning it one quarter.

13. Keep kneading and doing quarter turns for about 10 minutes.

14. Place dough in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease all of the dough surface.

15. Cover with a damp dish cloth.

16.Let it rise for about 1 hour in a warm place. It should double in size.

17. Lightly flour a work surface.

18. Prepare a baking sheet by lightly greasing it.

19. Sprinkle the cornmeal onto the baking sheet.

20. Remove bread dough from bowl and place on floured surface.

21. Punch it down once, hard, with your palms.

22. Divide the bread dough in half.

23. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

24. Cut each half of dough into eight equal pieces, making 16 pieces in total.

25. Shape the 16 pieces into balls.

26. Place 2 inches apart on the greased baking sheet previously sprinkled with cornmeal.

27. Brush with egg white mixture.

28. Cover and let the bread rolls dough rise for about 1 hour. It should double in size.

29. Cut shallow crisscross in tops.

30. Put in preheated oven at 190C (375F) or Gas Mark 5.

31. Bake for about 30 minutes depending on how brown you want the rolls to be.

32. Remove from oven.

33. Place the bread rolls onto a wire rack to cool.

Tip:

1. If your yeast doesn't bubble (see Step 7), it's no longer active or you didn't use lukewarm water. You will need to start all over again, because the bread will not rise.

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