Easy, chewy sandwich rolls with the country fresh taste of cornmeal. They're perfect for hamburger buns or torpedo rolls to hold bbq and other saucy fillings.
6cupsbread flourmay need a little less or a little more
1egg yolk
1tablespoonwater
Instructions
Add the yeast, 1 tablespoon of honey, ginger, and ¼ cup of warm water to the bowl of your mixer.
Set aside until bubbly, about 5 minutes.
Add the remaining water, honey, and 2 cups of the bread flour.
mix until smooth.
Add the vital wheat gluten, the butter, salt, and cornmeal with the mixer on low.
with the mixer continuing to run add the remaining bread flour a little at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Knead as directed by the manufacturer, about 6 minutes, adding a little flour if necessary.
Turn the dough out on a floured countertop and knead a few strokes to make sure it's thoroughly kneaded.
Place in a greased bowl, grease the top, and cover with plastic wrap.
At this point you can leave it in the refrigerator overnight to rise.
If you aren't letting the dough rise in the refrigerator then let it rise in a warm place until doubled, about 90 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Punch down the risen dough, shape into oblongs or other desired shapes.
brush with melted butter and let rise, covered with a tea towel, until almost double - about 40 minutes.
Mix the egg yolk with the water and brush on the rolls.
Bake for 10 minutes then brush with more of the egg yolk mixture.
Continue to bake until done, about 20 minutes more, depending on the size of the rolls.
Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
Use or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
These are so much fun to make - there are so many different ways to shape them. Here are some tips to help you get them right every time.
If you want to make them into burger buns you'll probably get about 16. Some of y'all know that I use tin cans (cleaned and opened at both ends) for dough cutters. I use a tomato paste can for biscuits, a vegetable can for scones (14-ounce?), and a big diced tomatoes can for hamburger buns. So you should get about 16 burger buns using a cutter that size.
To make the sandwich rolls I weighed the dough and divided it in 10 equal pieces of about 5.2 ounces each (I think). Just try to keep them the same size so they bake evenly. If these are not quite what you're looking for try the Cheddar and black pepper rolls.
These freeze well for about 3 to 6 months. Bake them first, let them cool, and store in an airtight container (or vacuum seal) in the freezer.
If you want them even more chewy and crust add about 2 cups of ice cubes to the bottom of the oven when you add the unbaked rolls - then close the door and don't peak.
A little cracked black pepper added to the dough is one of my favorite variations.