Herb and Onion Rolls

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons minced dried onion
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup lukewarm potato-cooking water (water in which potatoes have been boiled)

Combine all of the ingredients, and knead to make a smooth, soft dough.  Use your hands, a mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle.  The dough will be quite sticky, but it will firm up a bit as it rises.

Cover the dough, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it's almost doubled in size.

Gently deflate the dough.  Decide what shape and quantity of rolls you want to make: divide the dough into 24 pieces (for small rolls), 16 pieces (for medium rolls), or 12 pieces (for large rolls).

For large stand-alone rolls, shape the 12 pieces of dough into rounds and space a few inches apart on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.

For medium pull-apart rolls, shape the 16 pieces of dough into rounds, and place in two lightly greased 8" round cake pans.

For small pull-apart rolls, shape the 24 pieces of dough into rounds and place in a lightly greased 9x13-inch pan, in six rows of four.

Cover the pan(s) and let the rolls rise for about 90 minutes, until they're puffy.  Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 350° F.

If you are topping the rolls with seeds, combine 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon cold water (or use 1 whole egg for a dark-gold shiny crust).  Gently brush over the tops of the risen rolls, and sprinkle with seeds.  If you're not topping with seeds, brush the rolls with melted butter, if desired.

Bake the rolls for 22 to 24 minutes for small- or medium-sized pull-apart rolls.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes for larger rolls.  The finished rolls will be a light- to medium-dark brown, depending on what they were brushed with.

Remove rolls from the oven, and brush them with melted butter, if desired, for a satiny finish and buttery flavor.

Remove the rolls from the pan, and serve warm.  Or, cool on a rack, wrap tightly, and store at room temperature for several days.  Freeze for longer storage.

Makes 12 to 24 rolls, depending on size.


From King Arthur Flour