How to make Soft Bread Rolls

During the winter months we tend to stick a vat of soup on top of our wood burner first thing in the morning and let it burble gently away for 7 hours or so.  What better to go with a warming winter soup than freshly made soft bread rolls, still warm from the oven smothered in butter and then dunked in the soup.  Here's how to make them.

Instructions for Six Rolls

Make up a batch of easy bread dough.  Knead the dough for about 10 minutes.  Basically, grab an edge with the thumb and forefinger of one hand, fold it over and then press it down and away from you with the heel of the other hand.  keep doing this until you have almost turned the entire lump of dough inside out.  If it's too wet, as it invariably is, sprinkle more flour on top between kneads, if too dry add more water.  Ensure you keep your hands covered in flour, not for the dough of course, but for spreading around every work surface and piece of clothing just to keep K interested...how she smiles ruefully.   When the dough is lovely and smooth, dump it back in the bowl, cover with a cloth and leave for half an hour, it should just about double in size...time to sniff the soup and see how it's going then grab a glass of home made hooch on the way back.

After half an hour scrape it gently out of the bowl without knocking it back and stretch into a log.  Cut the log with a chainsaw or a plastic blade, whichever is easier, into 6 lumps or more if you want smaller rolls.  Lightly oil a baking tray, and by that we mean drizzle some oil in the tin then wipe round with kitchen roll, do not create a friggin lake. Then position the lumps of dough as shown, basically push them together in a nice shape.  

Leave them for ten minutes and get your oven pre-heated to 220c. Glug back a glass of wine, check the soup again and then plonk the tray in the oven for 10 minutes. Take them off the tray in one lump and place back in the oven for another 3 or 4 minutes to brown the bottoms then remove. Check they are done by doing a quick fondle then let them rest on a wire rack. Leave as long as you dare before breaking them apart, smothering with butter, dunking in the soup and smacking lips. Be aware that the six rolls are the equivalent of a whole loaf of bread (half Kilo) so if you eat the lot you will be waddling around and farting for close to 12 hours....effin worth it though.