Crusty Buns Recipes

CRUSTY ROLLS

Steps:

• In a bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add shortening, sugar, salt and 1 cup flour; beat until smooth. Add egg whites; mix well. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes (dough will be stiff). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours., Punch dough down; divide into 24 pieces and shape into balls. Sprinkle greased baking sheets with cornmeal. Place rolls 2 in. apart on baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Place a large shallow pan filled with boiling water on lowest rack in oven. Bake rolls on middle rack at 425° for 10-11 minutes or until golden brown.

NO KNEAD CRUSTY ROLLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Stir in water. Mixture will be thick and sticky.
• Cover with plastic wrap & let stand on counter top for 3 hours.
• After 3 hours (mixture will be puffy and bubbly on top) place dough on a well-floured surface. Using a scraper fold over about 12 times, adding enough flour so it doesn't stick (about 2 Tbsp).
• Using a scraper cut dough into 8 pieces. With floured hands, shape each into a ball by folding and tucking, like making a drawstring bag.
• Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet (not wax paper) & cover with a dish towel. Let stand at room temperature for 35 minutes. They will puff up but will not double in size.
• As soon as rolls are covered, start preheating oven to 450° F. Oven must be 450° so use an oven thermometer if possible.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. To re-crisp the next day, preheat the oven to 325° F and place the rolls directly on the oven rack for 10-12 minutes.

FRENCH BREAD ROLLS TO DIE FOR

Steps:

• 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.

CRUSTY BUNS

Steps:

• In measuring cup, dissolve sugar in 1/2 cup lukewarm warm.
• Sprinkle in yeast and let stand for 10 minutes.
• In large bowl, blend flour and salt.
• Using fingers, rub in lard until well blended.
• Stir yeast mixture vigorously with fork and stir into flour mixture.
• Gradually mix in remaining 1 1/2 cups luke-warm water to make stiff dough.
• Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
• Gather into ball and place in lightly greased bowl, turning to grease all over.
• Cover and let rise in draft-free place for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
• Punch down dough and divide in eighteen pieces.
• On well-floured board, using palm of hand, lightly flatten pieces into 3-inch rounds.
• place side of hand down center of dough; press firmly without seperating dough.
• Fold sides in to center and pinch ends to form slight points; arrange about 2 inches apart on well-grease baking sheets.
• Dust with flour.
• Cover and let rise in draft-free place for 45 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
• Bake on sheet at a time on top rack in 500F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until buns are well browned and sound hollow when tapped on bottom.
• Transfer to wire racks.

EASY BREAD ROLLS

Steps:

• Tip the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and oil into a bowl. Pour over 325ml warm water, then mix (with a spatula or your hand), until it comes together as a shaggy dough. Make sure all the flour has been incorporated. Cover and leave for 10 mins.
• Lightly oil your work surface and tip the dough onto it. Knead the dough for at least 10 mins until it becomes tighter and springy - if you have a stand mixer you can do this with a dough hook for 5 mins. Pull the dough into a ball and put in a clean, oiled bowl. Leave for 1 hr, or until doubled in size.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a long sausage shape. Halve the dough, then divide each half into four pieces, so you have eight equal-sized portions. Roll each into a tight ball and put on a dusted baking tray, leaving some room between each ball for rising. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place to prove for 40 mins-1 hr or until almost doubled in size.
• Heat the oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. When the dough is ready, dust each ball with a bit more flour. (If you like, you can glaze the rolls with milk or beaten egg, and top with seeds.) Bake for 25-30mins, until light brown and hollow sounding when tapped on the base. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

CRUSTY WHITE BREAD / BUNS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
• 2. In 4-5 quart mixer bowl, combine warm water & yeast, stir to mix & let set until yeast proofs (gets foamy).
• 3. Put dough hook on mixer head. Stir in sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups flour. Beat on lowest speed of mixer until well blended.
• 4. Add in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well on low speed after each addition. Only add enough flour to make dough easy to handle & not sticky. Turn dough onto floured surface & knead 5-10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. (I use my KitchenAid mixer on #3-#4 speed to do the kneading)
• 5. Place dough into oiled bowl, turn to coat it all over. Cover with cloth & let rise in warm place for about 45 minutes, until doubled in bulk. When you push your finger in center, impression should remain. When doubled, punch it down by pushing your fist into the center of dough, then work it to remove as much air as possible. Form back into a ball.
• 6. Cover & let rise again until doubled in bulk (orig. recipe says 1 hr but mine took about 30 min). The orig. recipe calls for brushing tops of dough with a little oil, but I do not do this.
• 7. Put pans in oven, mist bread/buns with cold water right before you close the oven door. Use rack in middle position of oven, keep pans from touching. Also, I switch the pans and turn halfway through to ensure even baking.
• 8. Bake loaves for 35 minutes, buns about 20-25 min. When tapped, they should sound hollow and you should be able to shake the pan & bread/buns will be loose. Immediately remove to racks to cool. They will look a little dull on top but that's the crusty part!

CRUSTY ROLLS

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine 1 cup warm water (about 110°F), sugar, salt and yeast.
• Let stand until yeast is soft, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in 2 egg whites, 1 cup flour and 2 tablespoons oil.
• Add 2 1/2 cups more flour and stir until incorporated.
• Scrape dough (it will be soft) onto a well-floured board and dust with more flour.
• Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding flour as required to prevent sticking.
• Place dough in an oiled bowl and turn over to coat.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down, then knead briefly on a lightly floured board to expel air.
• Divide dough into 20 equal pieces and shape each into a ball that is smooth on top.
• As you shape balls, dip bottoms in cornmeal.
• Set about 1 1/2 inches apart on an oiled 12x15-inch baking sheet.
• Rub tops lightly with oil, drape with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, beat 1 egg yolk (discard remaining yolk or reserve for another use) with 1 tablespoon water to blend.
• Brush rolls lightly with egg yolk mixture.
• Move 2 oven racks to the lowest positions in oven.
• When rolls are ready to bake, preheat oven to 400°F, put another large pan on lowest rack and add at least 1/4 inch of boiling water.
• Bake rolls on second rack (above rack containing pan of water).
• Bake until richly browned, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Transfer rolls to a rack to cool.
• Serve warm or cool.