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.