Random Recipe 7 - Part 1 - Steve's Easy Cheesy Bread Rolls.

We went back to basics for this month's Random Recipe Challenge.  Dom asked us to randomly choose a cookbook from our whole collection and then randomly choose a recipe - no cheating!

Steve got Annabel Karmel's Mummy and Me Cookbook.  Steve actually uses this book quite a lot despite the obvious sexism in the title - harumpph!  His recipe was Easy Cheesy Bread Rolls.  Now, Steve is the breadmaker in this house so this wasn't exactly a huge challenge for him (I'm secretly hoping he'll get my cakepop book to make something out of sometime - now that WILL be funny!) but you can't go wrong with cheesy rolls in this house.

They made lovely rolls enjoyed by all in this animal enclosure.  They would go especially well with some broccoli soup, I think.  

Apart from the sexist title, we like this book.  It was a present for Rufus' first birthday from a couple of his friends.  A good balance of meals, snacks and sweet treats and each recipe gets a double page spread, beautifully laid out with step-by-step pictures and nice, clear instructions.  Of course, the photographs show impossibly perfect little cherubs amazingly clean while rolling out dough or whatever and smiling beautifully.  But then again, I don't show the worst of the photos on my blog - kids helping in the kitchen in their pants with all the dirty dishes piled high in the background.  Or, I try not to, anyway.  Have to say, though, that Annabel Karmel kind of makes me want to rebel against the whole perfect Mummy cooking with her children thing.  So, I guess what I am saying is that we really like the book even though we really want to hate it.

Anyway, on to the recipe - 

Easy Cheesy Bread Rolls from Mummy and Me Cookbook by Annabel Karmel.

(Makes 8 rolls or 16 mini rolls)

Ingredients - 

1 X 7g fast-action yeast sachet

1 tsp sugar

150ml hand-hot water

55g mature Cheddar cheese

30g Parmesan cheese

225g white bread flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 egg

sesame seeds, sunflower seed, pumpkin seeds and poppy seeds

Method - 

1. Put the yeast in a small bowl with the sugar.  Add 50ml of water and stir to dissolve the yeast.  Leave to stand for 5 mins.

2. Meanwhile grate the Cheddar cheese on the large holes of a box grater and grate the Parmesan using the fine holes.

3. Put the flour in a large bowl and stir in the salt.  Make a dip in the centre and add the oil and the yeast liquid.

4. Add the rest of the water and mix to a soft dough.  Add a tsp of extra water if the dough is dry.

5. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth - this will take about 10 mins.  Use the heel of your hand to work the dough.

6. Pat the dough out into a circle about 20cm across.  Spread the grated cheeses over it, then fold the dough in half.

7. Fold in half again, so that the cheese is enclosed.  Knead for 1-2 minutes more to work in the cheese.

8. Divide the dough into 8 pieces (or 16 for mini rolls) and form each one into a ball.  Put on a lightly oiled baking sheet, about 5cm apart and press down slightly.

9. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm, draught-free place for 40-45 mins. The rolls are ready to bake when they are roughly double their original size.  Preheat the oven after 35 mins to 200C/400F/GM 6.

10. Beat the egg with a pinch of salt.  Uncover the rolls and brush the tops with a little of the beaten egg.  Sprinkle them with seeds, then put them in the oven.

11.  Bake the rolls for 12-14 mins.