Best Hard Rolls Recipes

CRUSTY HARD ROLLS

Steps:

• The Starter:
• Mix the starter ingredients together until smooth, cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight.
• Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead them together -- by hand, mixer or bread machine, until you've made a soft, somewhat smooth dough; it should be cohesive, but the surface should still be a bit rough. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 3 hours, gently deflating it and turning it over after 1 hour, and again after 2 hours.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased or floured work surface. Divide it into 12 pieces, shape the pieces into balls, and firm them up by rolling them under your lightly cupped fingers on an unfloured work surface. Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover them, and let them rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until they've doubled in size. Refrigerate them for several hours, or overnight.
• Remove the rolls from the refrigerator, and brush them with a wash made of 1/2 cup water mixed with 1 tablespoon egg white (you won't use up all the wash). Slash a 1/4-inch deep cut across the top of each roll, and bake them in a preheated 425°F (220°C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're a deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a wire rack. For an extra-crisp crust, allow them to cool in the turned-off, door-propped-open oven.
• Yield: 12 rolls.

HARD ROLLS (USING A STAND MIXER)

Steps:

• In a large bowl (or your KitchenAid), dissolve yeast with 3/4 cup of the water and sugar. Mix in remaining water, flour, and salt. Mix until dough starts to form. If too sticky, add a bit more flour. Knead for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Put dough into an oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with a clean towel, and let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until doubled in size (about 2 hours).
• Preheat oven to 400°F If you have a baking stone, dust lightly with cornmeal and put into preheated oven. If not, use a cookie sheet. Place a shallow baking pan filled with boiling hot water on bottom of your oven for extra crusty rolls.
• ROLLS: Remove dough to a floured surface. Punch down dough and shape into 4 rolls. Place rolls on a peel (large wooden spatula), also lightly dusted with cornmeal, or on a cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise again for 20 minutes. Slit each roll once and brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with poppy seeds. If on a peel, slide loaves onto stone or tile; otherwise put cookie sheet in oven. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden and baked through.
• NOTE: To check for doneness, thump the bottom; if they sound hollow, they're done.

HEAVENLY HARD ROLLS

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. Stir in water with a spoon until a ragged mass forms and all lose flour is incorporated but don't worry too much about lumps -- similar to mixing biscuit dough. Cover with a damp tea towel and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.
• 2. On a lightly oiled surface, do one stretch-and-fold, working in or discarding any remaining dry lumps of flour, return to bowl, cover and let sit 45 minutes.
• 3. STRETCH-AND-FOLD INSTRUCTIONS: lightly oil a flat surface about 12" x 18" in area. Flop the dough out of the bowl and onto the oiled surface. Use your hands to stretch or gently press the dough into a rectangle. Fold the rectangle of dough in thirds as you would a piece of 8 1/2" x 11" paper to put in a business envelope. Then fold in thirds again the other way. Flop the resulting roll of dough back into the bowl. With each successive stretch-and-fold, the dough with develop more gluten and be harder to stretch.
• 4. Do a second stretch-and-fold, return to bowl, cover and let sit 45 minutes.
• 5. Do a third stretch-and-fold, oil the bowl and return the dough to it, cover and let sit 45 minutes.
• 6. Divide into 12 equal pieces. (The scale can again be useful here.) Gently shape into balls and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets for eventual baking. Let rest another 20 minutes.
• 7. Preheat the oven to 375F and make the egg wash by whisking the egg and 1 teaspoon of water together.
• 8. Paint the rolls with an egg wash and optionally, sprinkle with poppy seeds, sesame seeds or other garnish. Wait 2 minutes and repeat egg wash and poppy seeds. Optionally, score a cross in the top with a very sharp knife for decoration.
• 9. Bake for 35 minutes or until they are golden and the interior temperature is 200F. Flip upside down or place on a rack to cool thoroughly before eating.

