Cut to the day before Thanksgiving 2010. I had a plan. This holiday and every holiday 'til the end of time would include only home baked bread. I mean, it's not hard to do once you actually start doing it. I enjoy baking bread. The scent that sneaks from the vents in the oven...comforting...luring. The warm, tranquilizing burst of heat when you coax the bread from the oven. Pushing my passions and frustrations into the mesmerizing process of kneading the dough. The mesmerizing lengthy process of kneading the dough. Normally I relish in this part. Thinking...pondering...working out my wrist. But what's one to do when time and lack of counter space are working against you? You trek down the stairs to the basement, pull over a chair to reach that distant shelf, and tentatively pull down that patient old bread machine that knew you'd need it again one day.
I don't think that I ever even realized that it has a "dough" setting...a setting that can be a HUGE help to you when you need your time and your counter space for other things. Simply add ingredients in a certain order (consult manual...or if it's lost like mine...wing it with an educated guess...or if you're lucky, the recipe will tell you), start the dough cycle and walk away until it beeps. I'm sorry I ever underestimated you, wise machine. Thank you for not giving up on me. Then proceed as normal...shaping, giving it a second rise, baking... Brilliant.
As for that shelf, the one that used to house the bread machine, it'll just have to remain bare until some other forgotten, misjudged appliance finds its way up there for a rest.
These are soft and ever-so-delicately sweetened. Although, they're not actually sweet. Does that make sense? You know...the texture and mouth feel of the perfect, pull-apart dinner roll. EVERY SINGLE PERSON at our Thanksgiving table loved them. They'll be making a regular appearance at our dinner table...holiday or not!
yield: 16 rolls
Pull-Apart Poppy Seed Rolls
prep time: 2 hour and 15 MINScook time: 15 MINStotal time: 2 hours and 30 mins
These soft dinner rolls are delicate, lightly sweet, and generously studded with poppy seeds.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons poppy seeds
- 3 cups (390 grams) bread flour
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Place ingredients in order listed into the bread machine. Set for dough cycle. After machine has run for ~7 minutes, open the lid and take a peek at the dough. If it seems too dry, add a bit of water (1 tablespoon at a time); if it seems too wet, add a bit flour (1 Tbs. at a time). Close lid and let machine do all the work for you. Once dough cycle is finished (mine takes 1½ hours total), remove dough from pan and place on lightly floured work surface.
- Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. Form each into a ball by gently "pulling" the dough towards bottom of ball, using your thumbs and turning about a quarter turn at a time. Place evenly in a greased, 9" square pan.
- Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to sit in a warm place until doubled in size, 30-60 mins. Preheat oven to 350° F during last 15 minutes of rising time.
- Bake in preheated oven for ~15 minutes, or until beautifully golden.
- Cool on a wire rack for ~5 mins, then gently turn them out of the pan and place the whole mass back on the rack to finish cooling. Once they've cooled COMPLETELY, they can be stored in an airtight container.
©All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. Adapted from Salad in a Jar.
Created using The Recipes Generator
