Hairy Bikers Bread Rolls

This Hairy Bikers bread rolls recipe needs just strong flour, fast-action yeast, salt, a tablespoon of sugar, honey or malt extract and tepid water. So Brilliant Bakes makes 8 to 16 from it, and I cut 12 at about 155 calories a roll, in roughly 4 hours, mostly waiting.

A freshly baked roll is, to Si and Dave, the thing “to make a simple meal special”, and the dough is their basic loaf. But before any kneading the sticky dough sits for half an hour, which lets the gluten start working so the kneading goes easier.

The windowpane test tells you the dough is ready, since a well-kneaded piece stretches thin enough to almost see through before it tears. Then the second rise is judged by eye, not the clock, so I give mine about 40 minutes until each has a springy dome.

Hairy Bikers Bread Rolls

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Baking Cuisine:British Courses:Side

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 25 minutesCook time: 20 minutesRest time:3 hours 10 minutesTotal time:3 hours 55 minutesServings:12 servingsCalories:155 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

A soft, slightly sticky dough is rested, kneaded until it stretches thin and left for a couple of hours to double. Then it’s knocked back, cut into 8 big cobs or up to 16 small rounds, risen again and baked until hollow underneath.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 500g strong bread flour, any sort, plus extra for dusting
• 7g fast-acting yeast
• 8g salt
• 1 tbsp sugar, honey or malt extract
• about 300ml tepid water (up to 350ml for wholemeal or granary flour)

Instructions

1. Mix the dough: Put the flour in a large bowl and mix in the yeast, then add the salt and the sugar, honey or malt extract. Then slowly work in the tepid water until you have a fairly sticky dough that’s soft and not at all floury looking.
2. Rest: Cover with a damp tea towel and leave for 30 minutes, so the gluten starts to work and the kneading is easier.
3. Knead: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until it’s smooth and elastic. Then check it with the windowpane test: gently pulled apart, it should stretch into a thin membrane you can almost see through before it breaks.
4. First rise: Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with the damp tea towel and leave for a couple of hours until doubled in size.
5. Shape: Knock back the dough and knead briefly, then cut even pieces: 8 big cobs pressed to 10cm across, or 12 to 16 smaller rounds. Then spread them over 2 floured or lined trays, or space them out on one large tray if you want them to bake touching. And cover with the damp tea towel and leave them to rise again.
6. Bake: Heat the oven to its highest setting while they rise. Once the rolls have a well-rounded, springy dome, bake for 15 to 20 minutes until well browned and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.

FAQs

How do you make bread rolls soft or crusty?

Spaced out on one large tray, the rolls spread into each other as they prove and bake, which I find keeps the sides soft. And their basic loaf cools under a tea towel for a crisp, not too hard crust, while the olive rolls use it for softness.

For a crustier roll I’d space them over two trays and cool them uncovered, then serve them with this Bakeation goulash soup.

How long do you bake bread rolls for?

They bake for 15 to 20 minutes with the oven turned right up, until well browned and hollow when you tap the bottom. So I’d check the small 16-roll batch at 15 minutes, while I’d expect the big 10cm cobs to need the full 20. And because the highest setting ranges from about 220°C to 250°C between ovens, I judge by colour as much as time.

How many calories are in a bread roll?

The book doesn’t give a figure, so I worked it out from the flour and sugar at about 1,870 calories for the whole batch. So that’s roughly 155 calories a roll if you make 12, about 235 for the 8 big cobs and around 115 if you cut 16.

Can you use wholemeal or other flours?

Yes, since the recipe takes any strong bread flour, though wholemeal or granary usually needs more water, up to 350ml. And for their basic loaf they suggest spelt, rye and seeds, plus one trick: the water you’ve boiled potatoes in gives an extra-good texture.

What else can you make with homemade rolls?

Brilliant Bakes has olive bread rolls with 100ml of olive oil, which they write are for halloumi and tomatoes or Dave’s favourite, tuna mayo. But plain white rolls suit this Nashville BBQ pulled pork, shredded straight into 6 of them.

And for burgers the same book has richer brioche buns made with milk, butter and eggs, for this home-minced beef burger.