New York Hard Rolls Recipes

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.