I’m looking to create these crusty chewy wonders at home.  Among Rose’s breads, the Basic Hearth Bread may be the closest, but it isn’t quite there.  Can anyone suggest modifications to try?

Could you offer a bit more detail on what you are trying to achieve with the hearth bread recipe?  One thing off the top of my head—most dinner rolls have at least some fat in them (many have a lot) and that recipe has none.

Thanks for the inquiry…

The rolls I am trying to imitate are not cake-like or tender like some dinner rolls can be, especially the ones I associate with being high in fat.  The surface crust is crisp and marked in places with small blisters.  They offer good resistance when you tear them open.  The crumb inside is close (no air holes), and sometimes you can see how large folds of dough have come together inside, almost like different layers of muscle (does this make any sense?).  They are like mini artisan breads…

Does this help?

Schmittycat - have you tried doing a google search?  I know there are site dedicated to “copy-cat” recipes, or “secret” recipes.

schmittycat - 03 December 2007 09:03 PM

Thanks for the inquiry…

The rolls I am trying to imitate are not cake-like or tender like some dinner rolls can be, especially the ones I associate with being high in fat.  The surface crust is crisp and marked in places with small blisters.  They offer good resistance when you tear them open.  The crumb inside is close (no air holes), and sometimes you can see how large folds of dough have come together inside, almost like different layers of muscle (does this make any sense?).  They are like mini artisan breads…

Does this help?

For “surface crust is crisp and marked in places with small blisters,” I would refrigerate the shaped rolls for several hours or overnight (that makes the surface blistery and improves flavor) and mist them with water before baking—in addition to steaming the oven already.  You probably want to let them sit out for 1/2 to 1 hour before baking from the fridge.

“The crumb inside is close (no air holes)”: use bread flour and I would lower the hydration of the basic hearth slightly.  I would also knead the dough a little extra—for the “muscles.”

I was curious what specifically about the hearth-bread you didn’t like, or what specific qualities about the recipe you wanted to change, but hopefully this will help a bit.

Thanks for the recommendations on recipe alteration…I’ll have a go.

By the way, here is a photo from their website:
http://shop.legalseafoods.com/index.cfm/pk/product/ac/list/cid/10060

With regards to a Google search I haven’t (and will), but the direct approach to Legal themselves failed—they consider the recipe proprietary.

These rolls look (and sound) very much like the sourdough rolls that are served at Panera Bread.  Anyway, the suggestion of sites that are dedicated to “copycat” or “secret” recipes list recipes that are specifically designed to reproduce the flavor of proprietary recipes that people can’t get access to.

schmittycat - 04 December 2007 08:44 PM

Thanks for the recommendations on recipe alteration…I’ll have a go.

By the way, here is a photo from their website:
http://shop.legalseafoods.com/index.cfm/pk/product/ac/list/cid/10060

With regards to a Google search I haven’t (and will), but the direct approach to Legal themselves failed—they consider the recipe proprietary.

Schmittycat, I believe Patrincia may be correct in her belief that the dinner rolls you have described just may be a sourdough variety. I cannot remember where I have seen this roll just like the ones shown in the LEGAL website but they were sourdough
rolls. Also, the blisters that you described are created on the surface due to the gases escaping while in the refrigerator. The voids being formed are not being filled quick enough while the oven heat is causing the dough to coagulate resulting in small blisters.
  I would consider baking a sourdough concoction of dinner rolls & as you mentioned with no fat in the dough. If you wish those blisters then you were already given instructions on refrigeration of them. Good luck in your bread baking.

  ~FRESHKID.

Here’s a photo of the larger sourdough loaves sold at Panera Bread.  The smaller rolls don’t have the “x”.  Note the shiney, blistery surface.

http://images.thewavemag.com/images/feature_articles/v06_i18/feat_editors_picks_18.jpg

Yes, the picture is very close.  Thanks everyone for the suggestions.  If I have good success implementing them, I’ll report back.