Rolls, Buns and Savoury Loaves
Cooking Skills: Bread 1
Chapter 6 · Rolls, Buns and Savoury Loaves
Skill goal
Divide dough evenly, glaze for the crust you want and add fillings without spoiling the rise.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Once you can make a good dough, you can turn it into almost anything: rolls, buns and loaves filled with cheese, herbs, seeds or olives. The skills are dividing evenly, adding extras without spoiling the dough, and glazing for a good crust.
Dividing and shaping
- Weigh the whole dough, divide by the number of rolls and weigh each piece.
- Shape into tight balls: cup your hand over the dough on an unfloured surface and move it in small circles until smooth and taut.
- Space them out: about 3 cm apart for crusty rolls, or touching for soft pull-apart rolls.
- Bake the same size together, because small rolls bake faster than large ones.
Glazes
| Glaze | Result |
|---|---|
| None, dusted with flour | Rustic, matt, floury crust |
| Water | Crisp, light crust (good for seeds to stick) |
| Milk | Soft, lightly golden crust |
| Beaten egg (Lion-marked) | Deep golden, glossy crust |
| Egg with a little milk | Golden and glossy, less rich |
| Melted butter after baking | Soft, shiny, buttery crust |
Adding flavours
- Dry additions (herbs, spices, grated cheese): knead them in late, so they don't tear the gluten.
- Seeds and grains: soak most of them first so they don't dry out the dough.
- Wet additions (onion, olives, tomatoes): dry them well, and cool anything cooked.
- Sugar and fat: a little makes bread softer. A lot slows the yeast, so enriched doughs rise more slowly.
Fillings and keeping
Cool the fillings: any cooked ingredient (such as softened onion) must be fully cold before it goes into the dough, because heat kills the yeast and can start the dough cooking.Keeping bread with cheese or egg: bread with cheese, or glazed with egg, is best eaten within about 2 days; keep it covered, and in the fridge if the room is warm. Throw it away if it grows mould.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Soft rolls
Milk, butter and sugar make a softer crumb and a golden crust. Weigh the dough and divide it evenly.
Ingredients (10 portions)
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- 1 sachet (7 g) sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 10 g fine salt
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 50 g butter, softened
- 300 ml lukewarm milk
- 1 egg, beaten, for glazing
- Mix the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Rub in the butter, then add the milk and mix to a soft dough. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Cover and prove for about 1 hour until doubled.
- Weigh the dough and divide into 10 equal pieces. Shape each into a tight ball and place on a lined tray, 3 cm apart. Cover and prove for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Brush the rolls with beaten egg.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until deep golden and hollow underneath. Cool on a rack.
Egg glaze and allergens
Egg glaze: use eggs with the British Lion mark and wash your hands after handling raw egg; the glaze is baked fully. Allergens: bread contains wheat (gluten). Check the recipe for milk, butter, egg, sesame and other seeds, and nuts, and label them if you share the bread. Gluten-free bread uses different flours and methods and isn't covered in this course.
Level 2 · Savoury
Cheese and herb loaf
Cheese and herbs make a lovely loaf for soup. Fold most of the cheese in near the end of kneading, and keep a little for the top.
Ingredients (12 portions)
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- 1 sachet (7 g) sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 10 g fine salt
- 1 tsp English mustard powder
- 320 ml lukewarm water
- 150 g mature cheddar, grated, divided
- 2 tbsp chopped chives or parsley
- Mix the flour, yeast, salt and mustard powder. Add the water and knead for 8 minutes until smooth.
- Flatten the dough, scatter on 100 g of the cheese and the herbs, fold it up and knead for 1 minute to spread them through.
- Prove in an oiled bowl for about 1 hour, until doubled.
- Shape into a loaf and place in an oiled 900 g tin, or shape into a round on a tray. Cover and prove for 30 to 45 minutes. Scatter the rest of the cheese on top.
- Bake at 210°C (190°C fan) for 30 to 35 minutes, covering with foil if the cheese is browning too fast. It should sound hollow underneath. Cool on a rack.
Milk and keeping
Allergens: bread contains wheat (gluten). Check the recipe for milk, butter, egg, sesame and other seeds, and nuts, and label them if you share the bread. Gluten-free bread uses different flours and methods and isn't covered in this course. The cheese adds milk.Keeping bread with cheese or egg: bread with cheese, or glazed with egg, is best eaten within about 2 days; keep it covered, and in the fridge if the room is warm. Throw it away if it grows mould.
Level 2 · Seeds
Seeded rolls
Dry seeds steal water from the dough. Soak most of them first and the rolls stay moist.
Ingredients (8 portions)
- 250 g strong white bread flour
- 250 g strong wholemeal bread flour
- 1 sachet (7 g) sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 10 g fine salt
- 60 g mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, linseed, sesame), plus extra for topping
- 60 ml boiling water for soaking the seeds
- 340 ml lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp honey
- Cover the seeds with the boiling water and leave to cool (about 30 minutes).
