Let the good times Roll...

I don't know why Thursdays have become "Roll Day", but here's another recipe. This one is my own basic Kaiser roll recipe, only today I decided to pump them up with the addition of sun dried tomatoes and red onion. I used my Cuisinart to mix up the dough and as I've said before, I have the big one, so I've made some changes to fit the standard.

For the "rising" element, I use a 10 quart plastic tub, sprayed with an oil spray. Once the rolls had doubled in size, I divided it up into 12 pieces. (With less flour, you will probably get 8-10). Roll each piece into a rope and literally tie them in a knot. Twist the ends around the "circle", in each direction, then, pinch them together underneath.

Place them on a baking sheet that you've sprayed with an oil spray. I used Quick Shine to spray the tops and sprinkled sesame seeds on. (Alternatively, you can brush the tops with a mixture of egg white and 1 T. water).
I preheated the oven to 400-degrees and used the Lava rock trick from the previous rolls because I loved the crispness it adds to the crust. Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Here's the recipe...the addition of the tomato/onion gave them a lot of flavor.

In a small saute pan, heat 1T olive oil. Add 2T chopped sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil) and 1 small chopped onion. Saute until the onion is translucent. Set aside to cool.
Proof your yeast: 1 1/2 T dry yeast to 1/2 cup very warm water. Sprinkle 1 tsp. sugar and whisk together.
In the Cusinart:
4 1/2 cup Bread flour
2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
Sun dried tomato mixture
Proofed yeast
Pulse several times, then with the motor running, add 1 to 1 1/4 cups water through the feed tube. You're looking for the dough just to come together. (Don't over run or the dough may "heat up" and kill the yeast).
Turn out onto a bread board, lightly dusted with flour, and knead until smooth. Place in a plastic tub or spray a one gallon plastic bag and place the dough in there. The rolls came out beautifully and with a nice crunchiness to the crust. This lava rock trick really works!
In addition to making up rolls this afternoon, I also made up a cookie dough that I will bake off tomorrow. Stay tuned for an end-of-the week knockout recipe.

Just a little memory...the first thing I ever baked on my own were yeast rolls for a Thanksgiving dinner. I was seven and completely fell in love with kneading dough and watching it rise. There's a lot of comfort in turning it into something so deliciously appealing and so enjoyed.