There is nothing better than fresh bread right out of the oven. It's intoxicating - and by far one of my biggest weaknesses. As I have gotten more into baking breads I have been trying to come up with unique recipes that will go with a wide array of meals. In this house we eat a lot of Italian, so I wanted to stay within that flavor profile. The topping on these rolls is the same as on my focaccia recipe, but the dough is different. This dough is super light and airy and just melts in your mouth. This would be a great bread to make as a compliment to your next family dinner. Thanks for following along~ LC
As always start by gathering up your ingredients. If you don't have finely grated Parmesan, start grating so that you have 1/4 cup ready to go.
Start off preparing the garlic herb oil that you will brush on prior to baking. You want the garlic and herbs to sit in the oil so they can infuse. Next, combine the flour, Italian herbs, yeast, garlic powder, salt and grated Parmesan cheese. Pour the water and olive oil into the dry ingredients.
Combine wet and dry ingredients. Dough will be shaggy, turn out onto a floured surface and knead. If it's a humid day you will most likely need to add more flour - this is the step to do it in. Flour your hands, and add flour one tablespoon at a time. Knead until dough is soft and smooth. Form into a ball and put back in the bowl, cover and place in a warm spot to rise for one hour.
Now that your dough has gone through the first rise, prepare for the second. Using a pastry brush, coat a 9x13 pan with olive oil. As you can see above the dough has risen nicely, this was in a Pyrex 2.5Qt bowl. Break into 12 even sized pieces and form into balls. Cover, and leave to proof again for about another hour. Preheat oven to 375 to prepare for baking.
After the second rise, gently brush the tops with the garlic herb oil. Once that is complete, sprinkle generously with a flaky sea salt. This will make a huge difference in the overall outcome. If you don't have flaky sea salt you can substitute in coarse kosher salt.
Let cool slightly before separating. Enjoy!
Italian Herb Rolls
3 cups bread flour
1 Tbsp instant yeast
2 tsp Italian herbs, divided
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ cup finely grated parmesan
1 ¼ cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
3 ½ Tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more for greasing pan
1 garlic clove (if they are small use two)
Sea salt
1. Cut garlic in quarters, combine with 1 tsp Italian herbs and 2 Tbsp olive oil. Reserve on side for brushing rolls prior to baking.
2. Combine flour, yeast, 1 tsp Italian herbs, kosher salt, garlic powder and grated Parmesan. Add in water and 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil. Mix to combine, then knead on a lightly floured surface until dough is soft and smooth. If dough is too sticky, add more flour 1 Tbsp at a time. Place dough ball back in bowl and cover, allow to proof in a warm spot for 1 hour.
3. Coat a 9x13 glass dish with olive oil using a pastry brush. Gently remove dough from bowl and break into 12 balls, space evenly in dish. Cover and let rise again for 1 hour in a warm spot. At this time, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. Once dough has risen for the second time, brush lightly with the garlic herb olive oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Bake at 375 for 25-27 minutes until lightly golden brown. Enjoy!