by smargot
A&M's Testing Notes:
smargot's Notes:
Expand1 cup refreshed sourdough starter Ask a question about this ingredient
1 cup milk Ask a question about this ingredient
3 cups all purpose or bread flour Ask a question about this ingredient
2 1/3 cups whole wheat flour Ask a question about this ingredient
3 teaspoons kosher salt Ask a question about this ingredient
1/3 cup honey Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup melted butter, plus a little more for greasing the pan Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup canola oil or other neutral cooking oil, plus a little more for coating the bowl Ask a question about this ingredient
3 eggs (2 in dough, 1 for brushing) Ask a question about this ingredient
2 packets active dry yeast (4 1/2 t.) Ask a question about this ingredient
1 2/3 cup warm milk (100-110F) Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon white sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
3 2/3 cups all-purpose or bread flour Ask a question about this ingredient
2 1/3 cups whole wheat flour Ask a question about this ingredient
3 teaspoons kosher salt Ask a question about this ingredient
1/3 cup honey Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup melted butter, plus a little more for greasing the pan Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup canola oil or other neutral cooking oil, plus a little more for coating the bowl Ask a question about this ingredient
3 eggs (2 in dough, 1 for brushing) Ask a question about this ingredient
If using active dry yeast, heat the milk in the microwave or saucepan. If you don’t have a thermometer, test it by dabbing a bit on your wrist—it should feel hot to the touch, but should not burn. Whisk in the sugar and yeast and let sit 5-10 minutes or until frothy.
Ask a question about this stepCombine all of the ingredients except the 1 egg reserved for brushing and stir until the dough begins to come together.
Ask a question about this stepKnead for 10-15 minutes. If the dough is too sticky to knead, let it rest for 10 minutes underneath the mixing bowl to let the flour absorb more of the moisture. Then, continue, adding bread flour 1/4 cup at a time just until it sticks to itself more than it sticks to you.
Ask a question about this stepCoat a mixing bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise for 1 1/4 hrs (active dry yeast) or between 4-12 hrs (sourdough starter). You can tell when it's risen when it's roughly doubled in size and you can make an indentation in the surface and it doesn't heal automatically.
Ask a question about this stepButter two 9x13 pans. Divide dough into two equal pieces, and divide each of those into 15 equal pieces. If you have a kitchen scale, you can weigh the dough and divide. For me, each roll usually ends up being between 50-55 grams (1.75-2.00 oz). Cover the dough you're not working with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
Ask a question about this stepOnce you've divided the dough into 30 pieces, shape each one by pressing it onto a clean surface to form a small disk. Then, gather the edges together to form a ball and pinch them together to seal it. Place each ball, pinched-edge down, in the prepared pans about 1" apart. They should be arranged in rows--3x5.
Ask a question about this stepCover the pans and let the dough rise for another 1 1/4 hrs (if using active dry yeast) or 2-9 hrs (if using sourdough starter). Again, they should double in size and when fully risen, an indentation will not "heal" automatically.
Ask a question about this stepPreheat the oven to 375 for 20 minutes. Just before placing the rolls in the oven, beat the last egg slightly and use it to brush the tops of the rolls.
Ask a question about this stepBake for 20 min, or until the tops are golden brown and the interiors are between 190-200F.
Ask a question about this stepLet cool on wire racks for 5-10 minutes. Then, turn the rolls out of pans gently, leaving them attached. Serve warm or let cool completely on wire racks (at least 3 hrs) and store in a an airtight container--supersized (2 or 2 1/2 gallon) zip-top bags work well.
Ask a question about this stepYes, very easy to understand recipe! Thanks! Pictures look so good too. Q: in step 7, do you mean active dry yeast?
Oh, thanks for catching that--I sometimes use "instant" and "active dry" interchangeably but I'll edit it to clarify. You could use either "rapid rise" or regular active dry yeast. Either way, it's probably a good idea just double-check the package--some might suggest a higher or lower temperature for the liquid in the recipe, and I'd follow their recommendation.
The most important difference between active dry and instant is that the active dry has a coating on it, so it really does much better when it's put directly into liquid to dissolve before mixing with the dry ingredients. Instant yeast can be mixed in at the same time as the dry ingredients, which is why it's recommended for use in bread machines. I've never heard of there being any difference in the temperature requirements. ;o)
Great instructions--I love challah--and beautiful rolls. Can you use all butter in place of the canola oil?
Absolutely. Really, any kind of fat would work. Sometimes I add 1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes packed in oil (usually along with a few cloves of finely minced garlic and some basil or parsley and oregano). In that case, I often substitute some of the oil in the recipe for the oil drained from the tomatoes and and use olive oil for the rest.
I have made them with all butter before, too. I think using half oil makes them a little softer (though that may be my imagination). I'm not sure if that would be because butter is solid at room temperature or because commercial butter is 16-17% water. If it's the latter, clarified butter or ghee might be the best choice for lots of buttery flavor and the softest texture.
This looks like an excellent recipe. Bet the honey keeps the rolls from being overly (dessert-like) sweet. My sons have been asking me lately to use more whole wheat flour in my baking, so i think I'll try these out next week when both are home from college. I'm trying to figure out if they like sourdough, which I've actually never made. The idea of a sourdough challah-type roll is utterly fascinating. Plus, my boys love any roll that pulls apart. ;o)