I want to make a challah dough into sandwich rolls, as in Fuddruckers size rolls.  HUGE rolls. I am making pulled pork for dinner, and just feel like having it on a big, fresh roll.

I’ve never made HUGE rolls before - I’m thinking about 4 ounces of dough and a bake time of about 35 minutes at 375.  Do you think this is a good plan, or does someone have a better idea?  Thanks!

MrsM

I haven’t made Challah, but I’ve done quite a bit of bread baking.  I don’t think that the size of the breads will affect the baking results the same way that the size of a cake does (I’ve been living in “The Cake Bible” lately).  I’ve used the same recipe for dough for dinner rolls, pan loaves and free-form loaves, all with good results.

How are you planning on shaping the Challah rolls?  Will they be free-form, baked on a stone? Or will you put them in a pan?  When I do free-form loaves, I usually do some extra kneading of the individual loaves after the first rise to develop the gluten again and develop some surface tension on the round so it holds its shape during the second rise.  For dinner rolls, I divide the dough into smaller portions (usually 16) and put them in a greased 9in x 9in square pan for the second rise and then bake them.

I just remembered a recipe for hamburger buns that appeared in the Washington Post a while back.  I realized it was Rose’s months after I clipped it.  I found the blog much later and never connected the two until I looked at the clipping while I was looking for something else in my recipe binder.  I can scan and sent it to you if you’d like to see it.  It’s not a Challah dough, though.

Hi Dan.  Free form, round rolls, extra large hamburger buns.  Poppy seeds on top of course.  I know this recipe works as rolls or bread, I’ve made the braided loaf and 2 ounce knot rolls. I am mainly concerned about the baking time and temperature for a larger bun.  Do you think the 4 ounces will be a good size?

If this is from Rose’s Bread Bible, please, scan it for me. I just ordered that book last night.  I love her Cake Bible and Pie and Pastry Bible, so now I will complete my Bible set.  .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  Thanks!

Until I get a feel for how long to bake a new form, I usually check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer.  For a “regular” bread, I usually take them out at 190F-200F. The bun recipe says to cook to an internal temperature of 200F-210F (which means I’ve probably been pulling my bread out a touch early).

I found the bun recipe on the Washington Post’s archive.  The article was called “Beranbaum’s Best Buns.”  You might need to register to view.

Thanks for the link, and yes, I shall give them a stick with my thermometer.  I like to pull rolls early as well.  I think 210 might be a little too done for my liking.

BTW, your St. Patrick cake looks wonderful.

MrsM

*blush* Thanks.

I took a class last year using Rolled Fondant and it happened to be on St. Patrick’s Day.  I was at a bit of a loss what to do for the hands-on project and just sort of got inspired.  I’ve barely touched fondant since then.

Incidentally, if any readers are in Arlington, VA or the surrounding areas, Carmelita Montesa teaches excellent (but short) classes on cake baking (1 3hr session), cake decorating (3 sessions) and rolled fondant (2 sessions) through the Arlington County Adult Education Center.  Tuition’s pretty reasonable, especially if you’re an Arlington Co. resident.  She has also done Buche de Noel and wedding cake demonstration classes (no hands-on).

35 minutes at 375 degrees is what I bake my large rolls at.  I don’t measure in ounces so I can’t help you there, but the time and temperature, I think, is great.  Jo Ann