Sourdough Dinner Rolls or Bread

Making bread can be time consuming and a little work but it is oh, so satisfying! From the time when you smell that wonderful aroma of bread baking in the oven to when you bite into that warm roll slathered with butter. Nothing quite like it in my book!

Last week we made a Sourdough Starter. This Starter is what I use as the basis for any rolls, bread loaves or even sweet rolls that I make. The Starter serves as the activator to make the bread rise.

To use the Starter, remove it from the refrig. Place in a bowl, cover with a cloth, and let it work in a warm area for at least 8 hrs. (I let mine sit overnight.)


Your Starter will need to be 'fed' the day before it is used. Add 2 cps lukewarm water and 2 cps flour to the Starter. Leave it to 'work' for 24 hrs. The day after the Starter has been fed, remove 3/4 cps, place back in the crock and return to the refrig. The remainder will be used in a recipe. The portion of the Starter which is used in a recipe is called the Sponge.



DOUGH ~
3 cps Sponge
1 1/2 cps warm milk
2 tspn salt
2 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter (I use bacon fat), melted
6 - 6 1/2 cps all purpose flour

Stir warm milk into Sponge. Add sugar, salt, and butter. Stir. Add flour. Stir well after each addition. The final 1-2 cps flour will have to be kneaded into the dough. Knead until the dough is elastic but not too stiff. Place in a floured bowl and cover with a cloth. Place in a warm area and let rise until double.


At this time, the dough can be divided between two loaf pans or made into small balls for dinner rolls (makes 32 dinner rolls). Divide the dough as desired and knead in a small amount of flour until the dough is again elastic but not stiff. Place the dough into greased pans and place in warm area to rise - approx. 1 1/2 hr. Preheat oven to 350deg. Bake the bread for approx. 45 min. or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and smear butter on top of the bread. Remove the bread from the pans once the butter has soaked into the top (this prevents the bottom from becoming soggy). Enjoy!