today's bread production

[peanuts]

As I've said in another posting, I'm preparing a five-course 80th birthday meal for a mix of 9 French and English friends Sunday lunch.  Just wanted to share with you this morning's work, making 'knot' white rolls, and my usual wholemeal bread, for the meal. The rolls look good, but they are very easy to make. Frustratingly, I've made the right number,  and there's no failure, so I can't taste one!

[peanuts]

[Melbourne12]

They do look good - just nicely done. 

[antipodes]

I never would have thought of doing rolls like that!  Wonderful! Does the dough have to be a little stiff, so you can shape it?  My dough is always a little squishy so shaping is hard but I find that makes better bread so I just bake it is moulds...

[peanuts]

it's not a particularly stiff dough, but not squishy, no.  Most of my bread is wholemeal, but I do love white bread/rolls from time to time as a treat with butter! Yum, yum. For 20 rolls, I used a pound and a half of white strong flour, liquid was about  1/2pint milk plus about 2oz melted butter, made up with hot water, (don't know how much in total!) and two packets quick yeast, plus salt and sugar.
After first rise I divided dough into roughly 2oz lumps.  I roll these into sausages, on a board, with  NO flour, or you can't roll them out, they would just slide around.  Using fingers of both hands I just go back and forwards, moving my hands sideways to lengthen the sausage, eventually spreading my fingers more and more until it is about 9" long, then quickly flip it over and tuck one end in to make the knot. Need to let them rise again patiently, to make sure they will be light.  Wash with beaten egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds, bake 200ºC for 10 mins.  Very satisfying to make!

[galina]

Lovely looking rolls, Peanuts!

I make dinner rolls for all of our occasions.  Knots, plaits, daisies (one roll in the middle and six adjoining around for people to pull off) etc.  There is a variant on the knot, the Kaisersemmel, which starts with a knot with ends left a bit longer.  Then the end that is on top is tucked under and the end that is underneath gets pulled up and into the middle of the roll and pushed down.  Looks like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU9I1nYS60E

I cheat, because I fill the breadmaker and leave it to do the first kneeding and proofing, then take the dough out after the first hour and make the rolls.

Have a lovely celebration on Sunday.  Hope the sun shines for the special birthday.

[peanuts]

Thanks for excellent youtube link, Galina.  I like those! I'll try them next time.

[BarriedaleNick]

They all look great - just looking at those pics is making me hungry.  Im off home now as I am inspired to make a nice loaf!!

[goodlife]

Oh...they do look yummy (drooling). I haven't eaten any bread for few weeks now and you got me started now. I MUST bake some this weekend!

[lottie lou]

How come with all this lovely food we all don't weigh 20 stone.

[Digeroo]

They look amazing. 

[gazza1960]

Luv the knotted rolls ,they look tasty.

Gaznjude

[qahtan]

 Looking good,,, very good....

I made bread today, 5 loaves........ first time in months, yet I went years making all the bread we ate.  qahtan

[debbilove]

Your bread looks great.  You've awakened my snese to the tast of fresh bread again.  Maybe to keep in the season of pumpkin harvest I'll make a pumpkin and walnut loaf.