Light Rye Sandwich Buns

I planned to make hot cross buns this week, but a nightmare featuring ham, a bunny cake and hot cross buns dissuaded me. It was probably the ham that set me off. I remembered a rye roll from my childhood that was used specifically for sandwiches made with smoked sausage, salami or Easter ham. It took ordinary sandwiches to another level. Though I watched them being made, even helped roll them, I was never able to get the recipe. Thanks to Beatrice Ojakangas, I think I've found one that makes a roll as good as the one that I loved as a child. So, if you're not too busy with spring cleaning and preparations for Passover or Easter, you might want to give these a try. They are awfully good and worth the very little effort it takes to produce them. The recipe make sixteen rolls. I make eight hamburger and eight hot dog buns from each recipe. The buns freeze well and they do make wonderful sandwiches.

Light Rye Sandwich Buns

Ingredients:
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1 to 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
3 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups scalded milk
2 cups light rye flour
4 to 4-1/2 unbleached all-purpose flour
.
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1-1/4 cups water

Directions:
1) Place yeast in a large bowl. Add water and stir to dissolve. Stir in corn syrup and let sit until yeast begins to foam, about 5 minutes. Add caraway seeds, salt, oil, scalded milk and rye flour. Beat well.
2) Add remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Let rest for 15 minutes. Turn dough onto a floured board and knead for 10 to 15 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Turn into a greased bowl and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3) Grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. Set aside. Preheat 400 degree F.
4) Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup water. Bring remaining 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add dissolved cornstarch and cook until thickened. Set aside.
4) Divide dough into 16 equal-sized pieces. Shape into hamburger or hot dog-style buns, placing 8 buns on each baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Brush tops of buns with glaze; bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Yield: 16 buns.

I'm sending this recipe to Susan at Wild Yeast for her weekly Yeast Spotting event.

Refrigerator Potato Rolls

This is a great recipe to have at the ready for holiday meals. Once the dough is made it sits in the refrigerator for one to three days. It's removed from the refrigerator and shaped into rolls about two hours before baking. I love to put these in the oven just before guests arrive. The aroma drives them absolutely insane. The shape the rolls take is up to you. Here's a link with suggestions and instructions for shaping dinner rolls. I should point out that this dough can also be used to make cinnamon rolls, so the same batch can do double duty and be served for breakfast and dinner. This is really simple to do. Enjoy!

Refrigerator Potato Rolls

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups warm water
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup instant, reconstituted warm mashed potatoes, prepared without butter and salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, softened
6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Glaze: melted butter or egg wash (1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water)
Poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:
1) Pour warm water into a medium size bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water; add sugar and salt; stir to combine. Let sit until mixture begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.
2) Add eggs, soft butter, warm mashed potatoes and 3 cups flour. Beat with a portable mixer until just smooth. Using a wooden spoon, beat in 2 additional cups of flour until just mixed into dough. Add remaining 1-1/2 cups flour, using hands to mix dough until it's smooth and leaves the sides of bowl. Brush top with oil or melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in refrigerator until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Punch down. Cover and return to refrigerator for one to three days, punching down once each day.
3) Remove dough from refrigerator 2 hours before serving. Punch down and shape rolls on a lightly floured board - clover leaf, fan-tans and pan rolls are the easiest to do, but you can use any shape you wish. Cover rolls with a towel; let rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush with butter or egg wash and seeds. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Serve warm if possible. Yield: 36 rolls.