Making bread and pastries is a great love of mine. I love working with dough, and find great pleasure in kneading and shaping it.
These intricate little knots are simple to prepare, yet wonderfully soft and aromatic. Deliciously fragrant, these are just perfect on their own, or with a dipping sauce.
Like many of my breads, these do not have much oil in them; they are a bit on the lean side, so they are the best when they are fresh, on the same day. If you do happen to have some that are left for the next day, you can use them to make little garlic breads.
Ingredients
300 grams plain flour
50 grams rye flour
20 grams fresh yeast
210 millilitres warm water
35 millilitres vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves
15 grams granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
Preparation
Take a medium bowl, crumble in the fresh yeast, add in the granulated sugar and the warm water, mix well, and set it aside for about 10 minutes so the yeast can activate. Meanwhile, sift the flours into a large bowl, add in the salt, and blend well. Take a small blender, add in the oil and the garlic, and blend until emulsified. Alternatively, mince the garlic, or put it through a press, and then mix with the oil. Once the yeast is ready, make a little well in the centre of the flour, pour in the yeast, as well as the oil and garlic, and mix with a wooden spoon until a very soft dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead it by hand for about 5 minutes or so, until it becomes supple and smooth. If it is sticking too much to your hands or the surface, feel free to add a bit more flour. Place the dough into a large bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rise for about an hour, in a warm spot.
Take the risen dough out of the bowl and knead it gently, and then divide it into sixteen equal parts. This is best done by weight. Roll each part into an oval, make long cuts from one end to the other, then roll them up, and create a nice little coil. This is optional, but they look pretty. Arrange them on a large baking sheet lined with baking parchment, cover them with a clean cloth, and let them rest and rise for about 30 minutes.
Just before baking, mist them generously with cold water, and bake in a preheated oven, at 200˚C, for about 10-12 minutes, or until browned. Serve immediately. Yields 16 rolls.
