~ Crusty Caraway Seed Dinner/Sandwich Rolls ~

Nothing is more important to a sandwich than a great sandwich roll and my hearty, firm-textured caraway seed rolls are the perfect foil for all sorts of  deli-style sandwiches.  Their flavor pairs particularly well with cured or smoked luncheon meats like corned beef, ham and pastrami, but let me tell you they make for awesome turkey and roast beef sandwiches as well!

A bit about caraway seeds:  These aromatic, fragrant, flavorful seeds come from an herb in the parsley family.  They have a nutty, delicate anise flavor and are widely used in German, Austrian and Hungarian cooking.  They are added to and used to flavor all sorts of foods (cheese, breads, cakes, stews, meats, vegetables and the  liqueur kummel).  Growing up in an Eastern European (Russian Orthodox) family, I grew up eating the best rye bread with caraway seeds you can imagine, and, to this day I adore Denmark's Finest rich, buttery, caraway-studded Havarti cheese! 

I bake these really easy-to-make rolls several times each year, using my food processor method to mix the dough up in less than 5 minutes.  I developed this recipe about four years ago, to go specifically with my ~ Braised & Brown Sugar Glazed Corned Beef ~, recipe found in Categories 2, 3, 11 & 19, which I always make in March for St. Patrick's Day!

As with all dinner and sandwich rolls, it goes without saying they are best eaten the same day they are baked, but I must tell you, if you wrap these in foil and reheat them in a 300 degree oven, or, put them in a contact grill to make panini sandwiches,  you won't be a bit disappointed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6  cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

4  packets granulated dry yeast, NOT rapid-rise

1  generous tablespoon caraway seed

2  teaspoons sugar

2  teaspoons salt

2-2 1/4 cups very hot tap water

no-stick cooking spray, for spraying food storage bag and preparing  baking pan

1  extra-large egg white, vigorously beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for brushing tops of unbaked rolls

 ~ Step 1.  In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, pulse the flour, yeast, caraway seed, sugar and salt, 5-10 times.

Note:  When you are making any type of bread or pizza dough in a food processor, always pulse your dry ingredients together before adding any of the wet ingredients.

 

 

 

 

~ Step 2.  With the motor of the food processor running, slowly pour the hot tap water through the feed tube into the dry ingredients.  Stop adding water the moment a large ball of dough forms.

Continue to knead the ball of dough for about 30-40 seconds.  This means the ball of dough will spin around in the processor.

 

 

 

 

~ Step 3.  This is what the finished dough will look like.

Spray the inside of a jumbo food storage bag with no-stick cooking spray.

Carefully, being careful not to cut yourself on the very sharp steel blade, remove the ball of dough from the processor, place it in the bag and twist or zip the bag closed.

 

~ Step 4.  This is what the dough will look like when it is initially put into the bag.

Note:  As the dough rises, the yeast creates heat and humidity inside of the bag, making this a perfect environment to rise all sorts of bread and pizza doughs!

 

 

~ Step 5.  This is what the dough is going to look like after 35-45 minutes of rising time.  It will be doubled in bulk.  How easy was this!  And no mess to clean up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Step 6.  Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut the bag open across the top.  Punch the dough down, gather it up around the sides and form it into a ball.  Transfer the dough to a cutting board.  Using a very sharp chef's knife, cut the dough into 12 equal-sized portions.

Note:  If you put the dough onto a kitchen scale to weigh it, you would have approximately 52 ounces of dough, which will make 12 rolls, each made with just a little over 4 ounces of dough.

~ Step 7.  Line a large baking pan with parchment paper.  Spray the paper with no stick spray.  Using a paper towel, grease the paper with the oil.  Using the palms of your hands, form each section of dough into a round roll, placing them well-apart on the pan as you work.

~ Step 8.  Cover the pan of rolls with a large kitchen towel, preferably a white, flour sack-type towel.  Allow the rolls to rise until doubled in bulk, about 35-45 minutes.

The rolls will be touching or just touching each other.

~ Step 9.  In a small bowl, using a fork, vigorously whisk together the egg white and water.

Using a pastry brush and a very light touch, brush the tops and any exposed surface of the rolls with the egg-white wash.

 

 

 

~ Step 10.  Bake the rolls on center rack of preheated 400 degree oven 15-16 minutes.  The tops will be lightly golden brown and will sound hollow when tapped with your knuckle.  Remove from oven and using a gentle shake and a quick tug on the parchment paper, immediately transfer all of the rolls, as an attached group, from the pan to a large cooling rack.  Discard the parchment paper immediately after the transfer is complete... this is easy to do, it will just slide out from underneath.  Cool completely prior to cutting or separating the rolls.  Serve warm or at room temperature, using them as a basis for your favorite sandwich!

Crusty Caraway Seed Dinner/Sandwich Rolls:  Recipe yields 12, 3 1/2" round deli-style rolls.

Special Equipment List:  food processor; 2-cup measuring container; jumbo food storage bag; kitchen shears; 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pan; parchment paper; paper towels; large kitchen towel, preferably a white, flour sack-type towel; small mixing bowl; fork; pastry brush; 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" cooling rack

Cook's Note:  While I adore these rolls made with caraway seeds, I have made them using fennel seeds, to serve with my Greek lamb and feta cheese sandwiches, and they turned out equally delicious!

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2011)