Easily Avoidable Mistakes That Ruin Bread Rolls
Imagine sopping up gravy with homemade dinner rolls tonight (think beautiful, buttery golden-brown crust with a soft and fluffy inside). Even if you aren’t well versed with the ins and outs of making bread rolls, all you need to do is avoid these baking mistakes:
#1 Avoid using expired yeast
Check the ‘use by’ date on the package to ensure the yeast is still safe to use. To test whether the yeast is active, it will begin to foam near the top of the bowl after it dissolves. If not, you have reason to believe that the yeast is expired.
Tip: Remember to always store fresh yeast in an airtight container in the freezer.
#2 Dough refuses to rise
Despite your best efforts, sometimes flour, water and yeast don’t equal an irresistible batch of golden brown bread rolls. Instead, it maintains the form of a large lump of dough. The reason behind this is that the liquid you used to activate the yeast was too hot.
Tip: Yeast is quite temperamental, so investing in a kitchen thermometer to test the water temperature is a great plan.
#3 Your kitchen might be too cold
If your dough sits too long in a cold room, the yeast will eventually die. Set your rising dough in a warm place, like in a preheated oven. Turn your oven on preheat for just a minute, turn it off and let the bread rise in the oven. Please don’t forget to turn the oven off before pushing the rising dough in!
#4 Patience is key
If the dough hasn’t risen as much as you expect, give it more time. Besides, a slower rise results in more flavourful dinner rolls.
#5 Aim for ‘workable’ dough
Dough that’s too sticky, too dry or too springy makes it hard to achieve perfectly round dinner rolls. Dough can be surprising – even though it looks perfect in the bowl, it could turn out to be a mess to work with! To achieve the best sort of shape possible, try dividing your dough into pieces that are the same size. When shaping sticky dough, give your hands a light dusting of flour. If your dough is slipping around your kitchen surface, sprinkle water on the table to help keep it in place.
#6 Don’t forget the ‘golden’ shine
Your rolls will only end up looking dull if you’ve forgotten the egg wash. Egg wash is pretty simple to prepare. Beat an egg thoroughly, and mix in 2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt. Brush the egg wash gently onto the bread rolls to give them that signature golden shine. For extra pizzazz, sprinkle a bit of sea salt for a different dimension of flavour. If the baked rolls look super dry, drizzle some melted butter or olive oil to add a bit of shine right before serving.
If you’re looking to impress family & friends with your baking prowess, explore Stork’s baking recipes for inspiration. Where there is a whisk, there is a way! Have fun making and baking with Stork.