SEPTIEME HARD ROLLS

Steps:

• Stir together yeast, sugar, and warm water in the bowl of an electric mixer; let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
• In a large bowl, whisk together both flours and salt. With the mixer on low, add half of the flour mixture; mix until well combined. Slowly add enough of the remaining flour mixture to form a sticky dough. Continue kneading with the dough hook, adding remaining flour as necessary, until dough is smooth and completely pulls away from the sides of the bowl (you may have up to 1/2 cup flour left over), about 15 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and continue to knead with your hands to make a smooth ball, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm place until it begins to rise, about 1 hour. Transfer bowl to refrigerator; refrigerate overnight.
• Lightly flour 2 baking sheets; set aside. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, and divide evenly between prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each ball of dough. Let stand at room temperature until doubled in size, about 5 hours. If a skin begins to form on the dough, cover with a clean towel.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly dust dough with flour and transfer to top rack of oven. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes, rotating and switching baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and let rolls cool on baking sheet. Reheat in a 400-degree oven just before serving to crisp and warm through.

MY HARD ROLLS FOR BRATWURST

Steps:

• Mix all dry ingredients except salt well and add water until all of the flour is wetted and there are no lumps.
• Let the dough sit covered for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle the salt over the dough, tip onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 3 minutes until the dough is uniform and somewhat smooth. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
• Stretch and fold the dough letter-style (top to bottom and side to side) and let sit for 30 more min covered.
• Stretch and fold and place dough in fridge overnight covered.
• Next morning, If the dough didn't double in volume, let it sit out until it does.
• Divide into 10 pieces weighing 85 to 88 g each and shape as desired.
• Preheat oven to 450 F with a pan for steaming at the bottom of the oven.
• Cover dough with oiled plastic and let proof until it's 1.5 to twice it's volume.
• Brush on egg wash if desired and score once down the middle.
• Add 1 cup of hot water to the steam pan (careful not to splash it) and bake for 7 minutes. Turn the pan and bake for 7 more minutes or until 200F internally.

CRUSTY EUROPEAN-STYLE HARD ROLLS

Steps:

• 1) To make the starter: Mix the starter ingredients together until smooth, cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight. 2) Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead them together - by hand, mixer or bread machine - until you've made a soft, somewhat smooth dough; it should be cohesive, but the surface may still be a bit rough. It may also stick to the bowl just the tiniest bit. 3) Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 3 hours, gently deflating it and turning it over after 1 hour, and again after 2 hours. 4) Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface. Divide it into 12 pieces, shape the pieces into balls, and firm them up by rolling them under your lightly cupped fingers. 5) Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover them, and let them rise for 1 to 2 hours, until they're puffy, though not doubled in size. They'll flatten out a bit as they rise; that's OK. 6) Cover the rolls, and refrigerate them for 2 to 3 hours. Towards the end of the rolls' chill, preheat the oven to 425°F. 7) Whisk together the egg white and water until frothy. Remove the rolls from the refrigerator, and brush them with the wash; you won't use it all up. Again, don't be discouraged if the rolls seem a bit flat; they'll pick up when the hit the oven's heat. 8) Slash a 1/4" deep cut across the top of each roll. Immediately put the rolls into the oven. 9) Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're a deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack. Or, for best crunch, open the oven door, and allow the rolls to cool in the turned-off, open-door oven.

VIENNA HARD ROLLS

Steps:

