Simple from-scratch dinner rolls that are a complement to soups or salads, any time! (For the fluffiest rolls, total time may exceed one hour…) Yield:
24 dinner rolls Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water (115 degrees F)
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups warm milk (115 degrees F)
1/2 cup oil or melted butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon honey or molasses
1/3 cup sugar
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour, approximately
Instructions:
1. In a 2-cup measuring cup or small mixing bowl, combine the water, yeast, and 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Stir with a fork to combine, and then set aside. (Mixture will get foamy.)
2. In a 4-cup measuring cup (or medium-large mixing bowl), lightly beat the eggs. Add the warm milk, oil or butter, salt, honey or molasses, and 1/3 cup sugar. Stir to combine.
3. In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine the two wet mixtures and stir. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough, and continue to add flour and knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms (about 10-15 minutes).
If using a bread machine: Pour both wet mixtures into bread machine, add about 4 cups of flour, and turn on the dough cycle. Add more flour as needed to make a smooth, soft dough. Scrape sides of bread machine pan with a gentle spatula if needed as it mixes. When dough is smooth and elastic, turn off bread machine. Continue with step 4.
If using a stand mixer: Pour both wet mixtures into mixer bowl. Add about 4-5 cups of the flour and allow it to mix (or knead with a dough hook) until a smooth, soft dough forms, adding more flour as needed. When dough is smooth and elastic, turn off mixer and continue with step 4.
4. Allow dough to rest for 5-10 minutes, covered. While dough is resting, grease two 11×15-inch baking sheets. Turn oven on to 200 degrees and set a timer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, turn off the oven. (Leave the door shut so it stays warm inside!)
5. Separate or cut dough into 24 pieces. I divide in half, then divide each half in half again. Now I have fourths, and I divide each of those in half. Now I have 8 pieces of dough, and I divide each piece into 3 pieces, resulting in 24 pieces. 🙂
6. Form each piece of dough into a roll. To make Kaiser (or rosette-shaped) dinner rolls like the ones in these pictures, roll each piece of dough into a rope about 8 inches long. Tie the rope into a knot, with two long “tails” remaining. Tuck one tail under and one tail over, tucking in the middle, to make the rosette shape.
7. Place rolls on greased sheets. Cover lightly with a clean towel and place sheets in the warm oven (do not turn back on!) and allow to rise until nearly doubled. This should take about 25 minutes if your oven was pre-warmed, your yeast was good, etc. It MAY take longer, though, which is why I recommend starting these rolls in plenty of time for dinner (more like two hours in advance instead of just one!).
8. When rolls are almost doubled in size, remove them from the oven. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake rolls for about 15-20 minutes, until done.
Serve hot and enjoy! Leftover rolls should be stored in an air-tight bag or container.
Easy homemade whole wheat crackers that taste remarkably similar to Wheat Thins! Thin, crunchy, and salty — you will love these crackers! Yield:
About 8 ounces of crackers Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter, sliced
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Salt, for topping
Instructions:
1. Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sugar, and paprika in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender, until small crumbs form. Or, combine the dry ingredients and butter in a food processor bowl and pulse until crumbly.
2. Make a well in the center, and add the water and vanilla. Stir to mix, then use clean hands to knead a few times, just enough to form a ball of dough. (Add just a tad more water, only if needed.) Divide dough into two pieces and cover with a clean towel.
3. Lightly grease two 11×15-inch baking sheets* and sprinkle lightly with salt. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. On a lightly floured counter, roll each piece of dough into a thin rectangle approximately 11×15 inches. (Be sure to lightly flour the dough as you roll, so it doesn’t stick to the counter!)
5. Transfer the sheet of dough to the baking sheet. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut dough into squares. Trim edges if desired. Sprinkle tops with salt.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes, until crisp and lightly browned. Crackers will become more crispy as they cool, so don’t over-bake! (Remove edge crackers that are getting too dark if the middle crackers aren’t quite done yet, and continue baking.)
7. Remove baked crackers from sheets and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cool, plain or with dips or and store leftover crackers in a sealed bag or container.
This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.