Homemade Sunday Rolls

Homemade Sunday Rolls

Homemade Sunday Rolls – The Oma Way

These homemade Sunday rolls are fantastic. Finding and using the right flour is the trick. It was by pure chance that I found this all-purpose flour produced by the Navajo Nation. The mixture of wheat and barley gives the rolls a crunchy and crisp crust; the inside is fluffy and light. Pretty close to the rolls in Germany, and some might think better.

Ingredients:

  • 500 g (1.1 lbs) of flour Navajo Pride, all purpose, available at Whole Foods
  • 1 pouch of dry yeast, rapid rise (7 g = ¼ oz = 2 ¼ teaspoons)
  • 1 ½  teaspoons of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 1 ½  tablespoons of diastatic malt powder (available at amazon, King Arthur)
  • 2  tablespoons of butter, melted OR sunflower oil
  • 160 ml (5.4 oz) of water, lukewarm
  • 160 ml (5.4 oz) of milk, lukewarm
  • 1 egg white mixed with  a pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons of water for brushing the rolls before baking
  • ½ cup of water mixed with 2 teaspoons of potato starch for brushing the rolls after baking

Preparation of the dough for the Homemade Sunday Rolls:

Add the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and diastatic malt powder into a stand mixer bowl and mix the dry ingredients with a spoon. Mix the water and milk and warm it up in the microwave. Make sure it is not too hot, just lukewarm.

Pour half of the water/milk mixture and melted butter/sunflower oil into the bowl and start kneading. While kneading, slowly give the rest of the water/milk mixture into the bowl. After the dough is not sticking to the wall of the bowl anymore (about 6 minutes of kneading), cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 60 minutes or until it has doubled.

Preparation of the dough for the homemade Sunday rolls   Kneading the doug   Rising of the dough

The shaping of the rolls:

Shape the dough into a roll, and cut pieces between 75 g – 80 g (2.6 oz – 2.8 oz) using a pastry scraper. I used 78 g, which made 11 rolls. Knead each piece of dough, flatten the dough a little and fold the edges to the middle. Roll the dough in circles with the cupped fingers and palm of your hand to a ball. The side of the hand should always be in contact with the countertop. The dough has to move in the hand with light pressure of the palm while rolling around.

  Folding the dough  Rolling the dough

Turn the ball around, showing the seam on top, and flatten it to a disc about 1/2 inch high. Use a round handle of a cooking spoon and press it lengthwise in the center of the disc. If the dough sticks to the surface, flour it lightly. Place the rolls on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Press with your hands the sides of the roll to shape them oval. Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and let them rise for 30 minutes.

Forming the balls for the homemade Sunday rolls  Shaping a disk   Shaping of the homemade Sunday rolls

Brush the balls with the water egg white mixture and cut into the center’s line using a razor blade.

Brushing the rolls                    Baking the rolls

Baking of the Homemade Sunday Rolls:

In the meantime, place a heat-resistant pot of water on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 230°C – 450°F. Place the rolls on the third rack, and after 6-8 minutes, turn the heat down to 220°C – 425°F. Bake for 10-12 more minutes depending on what color you want.

After baking, brush the rolls immediately with a mix of ½ cup water and two teaspoons of potato starch to give them a nice shine. Let the rolls cool down on a cooling rack. If you want to try the Homemade Breakfast Rolls, click here, and for the Homemade Kaiser Rolls, click here.