If you search through the bread recipes on this site, you will see that it maps out my quest to bake fresh bread without too much effort. I am not one who is going to carefully nurse starters or delicately knead and form stylish loafs of artisan breads. The mysteries of yeast sometimes elude me. I love a shortcut, but I do love the smell of fresh bread baking and the sense of accomplishment of serving a basket of warm bread that I made my own self, so I am always intrigued by easy ideas. I shared my simple method of Super Simple Focaccia a while ago, and this is a take on that idea. Individual muffin tin dinner rolls look gorgeous piled in a pretty basket, and a dozen rolls passed around can be a little tidier to serve than a tear-and-share pan version. The zippy herb and garlic topping adds interest and a nice pop pf flavor.
I love the Italianate flavors of rosemary and oregano in this recipe, but of course you can vary the herbs to your taste and menu. I think a dose of cracked black pepper would be a nice touch. You can easily mix up these rolls, set them to rise and have the bowl washed and put away before guests arrive and just pop them in the oven.
- 7 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 package (1/4 ounce) package quick rise yeast
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- Flaky sea salt
- Place 5 Tablespoons of the olive oil in a small saucepan with 1 Tablespoon rosemary, 1 Tablespoon of oregano and the garlic clove. Heat over medium heat until shimmering, then remove from the heat and set aside.
- Place the yeast, sugar, salt and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Leave for about 5 minutes until the yeast starts to foam. Add the flour, remaining 2 Tablespoon olive oil and the remaining herbs and beat for about 2 minutes until everything is well combined. The dough will be sticky.
- Divide the dough evenly between twelve regular muffin cups. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. When the roll dough has risen, remove the garlic clove from the seasoned oil then spoon it evenly over the rolls, making sure to distribute the chopped herbs evenly. Sprinkle the tops of the rolls with flaky sea salt, then bake until golden and firm, about 20 - 25 minutes. Place a sheet pan on a lower rack in the oven under the pan in case any oil bubbles over. Let the cooked rolls sit for about 5 minutes, then use a dull knife to loosen from the tins and remove.
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