• Mix warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Allow to stand until yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Add to the yeast, next 1 cup water, sugar, salt and shortening. Stir well.
• Continuing to stir, add next 2 to 2 1/2 cups of flour. Mix until thoroughly blended.
• Fold the beaten whites into the soft dough. The dough will be very wet and sticky at this point and have a "blob-like" consistency.
• Gently stir in the flour for stiffening, use more or less as needed, until dough is still soft but no longer wet.
• Sprinkle part of the kneading flour on a cool, flat surface. Turn dough out, sprinkle with flour and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle remaining flour over the surface of the dough as you knead until all stickiness is gone.
• Oil a large bowl well, turn dough into bowl, coat with oil and cover with a muslic cloth.
• Let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until double.
• Push the risen dough down gently in the middle, let sit for a few minutes, then turn out onto a clean, cool surface and knead very gently for about a minutes. The dough will change consistency just a little in that time. Don't add any more flour and don't overwork the dough.
• Let the dough rise again for another hour, until doubled.
• Again, press the dough gently, don't punch it. Let it rest for about 5 minutes then turn out on a clean surface. Divide into whatever portions you need, 6 for long "hoagie-type" rolls, 12 for smaller 2 1/2 buns.
• Form dough as desired.
• Let the formed dough rest on the work surface, covered with a clean towel for up to 10 minutes, while preparing cookie sheets. Transfer dough to baking sheets which have been dusted with cornmeal. Cover with cloth and let rise for another hour, until doubled.
• While your dough is resting, preheat oven to 425.
• Put a 13 x 9 inch metal (DON'T USE GLASS!) baking pan on the bottom rack of the oven while preheating.
• When oven is hot, pouring boiling water into pan in bottom of oven and immediately place a baking sheet of rolls onto the middle rack.
• Lightly beat the yolks and milk, set aside.
• After rolls have "popped", brush the tops with the yolk/milk mixture, return to oven.
• Bake at 425 until golden brown and crusty, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

HARD ROLLS

Steps:

• 1. I use grams because it's a more accurate measurement. For example, 500 grams is 17.637 oz. Also, I measure by weight because volume can be inconsistent and product results can vary. Beat the two egg whites to stiff peaks, set aside to be folded into the dough later.
• 2. Salt can inhibit the yeast if it comes into direct contact with it. I always add the salt on the opposite side of the bowl from where I'm adding the yeast. This makes sure the yeast will mix with the flour before coming into contact with the salt.
• 3. Start by putting the flour, yeast, salt, malt (optional), and shortening into a mixing bowl.
• 4. Mix adding water a little at a time until all ingredients are incorporated.
• 5. Fold in beaten egg whites. If the dough is too wet, add a little flour. Same with too dry, add a little water. Small increments work best. Knead dough until it is smooth and glossy. This takes about 8 to 10 minutes in a stand mixer. If kneading by hand, this will take significantly longer. If using a stand mixer, after 5 minutes, keep checking the dough every few minutes to test the gluten's strength. The dough should be stretchy and soft with some pullback. If it's not smooth and silky, keep kneading. Over kneading, however, will make the rolls tough and hard to chew.
• 6. If you are kneading by hand, I find that buttered hands and counter facilitate a better dough than a floured surface. This will prevent too much flour from being worked into the dough. If this happens, the dough will be dense and heavy.
• 7. (Note: Before adding your dough to your oiled bowl, place it on a scale and zero it. Then place the dough in it. This will give you the weight of the dough. Just divide by how many rolls you want to make. You should be able to get 12 rolls from this recipe.) Once the dough is ready, place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap (coat with a non-stick spray or oil before covering the bowl), it's better to leave the dough in the refrigerator overnight to develop flavor.
• 8. If you don't have time to wait for the dough, let it sit at room temperature for about 40 minutes or until it has doubled in size. Overproofing will result in flat rolls. If your kitchen is too warm, the dough will overproof and will not rise in the oven while baking.
• 9. Gently remove the dough from the bowl onto an oiled surface. I don't bother to punch it down. Cut the dough in quarters, once the dough is in manageable pieces then you can cut off about 85g or 3oz chunks. I use a scale to make sure I don't end up with a tiny roll when I'm finished with the rest.
• 10. Take each piece of dough and hold in both hands, fingers pointing away from you. Curl your fingers into the dough and fold it into itself. Do this over and over again until a smooth skin appears on the outside, it won't take much effort to get the desired texture. You will feel the dough firming up from being manipulated and the gluten strands stretched. It won't be completely smooth because it will have air bubbles in it. Fold the dough into a vague football shape and place on parchment paper or non-stick pan. Cover and leave at room temperature to proof a second time for about half an hour.
• 11. This last part is super important if you want the crunchy hard roll consistency. If this part isn't done right, then all you have are just bread rolls.
• 12. Place a pan filled with about 6 cups of water in the bottom of the oven. I use a disposable aluminum pan for this. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F for a minimum of 15 minutes. The water will start to boil and build up steam in the oven. Keep an eye on the water level!
• 13. While the oven is preheating, take a very sharp knife or a razor and gently make a slit in the top of each roll. This breaks the surface tension and allows the roll to expand.
• 14. Take the remaining egg white and whisk it with about a tablespoon of water or milk and a pinch or two of salt. I never measure this part so, whatever looks good. I add salt because I like the skin to be just a little salty. Using a pastry brush, brush each roll with the egg wash. Make sure you get the whole surface area.
• 15. Reduce heat to 425 degrees and place the tray of rolls into the oven being careful not to allow too much steam to escape. I generally cook one pan of rolls at a time to allow plenty of air movement in the oven.
• 16. If you have a cast-iron skillet or pan that can take the heat without being ruined, then place that on the bottom of the oven instead. Then after placing the rolls in throw a handful of large ice cubes into the pan. (I don't do this because, sadly, my icemaker is no longer amongst the living.)
• 17. Between batches of rolls, make sure to bring the temperature back up to 475 degrees and build up the steam again. The high temperature and the steam are what creates the crust on the hard rolls. Don't forget to lower the temperature again or you'll have hockey pucks instead of rolls!
• 18. Bake the rolls between 15 to 18 minutes depending upon your oven and what type of pan you are using. Dark pans cook faster than light ones. I can't tell you how many times I burned something because the recipe was written for use with a light-colored pan. I don't like using the dark pans anymore so this recipe is definitely written for the light-colored ones.
• 19. Surprisingly enough, this dough makes very good donuts too. I found out by accident when I had just a little dough leftover. I had a pan full of oil leftover from something else so I heated it up and made little donut holes. Rolled them in sugar and Bingo! My kids really liked them and they are some very tough critics!

