Soft White Bread Rolls

Soft White Bread Rolls are certainly one of the most versatile varieties of bread you can make. They are equally perfect alongside a steaming bowl of soup, filled with egg and cress for a seaside picnic, or stuffed with a succulent pork burger and red cabbage slaw. This recipe for white bread rolls is so simple and flavourful that you’d happily consume all 8 with half a pound of butter and nothing more.

There are several characteristics you should always be looking to achieve when making plain white bread rolls, like the ones you had at home when you were a child. Firstly, they should have a relatively close texture; dense, but not heavy. Secondly, they should be soft throughout; a crust there should not be. Finally – and unlike those from your youth – your homemade white bread rolls should be rich and delicious, even alone.

The key ingredient in this recipe is the butter. The fat content of butter softens and enriches – just as you’d expect. Though not brioche, the buttery flavour and texture of these rolls is certainly reminiscent of the popular French breakfast bread and can even be enjoyed in a similar way. Spread them with nutella or strawberry jam and you’ll see just what I mean.

For a good idea about what to put in your freshly made soft white bread rolls see my quick and simple recipe for Pork and Apple Burgers…

Soft White Bread Rolls

Makes 8

Ingredients:

• 500g white bread flour
• 7g sachet of fast-action yeast
• ½ tsp salt
• 50g salted butter
• 250ml warm water
• 50ml warm whole milk
• 1 tbsp honey
• flour for dusting/kneading

Method:

1. Tip the flour and yeast into a large mixing bowl and combine. Stir through the salt. Rub the butter into the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
2. In a measuring jug, mix together the water, milk and honey. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the contents of the jug. Bring the dough together with metal spoon.
3. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes until smooth and elastic.
4. Pop the kneaded dough into a clean and lightly oiled mixing bowl, cover and set in a warm place for 1 ½ hours.
5. Tip the dough back onto the floured surface and knock back. Divide into 8 equal balls and arrange on a baking tray, placing them close together in 2 rows. Cover the dough and return to a warm place to prove until doubled in size (30 mins to 1 hour).
6. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C(fan). Once proved,dust the uncooked rolls with flour and bake for 8-12 minutes until golden brown.
7. You can eat the rolls when slightly warm or, if saving for later transfer them to a wire rack to avoid soggy bottoms. Best served with a hunk of butter.

Cost: Though these are very rich, delicious rolls, the recipe is very simple. Quick to make and only faintly extravagant, these soft white bread rolls should set you back only £1.20. Supermarket baps may be slightly cheaper, but they’ll never be this good…