Hard Rolls Recipes

KAISER ROLLS

Steps:

• Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk flour and salt to combine. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with a dough hook. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together water, yeast, and honey; let stand 5 minutes. Add eggs and whisk to combine. Add to flour mixture and knead on low speed until it forms a soft, stretchy dough, 6 to 8 minutes. If necessary, add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until thoroughly incorporated, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough and remove from bowl. On a lightly floured surface, pat dough into a 14-by-12-inch rectangle. Fold dough into thirds like a business letter. Rotate dough 90 degrees on work surface and fold into thirds once more. Return dough to bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and cover lightly with plastic wrap. On a lightly floured work surface, pat one piece of dough at a time into a 5-by-3-inch rectangle. With a long side facing you, fold dough into thirds as you would a business letter. With the edge of your hand, pat dough along length of seam to seal. Using your hands, roll dough into a 12-inch rope. Tie rope into a simple knot, leaving a bit of length at each end. To finish the knot, pull one end up and over and tuck it into the center. Take remaining end and pull it down and under, pushing it through the bottom of the knot and up into the center. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, 3 inches apart. Repeat process with remaining pieces of dough. Let rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Make the topping: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly brush tops of rolls with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake, rotating sheet pans between racks halfway through, until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

CLASSIC DINNER ROLLS

Steps:

• Combine 3/4 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Heat milk, water and butter until very warm (120 degrees to 130 degrees F). Add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1/4 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 12 equal pieces; shape into balls. Place in greased 8-inch round pan. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Bake in preheated 375 degrees F oven for 20 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; brush with additional melted butter, if desired. Serve warm.

ITALIAN HARD ROLLS RECIPE {PANINI DURI ITALIANI RECIPE}

Steps:

• To make the starter: In a medium size mixing bowl, mix the starter ingredients of 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup cool water, and instant yeast until smooth. Cover* and let rest at room temperature overnight.
• Next day, in a large mixing bowl combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead them together -- by hand, stand mixer with dough hook or bread machine -- until you've made a soft, somewhat smooth ball of dough. You may not need all of the flour. Add the remaining 3/4 ounce (1/8 cup) if needed.
• Allow the dough to rise, covered in an oiled bowl, for 3 hours, gently deflating it and turning it over after 1 hour, and again after 2 hours.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface. Divide it into 12 pieces*, shape the pieces into balls, and firm them up by rolling them under your lightly cupped fingers.
• Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover them with a clean towel and let them rise for 1 to 2 hours, until they're puffy, though not doubled in size. They'll flatten out a bit as they rise; that's OK.
• Cover the rolls, and refrigerate them for 2 to 3 hours. Towards the end of the rolls' chill, preheat the oven to 425F.
• Whisk together the egg white and water until frothy. Remove the rolls from the refrigerator, and brush them with the wash. They may seem a bit flat but they'll perk up when they hit the oven's heat.
• Slash a 1/4" deep cut across the top of each roll. Immediately slide loaves onto a baking stone in the oven. If you don't have a stone keep the bread rolls ons the baking sheet.
• Bake rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're a deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a wire rack. For the best crunch, open the oven door, and allow the rolls to cool in the turned-off, open-door oven.

SEPTIEME HARD ROLLS

Steps:

• Stir together yeast, sugar, and warm water in the bowl of an electric mixer; let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
• In a large bowl, whisk together both flours and salt. With the mixer on low, add half of the flour mixture; mix until well combined. Slowly add enough of the remaining flour mixture to form a sticky dough. Continue kneading with the dough hook, adding remaining flour as necessary, until dough is smooth and completely pulls away from the sides of the bowl (you may have up to 1/2 cup flour left over), about 15 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and continue to knead with your hands to make a smooth ball, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm place until it begins to rise, about 1 hour. Transfer bowl to refrigerator; refrigerate overnight.
• Lightly flour 2 baking sheets; set aside. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, and divide evenly between prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each ball of dough. Let stand at room temperature until doubled in size, about 5 hours. If a skin begins to form on the dough, cover with a clean towel.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly dust dough with flour and transfer to top rack of oven. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes, rotating and switching baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and let rolls cool on baking sheet. Reheat in a 400-degree oven just before serving to crisp and warm through.

