Shaped Dinner Rolls

By DrChef

These professional-looking rolls are perfect for entertaining. You can make double the amount of dough and freeze half, tightly wrapped. Just thaw, glaze, and bake as required.

Ingredients

• For the topping:
• 4 C unbleached white bread flour
• 2 t salt
• 1/2 t sugar
• 1/4 oz envelope easy-blend dried yeast
• 1/4 C butter
• 1 C lukewarm milk
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 T water
• poppy seeds and sesame seeds for sprinkling

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

1. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Sift flour and salt together into large bowl and stir in sugar and yeast. Add butter and rub in until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
2. Make well in center. Add milk and egg and mix to a dough. Knead on lightly floured surgace for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise, in warm place, for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
3. Turn out onto lightly floured surface, punch down, knead for 2-3 minutes. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into rolls as described in steps 4-8.
4. TO MAKE BRAIDS: divide each piece of dough into 3 equal pieces. Working on lightly floured surgace, roll into ropes keeping lengths and widths even. Pinch 3 strips together at one end, then neatly braid them not too tightly. Pinch ends together and tuck under braid.
5. TO MAKE TREFOILS: divide each piece of dough into 3 and roll into balls. Place 3 balls together in triangular shape.
6. TO MAKE BATONS: shape each piece of dough into oblong shape and slash surface of each with diagonal cuts just before baking.
7. TO MAKE COTTAGE ROLLS: divide each piece of dough into 2/3 and 1/3 and shape into rounds. Place small one on top of large one and make hole through center with handle of wooden spoon.
8. TO MAKE KNOTS: shape each piece of dough into long roll and tie a single knot, pulling ends through.
9. Place rolls on prepared baking sheets, spacing them well apart. Cover with oiled wrap and let rise, in warm place, for about 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
10. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 F. Mix egg yolk and water together for glaze and brush over top of rolls. Sprinkle some with poppy or sesame, leaving others plain. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden. Lift rolls off sheet using spatula and transfer to wire rack to cool.