- Mix both flours with the yeast and salt. Add the lukewarm water, honey and the cooled soaked seeds (with any water that is left). Knead for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Prove for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Divide into 8 pieces and shape into balls.
- Brush with water and dip the tops into extra seeds. Place on a tray, cover and prove for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Bake at 210°C (190°C fan) for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden and hollow underneath.
Seed allergens
Allergens: bread contains wheat (gluten). Check the recipe for milk, butter, egg, sesame and other seeds, and nuts, and label them if you share the bread. Gluten-free bread uses different flours and methods and isn't covered in this course. Seeds, especially sesame, are a common allergen. Label them clearly if you share the rolls.
Level 3 · Fillings
Olive and onion loaf
Olives and onion are wet, so the dough is stickier. Pat the olives dry, cool the onion completely and fold both in at the end.
Ingredients (12 portions)
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- 1 sachet (7 g) sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 8 g fine salt (olives are salty)
- 320 ml lukewarm water
- 1 onion, finely chopped, softened in oil and fully cooled
- 100 g pitted olives, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano or thyme
- Soften the onion gently in a little oil for 10 minutes until sweet. Cool completely. Pat the olives dry on kitchen paper.
- Mix the flour, yeast, salt, herbs, water and oil and knead for 8 minutes until smooth.
- Press the dough flat, scatter on the onion and olives, fold and knead lightly for 1 minute to spread them. Prove for about 1 hour.
- Shape into a round or oval and place on a lined tray. Cover and prove for 40 minutes.
- Slash the top and bake at 220°C (200°C fan) for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden and hollow underneath. Cool on a rack.
Hot onion and keeping
Cool the fillings: any cooked ingredient (such as softened onion) must be fully cold before it goes into the dough, because heat kills the yeast and can start the dough cooking.Allergens: bread contains wheat (gluten). Check the recipe for milk, butter, egg, sesame and other seeds, and nuts, and label them if you share the bread. Gluten-free bread uses different flours and methods and isn't covered in this course.
Experiments
Experiment
Dough weight
Small, medium or large.
- From one batch of soft roll dough, make rolls of 40 g, 60 g and 100 g. Bake them together and check each at the times in Figure 7.
Look for: The small ones are done first and the large ones need longer, and may be pale outside and raw inside if you take them out together.
Experiment
Glaze
Egg, milk, water or nothing.
- Shape four identical rolls and brush each with a different glaze.
Look for: Egg gives the deepest, glossiest colour; milk gives soft golden; water is crisp; the unglazed roll is pale and matt.
Experiment
Early or late
When to add the cheese.
- Make two small cheese doughs: knead the cheese in at the start in one and fold it in at the end in the other.
Look for: Early kneading breaks the cheese up and can make a slacker dough with streaks. Late folding keeps nice pockets of cheese.
Experiment
Tray spacing
Touching or apart.
- Bake two trays of rolls: one with rolls 4 cm apart and one with rolls touching.
Look for: The spaced rolls get all-round crust and brown evenly. The touching rolls pull apart soft and pale on the sides.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soft rolls | ||||
| Cheese and herb loaf | ||||
| Seeded rolls | ||||
| Olive and onion loaf | ||||
| Dough weight | ||||
| Glaze | ||||
| Early or late | ||||
| Tray spacing |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Dry, tough rolls | Over-baked, or too much flour | Check at the shortest time; use a tacky dough |
| Filling leaks and burns | Added too much, or on the surface | Fold fillings in; keep cheese on top covered with foil if it browns too much |
| Dough won't rise with fillings | Salty, wet or hot additions slowed the yeast | Cool, dry and drain the fillings; prove longer |
| Rolls different sizes | Divided by eye | Weigh each piece |
| Seeds dry and fall off | Not soaked or no glaze | Soak the seeds; brush with water to stick |
| Pale, matt crust | No glaze | Brush with milk, egg or water |
Allergens, eggs and keeping
Allergens: bread contains wheat (gluten). Check the recipe for milk, butter, egg, sesame and other seeds, and nuts, and label them if you share the bread. Gluten-free bread uses different flours and methods and isn't covered in this course.Keeping bread with cheese or egg: bread with cheese, or glazed with egg, is best eaten within about 2 days; keep it covered, and in the fridge if the room is warm. Throw it away if it grows mould.
Raw flour: flour is a raw ingredient and can carry bacteria such as E. coli, which are killed only by baking or cooking. Don't taste raw dough, don't let children eat or play with it, and wash your hands, bowls and surfaces after handling flour and dough.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can divide dough evenly by weight and shape rolls.
- I know which glaze gives which crust.
- I can add cheese, seeds, olives or onion without spoiling the dough.
- I bake rolls of the same size together.
- I label allergens when I share bread.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Bread 1, chapter 7 is Using Up Bread: storing, freezing, refreshing and cooking with stale bread.