Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
- 2 cups room temperature water
- 1 tablespoon granulated yeast
- 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups semolina flour
Preparation
Step 1
Dissolve the sugar or honey in the water and add the yeast and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. Let it sit for 10 minutes to give the yeast a chance to get going. Add the salt and the semolina flour, then the remainder of the all-purpose flour, a half cup at a time, until the dough has formed a shaggy mass.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it, adding more flour as necessary, until the dough has formed a smooth and satiny ball. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it is doubled in size.
Punch the dough down. This is a great time to include your kids. They can get their aggressions out and help you at the same time. Once the air has been expelled, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a rectangle 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. If the dough is being recalcitrant and it is contracting, it is telling you that it needs a little rest. If you let the dough sit for a few minutes, you will find that it is much more cooperative.
Place filling on the dough and leave a border of at least 1/2 inch. Follow directions under Pizza Filling for the order of ingredients. Liquid fillings like spaghetti sauce or mustard need to be used in scant amounts so that they don't boil out of the rolls. Roll up lengthwise. Brush the edges with the egg wash (see below for instructions) and pinch to seal shut. Pinch the ends shut and fold them underneath the roll. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Pizza Filling
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
8 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni
Brush the spaghetti sauce on the rolled out rectangles of dough. Sprinkle the cheese over the sauce and arrange the pepperoni slices on top. Yield: Filling for 8 rolls
Egg Wash
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt
Beat the egg and the water together. Add the salt and beat. The salt helps to break down the egg white, making glaze easier to spread with a brush.
Let the rolls rest and rise until they are swollen, 30 to 45 minutes; don't let them double in size. Preheat the oven to 375°F while the rolls are rising. Brush the rolls with the remaining egg wash. Slash the rolls diagonally about 1/2-inch deep. Keep the slashes on the top of the rolls so that the cheese doesn't ooze out during baking.
Bake the rolls for 25 to 35 minutes. When the rolls are done, they will be browned and should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Let cool before eating. The melted cheese is hot! Yield: 8 rolls.
Some Other Favorite Fillings
Here are a few of our other favorite combinations: tuna fish salad* and cheddar cheese; ham and Swiss and Dijon mustard; turkey and provolone and honey mustard; Reuben: pastrami, Swiss, Russian dressing*, and mustard; and corned beef and Swiss.
*Mayonnaise tends to ooze; make your tuna salad a bit dry, and go easy on the Russian dressing.