Tuesday, March 06, 2007

What a difference a day makes.



Sandwich Rolls
Easy Bread Machine Recipes Copyright 1997

2 ¼ C bread flour
3/8 C water
½ C milk
1 T butter
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp yeast (rapid rise –use 25% more if using regular active dry yeast)

Topping:
1 egg beaten + 2 T water and pinch of salt
¾ T poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

1. Load the bread pan with all the ingredients except the topping. Select the dough cycle and start the machine.
2. When the beeper sounds, remove the dough to a bowl; cover it with plastic wrap and rest it in the refrigerator until needed; or empty the dough onto a floured surface and let it rise for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Then divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll each portion into a ball. Flatten each to about ½ inch thick with the palm of your hand, stretching it from the middle to the edges. Put the flattened balls on a cookie sheet than is greased or has cornmeal sprinkled on it. Leave space between the circles for the dough to expand as it rises.
4. Sprinkle water on top Let the dough rise in a warm place until nearly doubled (45 minutes usually).
5. Brush the rolls with the beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds if desired. Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let the rolls cool before slicing.
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This was the only recipe I was really happy with this weekend (although I'm feeling differently about the cooking I did this weekend, which I'll discuss further down). I'm not too thrilled with the height of these (or any of my breads lately) but otherwise I was very pleased with my first attempt at sandwich rolls. I was worried about shaping the rolls but I didn't have any trouble.

These were just a jumping off point for me. While they were better than the bakery rolls in at least one of the local supermarkets, they won't stop me from trying other recipes and I definitely want to work in some type of whole wheat flour.

Last night was a much better night. I really liked the recipe I made for dinner (to be discussed in a future post) and I took Claire's advice and nuked one of those Light Chocolate Chip Cookies and it was like fresh out of the oven. Still not the best chocolate chip cookie I've ever had, but at least it wasn't a rock hard disaster. The real disappointment is that those cookies are still high and calories and I have to jump through hoops to make them soft enough to enjoy but otherwise, not a bad cookie.

Last but not least, after another taste of something else I made this weekend (again, for a future post), I was feeling a little bit better about it. I guess I just needed to step back before I could appreciate those recipes (and I think making something I really enjoyed last night helped too.)

Blast From The Past: Italian Bread (New York Style) from last month. I made another a batch of this recipe, into rolls, while making the sandwich rolls - the advantage of having a dual bread machine. I like to keep these rolls on hand for my husband's favorite hot Italian subs or chicken cheese steaks on the weekend.

Question of the Day: Is it sometimes hard to appreciate your own cooking, right when you've prepared it? Often I don't enjoy something until I've had time to relax and regroup.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

At first I thought these were English muffins...ooo, that would be fun.

Randi said...

Last night, I made pita bread( total disaster). They didnt puff up at all( I am NOT blogging about them). They ended up looking more like pizza crust than Pita. I grilled chicken breasts and was going to make chicken souvlaki sandwiches. I had Robin stop at the store on her way home and buy some whole wheat pita, they only had white so I ate one of those and she ate one of the pizza crusts and she really enjoyed it even though it looked nothing like a pita.

Btw, is your yeast fresh? Do you use instant yeast?

I have a great bread machine cookbook, its called the bread lovers bread maching cookbook. I've made some many recipes from it. Its great.

Randi said...

Do you ever make philly cheesesteak sandwiches? I but these buns would be perfect for them. I think I'm going to attempt some chicken cheesesteak sandwiches over the weekend. I'm craving them for some reason.

DancesInGarden said...

Hey, you might want to try something. I saw a Good Eats episode where Alton "proofs" the breads for their final rise, by placing a pan of boiling water in the bottom of the cold oven, and the bread on the rack. Let sit like that for 30 minutes. Then remove the water and bread, heat your oven, and bake.

Although his was done after a slow rise in the fridge, I think I might adapt it for the final rise the next time I make bread or rolls. Maybe it will give your yeast that last final oomph it needs? Maybe your kitchen is cold.

Heather said...

I always put my proofing bread into the oven that I have heated to 200 and then shut off, or in the microwave after I have used it. I know we keep our house colder than many others. Maybe that would help.

To your question... yes I do find it hard to always appreciate my new cooking ventures until my SO has tried it and weighed in. We try to discuss what we like or dislike about different things. I also try and make him guess the ingredients and give ideas on how we could change the recipe at all.

BTW you are making me want a bread machine. I always here of people having them and never using them... look how much you use yours since your resolution last year.

The Cookbook Junkie said...

Claire, maybe those are next.

Randi,
I guess you made flat bread! I love flatbread.

I like to use the Italian bread recipe, made into rolls for cheesesteaks. I used these for burgers.

Randi, Dances, and Heather,
This bag of yeast definitely didn't smell as 'yeasty' as the last but the bread rises great in the bread machine. My kitchen is cold so I have been proofing it in the oven (I heat it up slightly then turn it off before I put the bread in) but I haven't been putting a pan of water in there. I might try that.

I think these deflated a bit after I brushed them with the egg. I try to be careful but the Pampered Chef brush I have is pretty rough. I'll try to find a softer one for brushing yeast doughs.

Heather, I love my bread machine but now I want another one. The dual pans are great for some things but I find it's really limiting me, as far as what recipes I can try. I definitely got my (well, DH's) $40 worth out of this machine.

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Those rolls look good! Homemade bread can't be beat...