Crusty Cornstalk Rolls

We’re playing in flour again for our Gourmet bread challenge. This week I decided to make the crusty cornstalk rolls, which are reminiscent of an epi and only slightly different in shape. An epi resembles a stalk of wheat, and a cornstalk should suggest a stalk of corn with the ears hanging on it. With an epi, you cut on a diagonal from above the dough, but with a cornstalk you cut on a diagonal from the side. The cornstalk shape has a visible center stalk that the rolls stay attached to. No matter which shape I choose, I still find that mine don’t look like the perfectly formed versions I see at professional bakeries, but I keep going back and trying.

This cornstalk recipe has some stone ground cornmeal, giving the rolls an interesting twist of flavor and texture. We liked the crusty exterior and the chewy interior, and the whole thing was gone by the end of dinner. The boys enjoyed them with butter slathered on, but Michael topped them with some of my jalapeno jelly and said the combination was perfect.

I have to say I cheated a bit. I got carried away and cut the bread before realizing I had forgotten to move the log into the pan first, so I have to wiggle some parchment underneath it and transfer to the pan. It looked a bit like a snake laying there, but I managed to move the pieces around and get it almost back the way it started. Read more

Rye Onion Walnut Rolls

A good rye is one of my favorite kinds of bread, and I go head over heals for rye rolls. Put a basket of breads or rolls in front of me, and I’ll pick out the rye and whole grains first. I first started trying to make rye bread about 10 years ago, and let’s just say my first attempts resulted in heavy bricks capable of causing sufficient tooth damage to keep our dentist in business for a very long time.

Fortunately I’ve had a little practice since then and these rye walnut rolls flavored with olive oil, sauteed onions, and walnuts turned out delicious. The interior had a tender but slightly chewy texture, and the exterior had some crunch thanks to the egg wash and poppy seeds. Serve them warm and slathered with butter as a side for soups.

The recipe, which is part of our Gourmet February bread baking challenge and BYOB (Bake Your Own Bread) hosted by Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench, starts with sauteing onions in quite a bit of olive oil, then all of it goes into the dough. For a minute or so I had what I thought was the stiffest dough ever kneaded in the history of bread making, but then I realized I had forgotten to add the warm water and honey. It took a little work, but I managed to get it mixed in and then had something that actually felt like dough rather than near-dry cement. Even with that little misstep, the rolls turned out delicious and tender. Read more

Cracked Wheat Knot Rolls

Once again, a small group of bakers is tackling a Gourmet magazine challenge, this time the breads featured in the February issue. The team tackling this fun challenge includes:

Kelly of Sass & Veracity

Judy of No Fear Entertaining

Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen

Courtney of Coco Cooks

Sandy of At The Baker’s Bench (It was her idea this time.)

Me

If the bloggers sound familiar, that’s because we baked a boatload of cookies together back in December. This time around we had six breads to choose from, one per week during February. We’re tying this in with BYOB, aka Bake Your Own Bread, hosted by Sandy. Visit her blog for more information on how that event works.

I chose these cracked wheat knot rolls first because they have some whole wheat flour, plus I like the crunch of cracked wheat and the shape of the rolls. Cracked wheat, similar to bulgur, is a crushed wheat grain that has not been parboiled. It’s not always easy to find and might even be labeled as bulgur because experts do not necessarily agree on the difference, so check any local Indian or Middle Eastern markets for it. If you can’t find it, bulgur makes a fine substitute. Read more