Refrigerator Dough For Quick Crusty Hard Rolls
Throw refrigerator dough together in the morning or evening, or whenever you have a few spare moments. The small amount of yeast allows the dough to keep in the fridge for up to 5 days without developing a "sour" taste. We kept one batch for 6 days; the rolls were a little denser, but still tasted good. Note: If you plan to use the dough within 12 hours or so, knead it and then let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour before refrigerating. — S.G.
4 1/2 cups (19 1/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
Manual /Mixer Method: Combine all of the ingredients and mix till cohesive. Knead the dough, by hand or mixer, about 5 to 10 minutes, till it's soft and somewhat smooth; it should be cohesive, but the surface should still be a bit rough. Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and refrigerate at least overnight, or for up to 5 days.
Bread Machine Method: Place all of the ingredients into the bucket of your bread machine. Program the machine for dough or manual, and press Start. Check the dough after about 15 minutes; it should be smooth-looking, but very soft. Add additional water or flour as needed. Cancel the machine after the final kneading cycle, and refrigerate the dough as directed previously.
Shaping: Remove the dough from the refrigerator, fold it over gently a few times, and cut off the desired amount; you'll need 1 1/2 to 2 ounces per roll (golf-ball sized pieces); about 1 to 1 1/4 ounces per breadstick (about 1 1/4 inches in diameter); or 10 ounces (one-third of the dough) per baguette. Return any remaining dough to the refrigerator.
Form rolls by shaping the pieces into balls, then rolling them under your lightly cupped fingers on an unfloured work surface.
For breadsticks, roll each piece into a 12-inch rope, keeping the ends blunt (rather than tapered), so they'll bake evenly.
For baguettes, shape the dough into a rough, slightly flattened oval, cover it with greased plastic wrap, and let it rest for 15 minutes. Fold the dough in half lengthwise, and seal the edges with the heel of your hand. Flatten it slightly, and fold and seal again. With the seam-side down, cup your fingers and gently roll the dough into a 14-inch log.
Place the shaped rolls, breadsticks or baguette onto a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let them rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until they're very puffy.
Bake the rolls or the baguette in a preheated 425°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes, till they're golden brown. Bake the breadsticks for 12 to 15 minutes (for soft breadsticks) or, for crisp breadsticks, bake them in a preheated 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Yield: 30 ounces of dough, enough for 15 to 20 rolls, 28 12-inch breadsticks, or three baguettes.
Nutrition information per serving (1 roll, 43g): 95 cal, <1g fat, 3g protein, 20g complex carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, 214mg sodium, 37mg potassium, 1mg iron, 1mg calcium, 26mg phosphorus.
Nutrition information per serving (1 breadstick, 31g): 68 cal, <1g fat, 2g protein, 14g complex carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, 153mg sodium, 27mg potassium, 1mg iron, 19mg phosphorus.
Nutrition information per serving (1-inch slice of baguette, 61g): 135 cal, 4g protein, 28g complex carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, 305mg sodium, 53mg potassium, 2mg iron, 1mg calcium, 38mg phosphorus.
This recipe reprinted from The Baking Sheet Newsletter, Vol. XII, No. 5, Summer 2001 issue.
Reviews
07/01/2010
I have been bread with this using a Silpat with fantastic results. Last night I used parchment paper as the recipe suggests and the the bread completely stuck to the paper. I cut the bottoms off and ate the bread anyway, and it's as good as ever. What gives?
Sorry to hear of your difficulty. A sticky dough can end up adhering to parchment. Also, if the oven temp is not high enough, a similar result may occur. Give us a call, we're happy to assist: 800-827-6836. Frank @ KAF.
05/11/2010
I have made two baguettes out of this dough, and the third one is rising as I type this. I am a novice bread baker and it could really not have been any easier. The dough seemed a little stickier on the side that was in contact with the dough bucket, but once shaped seemed just fine. I am preparing to make a second batch tonight! (my tastebuds say yes, my waistline says uh-oh!)
05/10/2010
These Quick Crusty Hard Rolls are just great! They are just what I was looking for in terms of consistency - crusty on the outside and as tender as could be on the inside. I mixed and kneaded them in my Kitchen Aid mixer. The first rolls that I made, I made the same day on which I mixed the dough so I let them rise for an hour before putting them in the refrigerator per the instructions. Since there are just the two of us ("empty nesters"), I only made the the rolls two at a time. The fifth day, I made the remainder, and froze what we didn't have for dinner that night. These are about as easy as you can get when it comes to a yeast roll recipe.
03/03/2010
I made this dough in my bread machine. It was pretty soft, and when I put it in the refrigerator, it did nothing but spread out - didn't look like it had much if any rise (boy, did it look silly in my big dough rising container), so I didn't have high hopes a couple of days later when I finally got it out and shaped it into rolls. But, to my surprise, they rose very nicely, given a couple of hours (in my oven, set on "proof") and tasted terrific. What an easy and convenient recipe! I can't wait to make it into bagettes. I'd also like to play with it and substitute maybe just a little bit of white whole wheat or rye flour. Any suggestions on variations?
With this recipe, time is on your side! The magic of this dough is in the rest. To add wheat or rye flour, start with 1/4 the flour amount and increase to meet your taste and texture needs. Irene @ KAF
01/23/2010
My husband says these are the best he's ever had! They are very easy to make and tasted great. I made them into rolls for French dip sandwiches.
12/15/2009
I just finished making my first baguette using this recipe. I have NEVER made bread before. I'm not even much of a baker. But these came out PERFECTLY. I think everyone in this house is about to get a whole lot fatter because now we'll always have fresh baked bread on hand.
12/13/2009
I love this recipe! Makes superb dinner roles with a wonderful crusty outside and smooth, luscious inside. My husband's absolutely favorite combination AND the dinner leftovers are yummy for breakfast. I generally only makes these for holidays or special occasions because it is just the two of us, and we can devour the entire recipe without batting an eye. Wonderful trade-off with my handmade bread.
02/16/2009
If you like crusty chewy rolls with a nice flavor, this is it, and it's easy. The first day it was only refrigerated for about 5 hr, but I refrigerated the remaining dough overnight and it was really good. The "golf ball" size made a fairly small roll, but it rose nicely with the longer refrigeration.
02/06/2009
Wow, this was EXACTLY what I was looking for in a bun/roll recipe! I didn't put them in the fridge (bad, bad me) I just threw them in the oven and they turned out GREAT! Crusty on the outside and doughy on the inside. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you so much, this will be my go to recipe for buns and rolls from now on!!!!!
02/04/2009
This is a wonderful versatile dough. It is about as foolproof as it gets. The flavor is excellent and is much more pronounced on the second day. If you follow the formula exactly, you will have a dough that is easy to work with requiring very little bench flour. I have modified the recipe just a bit upping the water by 2 ounces, adding 1 tsp of whole grain rye flour, and using KA bread flour. The result is something a bit more "rustic".
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