# Bread troubles



## chipperi (Feb 17, 2009)

I love fresh baked dinner rolls. However I seem to suck at making them. They always seem to come out too dense, not soft and pillow like. What am I doing wrong? I follow every recipe to the T and no luck.


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## bettyr (Feb 18, 2007)

Thy these rolls...they are always good.



Sweet Dinner Rolls
Source – Allrecipes.com - Donna West

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 
1/2 cup warm milk 
1 egg 
1/3 cup butter, softened 
1/3 cup white sugar 
1 teaspoon salt 
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast 
1/4 cup butter, softened 

Place water, milk, egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough/Knead and First Rise Cycle; press Start. 

When cycle finishes, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour. 

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees 
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.


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## ampitup (Dec 11, 2008)

Here is the recipe you should try if you love dinner rolls. There is nothing better to see at a table right when you sit down to eat than fresh dinner rolls. Try this recipe out and let me know what you think i took a regular recipe and modified a little bit. Enjoy

Ingredients

2 cups water (1050115)
2 yeast packets
pinch granulated sugar
8-81/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp salt
5 eggs
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup vegetable oil
Steps

Mix 1 cup water with the yeast and the sugar and let it sit for about 5-10 mins or til its proofed.
Mix together yeast mixture, 1cup flour, 1cup water, honey, vegetable oil and salt. Keep adding the flour in 1cup at a time until your about 2/3 done. Then put the dough out on a floured top and start kneading in the rest of th e dough.
Let it rise in a warm place until double in size then punch back down and let rise again.
Divide the dough into 24 rolls and let double in size
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 18-20mins. I'm pretty sure of the baking time on this but just watch them. You can also put an egg wash mixture on top of these before you bake them.
Egg Wash Mixture

1 egg + 1 tbsp water (or milk, cream)


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## chalkdust (Feb 18, 2009)

this recipe looks really good but I have not tried it yet.

http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/pastr...ner-rolls.html

now if you are not freaked out by deep frying bread, i can also give you some recipes for bakes like you will find in some West Indian countries.

they can be quite exquisite if done properly, not as greasy as you would think and very addicting

 *Bakes 
*

*Ingredients*

 2 cups flour
2 tsp double-acting baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp lard, chilled and cut into ¼ inch bits
2 tsp sugar dissolved in ¼ cup of cold water
Vegetable oil for frying
*Preparation*


Sift the flour, baking power and salt together into a deep bowl and add the lard.
Working quickly, use your fingertips to rub the flour and lard together until it looks like grains of coarse meal.
Pour in the sugar and water mixture all at once, toss together and gather the dough into a ball. If the dough crumbles add a little more cold water, a teaspoon or so at a time, until the particles adhere.
For each biscuit, pinch off about 2 tablespoons of dough and pat into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a round about 3 inches in diameter and ¼ inch thick.
Pour oil into a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet to a depth of about ¼ inch, and heat until it is hot but not smoking.
Fry the bakes, four or five at a time for about 3 minutes on each side, turning them with a slotted spoon, and regulating the heat so that they colour richly and evenly without burning.
As they brown, transfer them to brown paper to drain. Serve the bakes warm, or at room temperature, with butter or cheese.
Makes about 9, 3-inch bakes.
*Bakes - Alternative Recipe*

_Recipe compliments of "A Taste of Guyana" - Dr. Odeen Ishmael._
*Ingredients*


2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp margarine
½ teaspoon salt
2 tsp sugar
2 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup water
Oil for frying
*Preparation*


Sift flour and baking powder.
Rub in margarine, salt, and sugar.
Combine mixture with eggs, milk, and enough water to make a soft pliable dough. Knead.
Break off pieces of dough. Roll into balls. Flatten into circles about a quarter of an inch thick and 4 inches in diameter, or the size of a small or medium-sized pizza, and cut into 8 triangles for a prettier look.
Fry bakes in hot oil until golden. Drain.
_Note: Best served with fried salt-fish._


the above recipes come from Guyana Outpost: Wayne's Guyana Page

here is a trini recipe (an d a pic of a bake and shark sandwhich)










*For Bake:*

2 cups flour ( all purpose)
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp yeast
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 cups water
oil for frying

_Mix the ingredients for the bake and leave to rest for 30 minutes._

_ake balls about three inches in diameter_. _
Then flatten out to about 1/4 of an inch thick_.
_You can vary the size according to how large or
small you want your fry bake to come out._

_Fry on both sides until golden brown._ _Notice how it swells_










and here is a final recipe for the trini style bake, follow the same instructions as when making the above trini style bake recipe

*Fry Bake:*
3½ cups flour
½ cup wheat flour
4-5 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1½ cups water or slightly more
1 tbsp. sugar
Oil for frying (bake)










the above tWO recipes and pics come from Simply Trini Cooking

on all these recipes knead dough until smooth about 10 minutes or less

and rest at least 30 minutes

handle as little as possible when ready to fry

in general with htis type of thing, handling needs to be followed by a resting time. handling does something to the gluten which will toughen breads and keep them from being the texture you desire

when frying u ahve to turn them once...



















a recipe from www.trinigourmet.com ...

*Float (Fried Bake)*
4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
water
oil for frying

same method as before

remember when making bakes to turn once while frying


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

The problem isn't the recipe, but in the handling of the dough -- specifically in the kneading or final proofing stages. 

From your description of the results, I suspect you're too enthusiastic when you "punch" the dough down before roll formation, and use too firm a hand (or too much pressure on your pin) when you form the rolls. Leave the dough as soft and pillowy as possible through these steps, and you'll be rewarded with soft, pillowy rolls. 

Another thought which arises from "following the recipe to a 'T'" is that you're proofing the bread by the clock rather than by volume -- and overproofing before you punch (too far) down. That would make the problem worse. 

Be gentle darling,
BDL


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## chalkdust (Feb 18, 2009)

i agree. u need to handle less and rest after a big handling session.


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