KAISER ROLLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add 1 tablespoon sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the oil, salt, remaining warm water and sugar and 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 16 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 400°. Beat egg white and cold water; brush over rolls. Sprinkle with poppy and/or sesame seeds. With scissors, cut a 1/4-in.-deep cross on tops of rolls. , Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

CRUSTY ROLLS

Steps:

• In a bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add shortening, sugar, salt and 1 cup flour; beat until smooth. Add egg whites; mix well. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes (dough will be stiff). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours., Punch dough down; divide into 24 pieces and shape into balls. Sprinkle greased baking sheets with cornmeal. Place rolls 2 in. apart on baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Place a large shallow pan filled with boiling water on lowest rack in oven. Bake rolls on middle rack at 425° for 10-11 minutes or until golden brown.

FRENCH BREAD ROLLS TO DIE FOR

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

HARD ROLLS (USING A STAND MIXER)

Steps:

• In a large bowl (or your KitchenAid), dissolve yeast with 3/4 cup of the water and sugar. Mix in remaining water, flour, and salt. Mix until dough starts to form. If too sticky, add a bit more flour. Knead for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Put dough into an oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with a clean towel, and let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until doubled in size (about 2 hours).
• Preheat oven to 400°F If you have a baking stone, dust lightly with cornmeal and put into preheated oven. If not, use a cookie sheet. Place a shallow baking pan filled with boiling hot water on bottom of your oven for extra crusty rolls.
• ROLLS: Remove dough to a floured surface. Punch down dough and shape into 4 rolls. Place rolls on a peel (large wooden spatula), also lightly dusted with cornmeal, or on a cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise again for 20 minutes. Slit each roll once and brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with poppy seeds. If on a peel, slide loaves onto stone or tile; otherwise put cookie sheet in oven. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden and baked through.
• NOTE: To check for doneness, thump the bottom; if they sound hollow, they're done.

CRUSTY ITALIAN SANDWICH ROLLS

Steps:

• To make the starter or biga, combine the flour and yeast in a medium bowl, slowly add the 3/4 cup water. Mix until a rough dough forms. If needed, add up to 1 cup of water. Transfer the dough to a lightly-floured surface and knead for a few minutes until it becomes smooth. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover and let stand at room temperature for about 3 hours.
• Transfer to the refrigerator and let it chill overnight. In the morning, remove the biga from the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature at least 1 hour before proceeding.
• Mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast thoroughly in a large mixing bowl.
• Cut the biga into small pieces (10-12) and add them in, then, finally the 3/4 cup of the water with the 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Stir together until a dough starts to form. Knead on low with your stand mixer dough hook. Continue to knead the dough for about 5 to 7 minutes -- until a soft dough forms. If needed, add in some of the remaining water a little at a time. The dough should be smooth and elastic -- just barely sticky.
• Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and cover. Let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.
• Remove the dough to a lightly-floured surface. Cut it in 2 being careful not to deflate too much. Cut each piece into 3 equal parts. Shape each piece into a torpedo.
• Place the shaped dough on a parchment covered making sheet that was sprinkled with cornmeal or semolina. Spray the shaped rolls lightly with oil, then tent lightly with plastic wrap to rise until they are puffy and almost doubled, about 1 hour.
• Lightly brush each roll with egg wash then score the rolls with a sharp knife or lamé either on the diagonal or down the middle.
• Place a metal baking pan on the lower rack of the oven for use as a steam pan and preheat the oven to 450 F/220 C. When the oven is preheated pour hot water into the metal baking pan and transfer the roll pan to the oven. Bake about 17-20 minutes, until the tops are a golden brown and the internal temperature measures 190 F.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Alternate version: Italian Dinner Rolls
• When you are ready to shape the dough measure out 2 oz. pieces and shape them into balls. We got 17 of them. Then follow the directions above until you are ready to bake. Brush an egg wash--1 egg white mixed with 1/2 cup cool tap water -- on the rolls. Score the top by snipping with scissors then proceed as the rolls above. Bake for 20 minutes or until nicely brown.

