Sage, onion and apple rolls

THERE was nothing in the bread bin apart from crumbs and the ghost of a gone loaf. It was time to make some rolls, always the fun part of baking bread.

You can try almost anything when it comes to rolls. For this recipe I fried an onion in olive oil and a little unsalted butter for a decent time, added a grated apple and then a couple of sage leaves. A longer rise might have been better, but the results were very pleasing. And better than an empty bread bin.

Sage, onion and apple rolls

Ingredients:
200g wholemeal rye flour (or wholemeal flour)
300g strong white flour
300ml warm water
One sachet of easy-blend yeast (I used a nub of fresh yeast straight from the freezer: if using fresh, ten to 15g should do the trick)
8g salt
One large onion
One decent-sized apple (eating or cooking)
Two fresh sage leaves (or a pinch of the dried stuff)
Decent splash of olive oil and a pat of unsalted butter.
 

First fry the onion in a little olive oil for as long as you’ve got, adding the pat of butter towards the end. Add the grated apple to the frying pan and dry off some of the liquid, cooking for five minutes or so and then sprinkle in the sage.

Mix the flours with the salt and yeast, then add the warm water. Knead for five or six minutes, adding more water if needed, then flatten the dough and tip in the fried onions and apple.

Knead again, adding a little extra flour (not too much) if needed. Roll the ball of dough in the pan to pick up the last flavoursome juices.

Give one quick further knead, then rest in an oiled bowl covered with clingfilm. Leave for 30 to 40 minutes if you have an empty bread bin, or longer if you have the time (even overnight in the fridge: in which case, allow cold dough to warm up properly).

Preheat the oven to 200C. Divide the dough into however many pieces you desire, depending on whether you want large or smaller rolls. Roll each piece under your cupped hand and place the rolls on a tray covered in baking parchment.

Cover with a clean tea towel and leave for 15 minutes, then bake for 15 minutes. Pick up one hot roll and tap underneath to test for that hollow sound (not a perfect guide, but it helps). Remove from trays and return to oven, placing directly on the oven shelf, for two further minutes if the rolls don’t seem quite done. Remove from oven and place on wire tray.

Tip: wholemeal rye flour is a great ingredient and always worth having for a touch of continental flavour