There are a lot of rules associated with baking and sometimes it feels like a bit of a bind to follow them to the letter; maybe I just like to stretch the boundaries and am secretly a bit non-conformist but I do like to break the rules on occasions. You’ll understand why the Light White Yeast Bread I made a few days back appealed so much; it broke a few rules in bread baking. Firstly a lot of oil was used (far more than I’ve seen in other recipes) and secondly it contains quite a high percentage of liquid which yields a very light, elastic and sticky dough needing a fair amount of kneading (sorry no pun intended).
The recipe from The Best of Irish Breads and Baking: Traditional, Contemporary and Festive (Georgina Campbell) states that the dough should be made by hand when made on a domestic scale but I opted out of the hands-on approach and used my trusty KitchenAid; there is of course no reason why you can’t do it by hand, but be aware that the dough is very wet. If taking on the hands-on way I would refrain from kneading the dough in a traditional fashion and follow Richard Bertinet’s style instead, see here, as it makes for an easier way to handle the dough; another key point would be to not add extra flour to the dough as you work it, no matter how sticky it gets, as you’ll make the finished bread heavy.
I decided to make rolls instead of the loaves depicted and found they only took about 12-15 minutes to cook at the same temperature as specified. The dough was feather light as Campbell stated it would be even before baking, so soft and light.
They didn’t loose any of their lightness on baking, in fact I think they gained even more light, fluffiness; keeping a soft exterior too as all to often bread rolls can become overly crisp and almost too airy – to the point of ‘nothingness’ within.
The other amazing thing is that these are made with 100% strong flour and on previous roll attempts I’ve had to use a combination of strong and plain flour to achieve the crumb and softness desired. They make great sandwich rolls or are perfect just to be nibbled alongside a salad type meal. I really must try a wholemeal version.
These are a true keeper of a recipe (and another to submit to YeastSpotting) and the book, well you all need a copy, as it is a true godsend to the baker in need of a reliable and straightforward recipe.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Beautiful rolls. I sometimes find it too tempting to add flour when the dough is too sticky to work on. Now that explain why sometimes my bread is heavy. Thank you for posting this tips.
Thank you Elra. Another good tip is to oil your work surface and hands as that helps stop the dough sticking.
Thank you for directing me to your blog, KG, I might give these a go! They certainly look good. Did you use fresh yeast or dried? I like using fresh but dried is so handy to keep in, isn’t it. Lilsgirl.
I used fresh yeast Jeannette as I’d just bought some but generally I’d use a sachet of fast action yeast. I can’t get along with the dried yeast that you need to activate.
I am afraid of yeast. I never had liked to do all the rising, etc. that goes along with yeast bread.
Cindy if you use a free standing mixer it really does take the effort out of starting the dough. Do give it another try.
I have a kitchen aid, I might try it. I like quick breads and I have a bread machine, but really, I am nervous about it. My little sister uses it all the time, but she is afraid to make candy at Christmas time, she is afraid of candy thermometers, funny bunch, aren’t we????
KG, love the look of those loaves, I fancy filling one with some mayo and cold chicken:) Must admit, I never bother ‘activating’ my yeast. I don’t see the need (unless I was worried it was old) and just omit that step:) I’d love to try working with fresh yeast though, just to see how different it is – if at all in the finished product?
Cindy it is funny how we all have our kitchen fears and hatreds isn’t it.
Coby thank you
I love using fresh yeast but I’m not sure it impacts on the finished product all that much really.
Another thing you can do when mixing wet dough by hand is to just keep your hands wet. Maybe counterintuitive, but it works. Lovely rolls George!
Great tip, thanks Susan
These are beautiful rolls. They’ll soon grace my table. Have a wonderful weekend.
These rolls look so yummy! You just want to squeeze them and eat them. They’d be just the thing to take along for a memorial day picnic.
{ 1 trackback }