Buttermilk-Rye Sandwich Rolls

There are a few essential books for the home baker, both breadie and sweet. Two of my favourites are the King Arthur Flour baking companions - All-Purpose Baking and Whole Grain Baking. They are epic tomes filled with great recipes as well as hints and tips on how to be a successful baker. When people tell me they want to get into baking - this is where I steer them.

So in bringing out my old friend Whole Grain Baking, being in a whole-grainish sort of mood, my eyes caught this recipe for buttermilk-rye rolls. Perfect with the lovely deli ham we just brought home from the butcher. Don't forget the mustard!

Buttermilk-Rye Rolls
Recipe courtesy of King Arthur Flour - available online at The Daily Green
also in King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking
for Cookbook Sundays #9

Servings
Makes 16 rolls (Or 8 sandwich-sized rolls)

Ingredients
For the dough:
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, heated to lukewarm
4 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 pieces
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole rye flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons caraway seeds (optional)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Heaping 1/2 cup dried potato flakes or 3 tablespoons potato flour
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

For the topping:
2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preparation

1. To prepare the dough: Combine all the dough ingredients and mix and knead them by hand, mixer or bread machine, until you have a medium-soft, smooth dough. Cover and allow the dough to rise until it's quite puffy, though it may not have doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours.

2. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch, 11-inch square, 12-inch round, or similar-size pan.

3. Gently deflate the dough and transfer to a lightly greased work surface. Divide into 16 pieces. Shape each piece into a rough ball, then roll it under the palm of your hand to create a smooth ball.

4. Place the rolls in the prepared pan, spacing them evenly. Cover the pan with lightly greased wax paper or a proof cover, and allow the rolls to rise for about 2 hours. They'll become quite puffy and will reach out and touch one another. Toward the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the rolls and bake until they're an even light brown all over, 25 minutes. From the oven, after 2 or 3 minutes, transfer them to a rack. Brush the hot rolls with the melted butter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This bread has been YeastSpotted!