The past few weeks has my darling mother obsessing over baking bread. We have gone through kilos of flour and packets of yeast, and our burgeoning love handles are proof of their successes. While a loaf bakes, another batch is set to rise, and so on. My house centres around the dining table, a haven for conversation, laughter and many debates – and since the arrival of these breads have taken over the table while we silently chew and relish each bite… most of the times.
And I didn’t want to be left behind – my mother and I usually have some sort of healthy competition around the house!
These bread rolls are gorgeous, ridiculously easy and knead in warm milk; there is something very 50s about them when freshly baked dinner rolls were the standard in every American home.
As I had a ton of fresh herbs and these power-packed Thai red chillies, I threw them into the dough. You can use fresh coriander and mint leaves in replacement.
The original recipe had less milk, more water, less rising time, but I frayed far, left these to rise overnight for maximum effect, and I also added olive oil for depth and well, it’s olive oil.
I imagine it’d be all right to declare these foolproof bread rolls. Enjoy! 
The Recipe
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh herbs and sliced red chillies
- extra olive oil to brush
Instructions
- Warm the milk slightly, just enough that your finger doesn’t burn.
- Add the yeast and sugar and set aside for 15 minutes to activate.
- With a fork stir the flour and salt together and make a well in the center.
- Add the milk mixture, herbs and olive oil and knead for 15 minutes to form a soft dough.
- Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a bread cloth and place in a warm place for at least 2 hours or until it doubles.
- Punch down the dough and knead for a few more minutes.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal sized balls.
- Place in a greased baking tin.
- Cover with the bread cloth and set aside for an hour, in a warm place.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Place the tin in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Open the oven and brush some olive oil on top of the buns.
- Bake for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
