Dinner Rolls or Buns

I know I have been missing since 6 months but that was because I busy with certain other engagements. After a lot of threats and requests from my friends, I have decided to start posting regularly again. There have been many changes in the last few months; I went to India and had a great time indulging in my mother’s cooking and also sampling so many kinds of authentic Indian dishes and street food. I realised I had forgotten how aromatic the spices there are, how different some of the vegetables taste there.

I think I should mention here that if you are from India or have access to very good quality spices, you may have to reduce the amount I mention in my recipes. For example, the amount of garam masala I use for a normal curry is usually a tablespoon, but if you grind your own spices, you would probably need around half of it. My idea of measurements went a little awry after coming back because I got used to smaller amounts at home. Nevertheless, we all have our preferences on salt and spices, and you can make the adjustments accordingly.

Today I am going to post a recipe on how to make buns or dinner rolls. I made this for the first time and reduced the quantity of the ingredients to see how it turns out. If you have guests coming over, all you need to do is increase the amount mentioned by two or three times to get the required number of rolls. It is an eggless recipe and uses milk for added softness. I am going to try incorporating wheat flour next time to make whole wheat buns, which are a healthier option. The same recipe can also be used to make sweet buns by adding more sugar and tutti frutti bits. In case the rolls become a little hard on the 3rd or 4th day, just cover them in a paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. They will again become soft.

Prep (and rising) Time: 2 hours Baking time: 15 min Makes: 6 buns/rolls

Ingredients:

Milk: 1/2 cup
Sugar: 1 tbsp
Yeast: 1/2 tbsp
Plain flour: 1 1/2 cups
Oil: 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Sesame or poppy seeds: 1 tsp (optional)
Butter: 1 tsp (for brushing)

Method:

1) Dissolve sugar in a glass of lukewarm milk. Add the yeast, mix it and let it stand covered for 10 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, sift flour and add salt. Once the yeast mixture becomes frothy, add it to the flour along with the oil.

3) Mix well and knead into a soft dough for at least 8 minutes. The dough may be sticky initially but it will soon become pliable. You may have to adjust the amount of milk and flour by 1 or 2 tbsp while kneading.

4) Place it in a greased dish so that the dough is lightly coated with oil on all sides. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise, which will take an hour.

5) After an hour, the dough will nearly double in size. Punch and knead it again for 5 minutes. Keep folding and refolding it while kneading which helps to improve the texture of the bread and makes it fluffy.

6) Now cut it into small portions and roll them very lightly into small balls.

Place on a baking tray and again cover it with a damp cloth for 30 minutes. Leave some space while placing them because the rolls will rise again.

7) In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush some milk on the top of the rolls once they have risen and sprinkle some sesame or poppy seeds. 

8) Bake the rolls for 15 minutes and cool them on a rack. Apply some butter on the rolls immediately after taking them out so that the crust remains soft. Let them cool down for a few minutes, after which you can have soft, warm buns or dinner rolls.

P.S. Speaking of changes, I also moved to a new house! So you will see a different kitchen counter in my photos now 😀