HARD ROLLS

Steps:

• 1. I use grams because it's a more accurate measurement. For example, 500 grams is 17.637 oz. Also, I measure by weight because volume can be inconsistent and product results can vary. Beat the two egg whites to stiff peaks, set aside to be folded into the dough later.
• 2. Salt can inhibit the yeast if it comes into direct contact with it. I always add the salt on the opposite side of the bowl from where I'm adding the yeast. This makes sure the yeast will mix with the flour before coming into contact with the salt.
• 3. Start by putting the flour, yeast, salt, malt (optional), and shortening into a mixing bowl.
• 4. Mix adding water a little at a time until all ingredients are incorporated.
• 5. Fold in beaten egg whites. If the dough is too wet, add a little flour. Same with too dry, add a little water. Small increments work best. Knead dough until it is smooth and glossy. This takes about 8 to 10 minutes in a stand mixer. If kneading by hand, this will take significantly longer. If using a stand mixer, after 5 minutes, keep checking the dough every few minutes to test the gluten's strength. The dough should be stretchy and soft with some pullback. If it's not smooth and silky, keep kneading. Over kneading, however, will make the rolls tough and hard to chew.
• 6. If you are kneading by hand, I find that buttered hands and counter facilitate a better dough than a floured surface. This will prevent too much flour from being worked into the dough. If this happens, the dough will be dense and heavy.
• 7. (Note: Before adding your dough to your oiled bowl, place it on a scale and zero it. Then place the dough in it. This will give you the weight of the dough. Just divide by how many rolls you want to make. You should be able to get 12 rolls from this recipe.) Once the dough is ready, place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap (coat with a non-stick spray or oil before covering the bowl), it's better to leave the dough in the refrigerator overnight to develop flavor.
• 8. If you don't have time to wait for the dough, let it sit at room temperature for about 40 minutes or until it has doubled in size. Overproofing will result in flat rolls. If your kitchen is too warm, the dough will overproof and will not rise in the oven while baking.
• 9. Gently remove the dough from the bowl onto an oiled surface. I don't bother to punch it down. Cut the dough in quarters, once the dough is in manageable pieces then you can cut off about 85g or 3oz chunks. I use a scale to make sure I don't end up with a tiny roll when I'm finished with the rest.
• 10. Take each piece of dough and hold in both hands, fingers pointing away from you. Curl your fingers into the dough and fold it into itself. Do this over and over again until a smooth skin appears on the outside, it won't take much effort to get the desired texture. You will feel the dough firming up from being manipulated and the gluten strands stretched. It won't be completely smooth because it will have air bubbles in it. Fold the dough into a vague football shape and place on parchment paper or non-stick pan. Cover and leave at room temperature to proof a second time for about half an hour.
• 11. This last part is super important if you want the crunchy hard roll consistency. If this part isn't done right, then all you have are just bread rolls.
• 12. Place a pan filled with about 6 cups of water in the bottom of the oven. I use a disposable aluminum pan for this. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F for a minimum of 15 minutes. The water will start to boil and build up steam in the oven. Keep an eye on the water level!
• 13. While the oven is preheating, take a very sharp knife or a razor and gently make a slit in the top of each roll. This breaks the surface tension and allows the roll to expand.
• 14. Take the remaining egg white and whisk it with about a tablespoon of water or milk and a pinch or two of salt. I never measure this part so, whatever looks good. I add salt because I like the skin to be just a little salty. Using a pastry brush, brush each roll with the egg wash. Make sure you get the whole surface area.
• 15. Reduce heat to 425 degrees and place the tray of rolls into the oven being careful not to allow too much steam to escape. I generally cook one pan of rolls at a time to allow plenty of air movement in the oven.
• 16. If you have a cast-iron skillet or pan that can take the heat without being ruined, then place that on the bottom of the oven instead. Then after placing the rolls in throw a handful of large ice cubes into the pan. (I don't do this because, sadly, my icemaker is no longer amongst the living.)
• 17. Between batches of rolls, make sure to bring the temperature back up to 475 degrees and build up the steam again. The high temperature and the steam are what creates the crust on the hard rolls. Don't forget to lower the temperature again or you'll have hockey pucks instead of rolls!
• 18. Bake the rolls between 15 to 18 minutes depending upon your oven and what type of pan you are using. Dark pans cook faster than light ones. I can't tell you how many times I burned something because the recipe was written for use with a light-colored pan. I don't like using the dark pans anymore so this recipe is definitely written for the light-colored ones.
• 19. Surprisingly enough, this dough makes very good donuts too. I found out by accident when I had just a little dough leftover. I had a pan full of oil leftover from something else so I heated it up and made little donut holes. Rolled them in sugar and Bingo! My kids really liked them and they are some very tough critics!

