Well, it all started when one person (Tracy) posted some links. That’s all it took. Now, I am on a bread making binge!

Our all around favorite is Bretzel Rolls (made two batches just today). There is no corned beef or pastrami sandwich better than one on these rolls!

Bretzel Rolls

Notes

http://theteacherlearnstocook.blogspot.com/2008/06/bretzel-rolls.html
(For step-by-step pictures, go to her page)
Bretzel Rolls (adapted from Recipezaar.com)
2 hours start to finish – Makes 8 sandwich size rolls
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons instant yeast (or 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast which will need proofing)
  • 1 1/3 cups warm water
  • 2 tablespoons warm milk
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 quarts of water
  • 1/2 cup baking soda
  • kosher salt
  • spray oil (I really like this stuff, the high heat canola is great)
  1. Mix the flour and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl)
  2. Melt the butter and warm the milk
  3. Combine the butter, milk, water, and brown sugar in a separate bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved
  4. Add the butter mixture to the flour and stir until all the flour is hydrated and you have a firm, pliable dough ball
  5. Using the dough hook, knead the dough for 2 minutes, or if you’re kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes
  6. Round the dough into a ball and cut it in half with a bench scraper or chef knife
  7. Continue rounding and cutting 2 more times until you have 8 even dough balls
  8. Arrange the balls on a lightly floured surface, cover with a damp cloth, and allow them to rest for 10 minutes
  9. Pat the dough balls into rolls by slightly flattening them (you should have a semi-flat disc about3 to 4 inches in diameter)
  10. Arrange the rolls on a lightly floured surface about 1 inch apart, cover them with lightly oiled plastic wrap, and allow them to rest for 30 minutes
  11. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, line one large 3/4 sheet pan, or two 1/2 sheets with parchment paper, spray the paper lightly with oil
  12. In a large stockpot, bring the water to a rolling boil and add the baking soda (make sure the pot is deep enough that it doesn’t boil over when you add the baking soda, you may also want to add the baking soda slowly to lessen the chance of boil over)
  13. Drop 2 rolls into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds, turning once
  14. Remove the rolls from the water with a slotted spoon, drain them, place them on the prepared sheet pans, and sprinkle lightly with salt
  15. Once all the rolls have been boiled, bake on the upper and middle rack of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the rolls are nicely browned all over, shifting the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through cooking
  16. Remove the rolls and transfer them to a wire rack
  17. Serve warm or at room temperature

These I am making now because my husband came home from work wanting a French Dip sandwich and we did not think the Pretzel Rolls would be the same:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/French-Bread-Rolls-to-Die-For/Detail.aspx

French Bread Rolls to Die For

Submitted by: JOCATLIN

Rated: 5 out of 5 by 406 members
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 20 Minutes
Yields: 16 servings

“Simply delicious French bread rolls with a crisp crust and chewy texture.”

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups bread flour

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com
Printed from Allrecipes.com 9/2/2008

With this Quick Au Jus:

http://sadieskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/07/au-jus-for-french-dip-sandwhiches.html

  • 2 c water
  • 1 TB beef bouillon granules
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 ts crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp garlic salt

In a large saucepan, combine the water, bouillon, pepper, garlic salt, and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 15 – 20 minutes.

Though next time I will try making some from scratch.

HOMEMADE AU JUS

Makes about 3 cups (enough for 6 French dip sandwiches).

Note that the nutritional analysis for this recipe was done with 1/4 cup per serving. But you should actually serve 1/2 cup per person to make sure there’s enough to enrich every last bite of sandwich.

  • 1/2 lb. beef stew meat or meaty beef scraps
  • 1 tsp. salt, divided
  • 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 c. finely diced onion
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
  • 1 tsp. tomato paste
  • 4 (14-oz.) cans lower-sodium beef broth (this was tested with Swanson brand)
  • 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 bay leaf

Directions
Season the stew meat with 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the stew meat and brown well on all sides. When the meat is well-browned, add the onion, reduce heat to low and cook until the onions are tender and beginning to caramelize around the edges, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic clove and tomato paste and continue cooking for 5 minutes more. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire and bay leaf, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat to medium and simmer for another 25 minutes or until reduced to 3 cups.

Taste broth and add as much of the remaining salt as is necessary to give a deep salty-beefy flavor. Remove bay leaf and meat, and pour into cups. Serve with French Dip Sandwiches.

Nutrition information per cup serving:
Calories 22 Fat 1 g Sodium 250 mg
Carbohydrates 1 g Saturated fat 0 g Calcium 0 mg
Protein 1 g Dietary fiber 0 g

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Trending