This article can also be found in
Aetherflow – Winter 2018
A round Ishgardian bread first made by Halonic monastics who, when brewing ale, would add barm and leftover malt to their daily loaves.
Nothing beats the smell of freshly baked bread in the house. A versatile staple; it can be the canvas of your next sandwich creation or a simple side dish in your 70-course meal. And it’s so cheap and easy to make! You can even prepare them a day ahead, if you like.
You will need
330 grams (bread) flour (approx. 3 cups)
10 grams of active dry yeast (approx. 3 tsp.)
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 Tb. sugar
165 ml lukewarm water (approx. ¾ cup)
More water for brushing and while baking
To prepare the dough, simply mix all the ingredients together and knead it until it is no longer sticky, at least for 10 minutes. Bread dough is actually a great way to vent off any resentment you’ve been bottling up over the entire year punch it, bang it on the counter, stretch it until it tears! The more aggressively you treat it, the fluffier it will become.
Keep kneading the dough thoroughly, until it’s elastic and slightly springs back when you touch it. Try it, it’s like poking lalafells, with the only difference being that bread dough won’t bite your the finger or kick you in the shin.
After all that kneading, it’s time for both you and the dough to rest. Use a clean kitchen towel as a blanket and let it sleep for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (approx. 390°F) and wake up the sleeping beauty by giving it another kneading massage. Divide the dough into little balls of approx. 80 grams (~3 oz.) each.
It’s time to bring these little buns in shape! First, you flatten your dough ball with your hand. Then fold the outer edges into the center. Flip your creation and gently massage the dough between your thumb and the rest of your finger, slowly pulling the dough towards the center.
Why the hassle? Well, you could also just roll them any way you like, but by adhering to the (slightly weird) process described above, you create tension. This will allow the rolls to remain round and not take on weird shapes while expanding in the oven.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment and put your rolls on it, keeping a slight distance from each other. Brush the rolls with water and cut an X on the top with a sharp knife. Fill an oven-proof bowl with water and put it at the bottom of your oven. Bake your rolls for about 20-30 minutes, until they are a golden brown color.
If you want to serve the rolls the next day, reduce baking time to 10 minutes and let cool down completely. On the next day, brush rolls again with water, pop in the oven and bake for another 12 minutes or until golden brown.
