click for larger imageSemolina Rolls - original recipe by Barry L. Kramer, 25 December 2007
Makes 16 rolls or 32 breadsticks.
Preparation time: about 25 minutes
Rising time: about an hour + 40 minutes
Cooking time: around 20 minutes
These are the perfect size dinner rolls with a really good crust and inside
texture. The inside is slightly yellow because of using some semolina flour,
which is made from a particular kind of wheat that has very hard grains. They
smell really good when rising.
You should use a good electronic thermometer to measure the temperature during
rising.
click for larger image
click for larger image
Ingredients
1 + 1/2 C water at 110 degrees F.
1 T active dry yeast
1 T white sugar
1 T honey
2 T olive oil
1 + 1/2 T salt
2 + 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 + 1/2 C semolina flour
Instructions
1. Preheat your mixing bowl as follows: Put a 2C glass measuring cup into a
large glass mixing bowl. Using a thermometer, adjust your water faucet until
the water is 110 degrees F coming out of the tap. Put cup and bowl into the
sink and allow water to flow over them until they are preheated and the water
inside measures 110 degrees.
Note: If you have a stand mixer with bread hook, use the mixer's bowl. It's
also okay if it's a metal bowl, if that's what your mixer comes with.
2. Measure 1+1/2 C water at 110 degrees (in the preheated measuring cup). Empty preheat water from mixing bowl, place the 1+1/2 C warm water into the bowl and add yeast, sugar, and honey. Use a whisk to dissolve sugar, honey, and yeast. Let stand until creamy and frothy, about 10 minutes.
3. In a dry mixing bowl, mix both types of flour together until uniform.
4. To the frothy wet ingredients, add the following:
2T olive oil
1 + 1/2 T salt (it seems like a lot, but it isn't).
2 C of the flour mixture.
Mix these together, using electric mixer with bread hook if available, or by
hand if not.
Remember, if you use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, only use speed 2 with
a bread hook or you'll burn up your mixer and void your warranty.
5. Add remaining flour, 1/2 C at a time, until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Continue mixing with the bread hook until it becomes smooth and elastic. If mixing by hand, you can transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until it is smooth and elastic.
6. Lightly oil a large bowl and place dough in bowl, turning to coat lightly with oil. I use my late grandmother's bread bowl because it has a perfect shape (image). It's the same one she made bread in when I was a kid. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about an hour (image). I do this in my oven -- turn it on for a minute so it's warm, then turn it off, put the bowl in, and shut the door. This works well... sometimes it rises a lot (image). Now is a good time to get your cookie sheets ready.
8. Deflate the dough by pounding and squeezing on it. Place dough on lightly floured surface, and divide in half. Divide the halves in half two more times, so you have 16 equal-sized pieces.
9. If making rolls, form into round balls. If making breadsticks (image), cut in half again and form into long breadstick shape. Place these on two lightly greased (or sprayed) cookie sheets (image). Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise again until doubled in volume, about another 40 minutes (image). Preheat oven to 400 degrees before rising is finished.
10. Place cookie sheets in preheated oven and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown. Breadstick shapes bake at about the same rate as rolls, so you can make both at once. Watch carefully toward the end so they come out with the desired golden to brown color. Remove from cookie sheet when baked so the bottom doesn't overcook.
