French Bread Rolls

So, I have tried quite a few roll recipes in my day. Most of them have ended in utter failure. A few have been somewhat successful, but then I found this recipe on my favorite cooking blog, melskitchencafe.com, and they were a huge success. To me, they don't resemble french bread at all, but are even better. The best part about the recipe is that it doesn't use any butter or eggs in the recipe and therefore have a lot fewer calories than a lot of other dinner roll recipes. This is the original recipe but let me add a few notes on who exactly I make these. I always use the SAF instant yeast (the only yeast I have consistent success with) and therefore just add the yeast in with the flour instead of letting it sit in water. Second, of all I always make these in my kitchen aid. I just add all the ingredients and enough flour until dough pulls away from the sides and then let it mix for 8 min. I don't roll it out and knead it but you can if you want. Last of all I always bake these inside a glass 13x9 inch pan instead of separated on a cookie sheet. Either way would probably work. Good Luck and Enjoy!


French Bread Rolls

*Makes about 15 rolls
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 all-purpose flour

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 12-14 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 (or greased saran wrap), and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for 12-13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.