Italian Bread Rolls

The more I learn about cooking or maybe the more experience I have, the easier it becomes to pull a whole meal together.  But the success of a meal comes with the planning.  I am very into themes so the meal has to make sense from beginning to end.  

I had planned on spaghetti marinara with meatballs.  So of course my bread had to be Italian Bread.  I wanted to make these like they are in the restaurants – the long rolls.  I think I did that but you might say mine were on steroids.  

I got the soft inside and the crusty exterior.  You spritz the bread 3 times in the early stages of the baking to get the hard crust.

Ingredients
2 cups water, lukewarm
1 3/4 ounces cake yeast 
5 3/4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten (I mistakenly added an egg white to the flour mixture)

Directions
Place the water and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes. Using a dough hook attachment, add the flour and sugar to the water and mix on low speed until a dough starts to form. Drizzle the oil and salt into the dough and beat on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a smooth, firm, elastic dough is formed.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and spray the dough with a thin coating of cooking spray with flour. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm corner for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. Remove the plastic wrap, punch down and flatten the rounded dough with your knuckles. Roll the dough up tightly with your palms. Keep rolling until you get an even log from end to end.  The dough should be elongated and oval-shaped, with tapered and rounded (not pointed) ends.

 

 

Preheat the oven lined with a pizza stone to 425 degrees F. Alternately, an inverted baking sheet may be used in place of a pizza stone.

 

Place the dough on a baker’s peel heavily dusted with semolina flour, or cornmeal, or alternately on an inverted baking sheet. Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a damp towel, for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Brush the dough with the egg white. This quantity of flour makes to loaves.

Spray the dough generously with water from a water bottle and place in the oven on the baking stone. Immediately close the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Open the oven door and spray the dough again with the water bottle. Close the oven door and bake for an additional 3 minutes before spraying the dough for a third time (the spraying of the dough will ensure a crisp golden brown crust). Bake the dough for 30 more minutes, or until a hollow thud is heard when the bread is whacked on the bottom. Allow the bread to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!