OK. I’ll admit it. I’m usually the first one to reach for the bread basket.
Apparently, I’m in good company. Bread is the most widely consumed food in the world and maybe the oldest.
Food historians believe that humans first baked flatbreads as long ago as 30,000 years–grinding flours with stones. At some point wild yeast serendipitously found its way into flour and water batters and leavened bread was born. By 300 B.C. those clever Egyptians were producing “commercial” yeast for bread baking.
Today, we have access to so many great breads–naan, sourdough, pita, tortillas and on and on.
My personal bread obsession is baking sourdough bread. I bake at least twice a week. Lately, there is something particularly cathartic about pummeling kneading bread dough.
The other day, after enjoying a lunch out (with an overflowing bread basket), I got to craving some plain pillowy dinner rolls. I remembered that someone on the NYTimes Cooking Community bulletin board had mentioned this recipe and I decided to give it a try. It’s wonderful. Slather your rolls with cultured butter or some good quality honey and settle in for a bit of culinary ecstasy.
Here’s the recipe.
[mpprecipe-recipe:222]
This recipe is adapted from one that appears on the Sally’s Baking Addiction site. You can find the original recipe here.