PARMESAN CHEESE HARD ROLLS

Steps:

• Preheat broiler to high.
• Split each roll in half sandwich-style. Brush with equal amounts of melted butter. Sprinkle each roll half with 2 teaspoons grated cheese.
• Arrange roll halves on a baking sheet, cut side up. Place under broiler several inches from the source of heat and broil until golden brown on top, 2 minutes or longer.

BROCHEN(GERMAN HARD ROLLS)

Steps:

• 1. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. In mixing bowl combine yeast, 1 cup water, salt and shortening. Fold in stiffly beaten egg white. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Let dough rise twice until doubled, punch down and let rise again. Punch down and divide in 10-12 pieces. Form into slightly flattened balls and place on greased baking sheet.
• 2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and bake 20 minutes. To ensure a hard crust, place pan with boiling water in bottom of oven during baking. Serve warm with jam, or cold.

HARD OR VIENNA ROLLS

Steps:

• Sift flour (can substitute 1/2 with bread flour) Dissolve dry yeast in 1/4 HOT (105-115*) water for 3-5 minutes. Combine 1 cup warm water, sugar, salt shortening and the dissolved yeast mixture. Fold in beaten egg whites thoroghly but lightly. Add enough of the sifted flour to make a soft dough. To knead and proof. Allow the dough to rise twice. Aftet hte second rising punch down and knead about 1 minute. Then let rest, covered about 10 minutes before shaping into 12 oblong pieces. Place them about 3 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. To ensure a hard crust, have in the oven a 9 x 13 inch pan filled with 1/2 inch boiling water. Bake at once in a opreheaded 450* oven about 20 mintues or until golden brown.