Telera Rolls

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon lard, shortening, or butter, melted and cooled

1 tablespoon honey

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 1/2 to 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for glaze

In a large bowl or the pan of your bread machine set on the dough cycle, combine the yeast, water, melted fat, honey, salt, and 3 1/2 cups of the flour.  Mix until a soft dough forms.

Check the dough’s consistency; if the dough sticks to your finger when you touch it lightly, add 1/4 cup of the additional flour and mix for another minute.  Check the dough again, adding the remaining 1/4 cup of flour only if you need it; the dough should be soft, but not sticky.  Let the bread machine complete its cycle.  Alternatively, knead for 6 to 8 minutes at medium speed in a stand mixer, or 10 minutes by hand, until it's smooth and bouncy, then cover the bowl and let rise for 1 hour, until doubled.

Once the dough has risen, deflate it and divide into 10 pieces, roll into balls, and cover the pieces.  Let them rest for 5 minutes before shaping the rolls into a football shape, tapering toward the edges; the rolls should be 5 1/2" long and 2" around at the center.

Place the rolls onto a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with greased plastic.  Allow the rolls to rise while turning the oven on and heating it to 400°F. 

When the rolls are almost doubled in size, brush the tops and sides with egg wash.  Using a greased knife, slash the rolls twice parallel to each other.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until golden brown and the centers read 190°F with an instant-read thermometer.  Remove from the oven and cool completely before slicing.

Makes 10 rolls.

From King Arthur Flour