Makes sixteen 3-inch rolls - Adapted from Bread: Artisan Breads from Baguettes and Bagels to Focaccia and Brioche
These rolls have a soft but substantial crumb and a chewy crust that crisps up nicely when reheated. They also freeze beautifully. You can really taste the carrots, and a taste-tester friend I gave some to reported that they're great with goat cheese. They make cute little sandwiches too.
As always, I urge you to seek out local and organic ingredients; they really do make a difference. At around a dollar a pound and readily available, organic carrots are a bargain. Look for organic flours in the bulk sections of natural food stores.
3 cups organic bread flour (15-3/8 oz, 437 g)
1 cup organic white whole wheat flour (5 oz, 143 g)
2 teaspoons (10 ml) instant yeast
1½ cups warm water (12 oz, 335 g)
2 Tablespoons organic butter, melted (1 oz, 28 g)
2¼ cups organic carrots, finely shredded (13-7/8 oz, 380 g)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (3/8 oz, 10g)
2 Tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) chopped fresh thyme
2½ teaspoons (12 ml) salt
Mix the whole wheat white flour, bread flour, and yeast in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the water and melted butter. Stir until combined. Mix in the carrots, parsley, rosemary, and thyme and stir until a soft sticky dough forms. At first it may seem like there are too many carrots, but there aren't.
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead 5 minutes, sprinkling on a little more bread flour if necessary to keep dough from sticking to your hands and the work surface.
Cover dough with bowl and let rest 20 minutes (this rest period is called the autolyse).
Sprinkle the salt over the dough and knead for another 5 minutes, until the salt is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth and still slightly sticky, adding more flour if necessary.
Put the dough in a clear, straight-sided food grade plastic container with a snap-on lid and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours. I mark the height of the un-risen dough and the doubled height on the side of the container with a felt tip pen (it comes off when scrubbed with a sponge). You could also use a piece of tape.
The ideal temperature for rising dough is about 70 to 75 degrees F. If the air is cooler, you can use warmer water when mixing the dough or simply let it rise longer (which will actually improve your finished bread).
Once the dough has risen, punch it down by pressing down with your knuckles into the center of the dough. Turn the dough out of the container onto a lightly floured work surface, then let it rest for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into 16 pieces, about 3 ounces/84 grams each. To shape round rolls, press down on the pieces to expel any air bubbles. Cup the palm of your hand over each piece and roll it over an un-floured surface until it forms a smooth ball.
If you don't want your finished rolls to end up touching each other, simply space them farther apart on two baking sheets. Either bake both sheets at once, or set the second one in the refrigerator or someplace cool while the first one bakes. Alternatively, you can place the dough balls closer together and in a circle to make decorative pull-apart rolls.
Place the rolls on a heavy duty baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper.
Sprinkle rolls lightly with flour and cover with a tea towel. Proof until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
About 20 minutes before baking, heat oven to 400 degrees (205°C).
For a light shine and crisp baked crust, brush rolls with lightly salted water immediately before baking. I use a silicone pastry brush.
Bake in preheated oven until the tops are golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container or freeze. If desired, reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. The crust will crisp right back up.
Recipe source: FarmgirlFare.com
Recipe © FarmgirlFare.com
