Thanksgiving Dinner Rolls
This was my first time making bread. It was from a written recipe so there's some very problematic mistakes but overall the result turned out great. Pretty proud of myself and the entire house smells of freshly baked bread and butter.
For this one, I had to make a tangzhong but the recipe wasn't exactly clear on what I was expecting it to look like. Playing around, I severely undercooked the tangzhong and didn't get as much starch gelatinized as I should. This had severe repercussions because without the moisture being locked in with that precooked starch, I ended up using about 20%+ more flour than the recipe called for, which then caused the salt/sugar/egg ratio to be sliiiightly off.
I chose my friend's recipe specifically because she told me that it was a 'by-feel' recipe. Since it was my first time making bread, I didn't want to go straight by the numbers (and breadmaking differs due to yeast, temperature, and regional flour differences). I wanted to learn the 'feel' of it all first.
So yeah, since I needed to add flour until the dough wasn't super sticky, I ended up using waaaay more than specified. I watched a few more dinner roll recipes on YouTube afterwards and saw that yeah, you can really cook that tangzhong until it's a thick paste, I shouldn't have been so afraid of overcooking/burning it.
I then proofed it overnight in the fridge (versus on the countertop at room temperature for two hours) since a bunch of videos say that bread usually tastes better as an overnight proof. This one was about 18 hours proof and it doubled in size and it actually shouldn't have since the tangzhong was meant to keep it locked in and less of a rise.
You can see in the second photo that there was a lot more leftover flour and dough on the side of the stainless steel bowl. This was despite my best efforts; it was just too sticky and since I already knew I had added way more flour, I didn't want to add anymore.
Then I cut it up into not-so-even pieces, especially at the ends, but it's fine since it'll have to rise for a second time later.
So this part is the technique.
- First, you flatten it (or just smash it against the counter).
- Then you roll it up like a croissant
- Then you pinch the ends together like a dumpling head
- With the pinched ends facing down, put your hand over it in a claw-like motion and then run it in circles until you form a perfect ball.
All this helps the gluten development and makes sure the interior of the bread has a fantastic texture.
Once it's done, I placed it in a glass baking tray with scrunched up baking paper. Since there was an awkward piece leftover, I grabbed one of my ramikens (actually, my only ramiken) and put it in.
I let it rise for about 45 mins. This part won't puff up too much depending on the type of dinner roll dough you're making (some do however, so check your recipe), and while I wasn't expecting a huge rise, I knew it needed time since I smashed out all the air earlier.
You can see the second photo that the dough had closed the gaps between them in the baking tray.
I eggwashed it with a mixture of milk + egg. Based on my research, if your eggwash is:
- egg + water = it ends up crispier
- egg + milk = a bit softer, but not as brown
- egg + cream = softer, and even less browning
However, my google searches also gave me a bit of conflicting info so I think follow your own recipe. I specifically chose egg + milk because my partner likes softer breads, whereas if I was making it for myself, I might've gone with egg + water.
My ramiken boi got his own corner in the oven.
The third photo is 20 mins into the baking. I was meant to check it at 15 minutes but I took a shower and was cleaning a painful injury and didn't hear my alarm. All in all, it baked for 28 mins.
After taking it out, I brushed it with melted butter, making sure to get it in the cracks. It smelled so good I was giddy with excitement. Alas, with great sadness, I have to announce that the ramiken boi was the worst tasting one because it got overcooked. It was a smaller dough to begin with, so it needed less baking time but I left it in all the same. The ceramic ramiken also got hotter than the glass.
But looook at this! It's amazing! I'm so proud! They're soft and chewy and great and--ah shit, this is how I become one of those crazy breadmaking people isn't it?