HEAVENLY HARD ROLLS

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. Stir in water with a spoon until a ragged mass forms and all lose flour is incorporated but don't worry too much about lumps -- similar to mixing biscuit dough. Cover with a damp tea towel and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.
• 2. On a lightly oiled surface, do one stretch-and-fold, working in or discarding any remaining dry lumps of flour, return to bowl, cover and let sit 45 minutes.
• 3. STRETCH-AND-FOLD INSTRUCTIONS: lightly oil a flat surface about 12" x 18" in area. Flop the dough out of the bowl and onto the oiled surface. Use your hands to stretch or gently press the dough into a rectangle. Fold the rectangle of dough in thirds as you would a piece of 8 1/2" x 11" paper to put in a business envelope. Then fold in thirds again the other way. Flop the resulting roll of dough back into the bowl. With each successive stretch-and-fold, the dough with develop more gluten and be harder to stretch.
• 4. Do a second stretch-and-fold, return to bowl, cover and let sit 45 minutes.
• 5. Do a third stretch-and-fold, oil the bowl and return the dough to it, cover and let sit 45 minutes.
• 6. Divide into 12 equal pieces. (The scale can again be useful here.) Gently shape into balls and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets for eventual baking. Let rest another 20 minutes.
• 7. Preheat the oven to 375F and make the egg wash by whisking the egg and 1 teaspoon of water together.
• 8. Paint the rolls with an egg wash and optionally, sprinkle with poppy seeds, sesame seeds or other garnish. Wait 2 minutes and repeat egg wash and poppy seeds. Optionally, score a cross in the top with a very sharp knife for decoration.
• 9. Bake for 35 minutes or until they are golden and the interior temperature is 200F. Flip upside down or place on a rack to cool thoroughly before eating.

CRUSTY HARD ROLLS

Steps:

• The Starter:
• Mix the starter ingredients together until smooth, cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight.
• Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead them together -- by hand, mixer or bread machine, until you've made a soft, somewhat smooth dough; it should be cohesive, but the surface should still be a bit rough. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 3 hours, gently deflating it and turning it over after 1 hour, and again after 2 hours.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased or floured work surface. Divide it into 12 pieces, shape the pieces into balls, and firm them up by rolling them under your lightly cupped fingers on an unfloured work surface. Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover them, and let them rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until they've doubled in size. Refrigerate them for several hours, or overnight.
• Remove the rolls from the refrigerator, and brush them with a wash made of 1/2 cup water mixed with 1 tablespoon egg white (you won't use up all the wash). Slash a 1/4-inch deep cut across the top of each roll, and bake them in a preheated 425°F (220°C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're a deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a wire rack. For an extra-crisp crust, allow them to cool in the turned-off, door-propped-open oven.
• Yield: 12 rolls.