High Tops & Lace

I've given bread making the proverbial college try on all too many occasions. I can make some mean buttermilk biscuits but my bread making prowess just about stops there.

Never being one to give up, I decided to give bread making one last try, with sandwich rolls.

Now, I am a fan of the sandwich. Whether it's a panini, grilled cheese or cold cut sampler, I'm all about it. I think it's mostly because I have a carbohydrate addiction, but I'll save that psycho-analysis for another day.

Anyway.

I made these hoagie rolls and couldn't be happier with the results. The outer layer was perfectly golden, with a slight crunch to the crust, and the interior was fluffy and light, with just enough density to withstand a the plethora of ingredients I threw on them.

{Sandwich Hoagies}

Recipe:

5 1/3 cups unbleached bread flour
1 tbsp coarse kosher salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp lukewarm milk
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

Do Ahead:
In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt and sugar together. In a separate bowl, whist the egg and oil. Separately, combine the water and milk them whisk in the instant yeast until dissolved.

Add the oil mixture and the water mixture to the dry ingredients and mix by hand with a spoon for about 4 minutes. Let the dough rest, to hydrate, for 5 minutes.

Mix for an additional 2 minutes, adding water or flour if needed to form a smooth, supple ball that is tacky, but not quite sticky. (It should pull with your fingers, but not completely stick)

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for about a minute. Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (dough can stay in fridge for up to 4 days).

On Baking Day:

Remove the dough from the fridge about 2 hours before you plan to bake the break. On a lightly floured surface, divide into 4 ounce pieces (about a handful size) for 7-inch rolls or 8-ounce pieces for foot-long rolls. Flatten each piece of dough with your hand then form into a torpedo shape (4 inches for 7-inch rolls, 7 inch for foot-long rolls). Gently roll each piece back and forth to extend them to about 7 inches or 13 inches. Place the rolls on a parchment lined sheet pan, mist with cooking spray and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Remove the plastic wrap and continue to let sit at room temperature for another 15 minutes. The dough should have risen to about double the original size by this point.

Using a sharp knife, cut a 3.5 inch long cut down the center of the dough, about 1/4 inch deep (or 8 inches long for foot long rolls). Let the dough sit for another 15 minutes. Preheat the over to 425°F.

Place a steam pan in the oven (a baking sheet will do).

Once the oven is preheated, transfer the rolls to the oven and pour 1 cup of hot water into your steam pan. Lower the temperature to 400°F.

Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes, until the rolls are golden. Cool on a wire rack.

For New Year's Eve, I rolled up my baking sleeves and donned my grandmother's old apron and whipped up an especially delicious (and still simple) dessert. These individual pineapple upside down cakes (recipe here) were the perfect mixture of savory, sweet and tart—an ideal combination to ring in a new year.