Artisan Bread

"Of all smells, bread; of all tastes, salt."
George Herbert, English poet (1593-1633)
   
 I couldn't agree any more.
   
January was decidedly a month for baking. After trying out this easy and versatile recipe for bread, I baked lots of buns and rolls. I originally used this recipe to make pizza base.
   

I was over the moon when a batch of stuffed buns and plain buns came out so beautifully. It is one thing when you are dabbling with the familiar, but it’s something else altogether when you do something like baking your entire batch of rolls in a microwave oven for which you have no temperature control. 

I was thrilled and amazed to see the braided roll turned out so well; I can barely braid my own hair, let alone dough!

Bread Rolls with Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
Maida - 2 ½ cups

Salt - 1 tsp

Extra virgin olive oil - 1 tbsp

Warm water - 1 cup
Honey - 1 tsp
Dry active yeast - 1 sachet (I used 2 tsp – a little less than the whole packet)

Method:

1. In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup of water with the honey and dry yeast. Let it sit for about 3 minutes until the yeast starts to bubble.
2. In a bigger bowl, combine the flour, salt, and olive oil.
3. Add the yeast mixture and the remaining ¾ cup water. Mix to combine, and knead the dough until it is soft and elastic, about 5 minutes.

4. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover the bowl with cling film, and let the dough rise for about an hour or so. 
5. After an hour, knead the dough gently for a minute, just enough to let out the air. 
6. Make smaller balls, and shape each ball as you like. 
7. For a crescent-shaped chicken roll, roll out a ball to about an inch thickness. Cut the disc into quarters. Stretch or roll out a quarter so that it looks like an elongated triangle. Spoon some chicken filling on the base of the triangle and roll the dough towards the tip of the triangle. Shape it like a crescent. 

8. For the triangle Aloo buns, roll out a ball to about ½ an inch. Spoon some filling on the center of the disc. Close the disc by folding 3 sides over to the center. Shape it into a proper triangle. Make sure you seal the seams really well and leave enough dough for the seams; otherwise the seams will crack open while cooking. 
9. Place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with butter paper. Leave space between the rolls for the dough to expand. Cover the baking sheet with cling film, and let the dough rise for another 15 minutes. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7. 
10. Adjust the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5, and bake for about 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Note: In my microwave oven, I set the convection+microwave combo to High for 3 minutes followed by  Medium for 4 minutes.

I was just reading for pleasure here when I came across the pizza dough recipe. Lucky me :)

Coffee makes it possible to get out of bed. Chocolate makes it worthwhile. ~Author Unknown