Buffet bread rolls are very soft and tasty, perfect to be filled and served at party buffets or for children’s birthdays. In bakeries, these small rolls are also called ‘bottoncini’, and their weight varies from 35/40 grams when raw. But if you want, you can also make them larger, around 50 grams or even 80/100 grams to hold a juicy hamburger.
In the dough for the buffet bread rolls, we can use water, or milk, or the whey that remains after making cheese, but there is also a secret ingredient, egg white, which will make them turn into soft clouds. However, they are very simple to make, cook in 15 minutes, and can also be frozen.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Portions: 20 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 7 oz water (or milk or whey)
- 2 tbsp butter (or vegetable margarine)
- 2 egg whites
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 tsp fine salt
- 0.44 oz fresh yeast
- 1 egg yolk + water (for brushing the rolls)
Steps
Heat the water, or milk, or whey to 95°F, put it in a large bowl, and then dissolve the crumbled fresh yeast, honey, butter, and egg whites in it.
Beat the mixture to blend the ingredients well.
Add half of the flour and knead, add the salt, and continue kneading.
A soft cream will form, if you don’t have a stand mixer, knead it for a few minutes in the bowl.
Add the other half of the flour a little at a time, kneading roughly always in the bowl. The dough will be very soft.
Let it rest covered for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, knead again roughly for a few minutes and then let it rest for another 15 minutes.
These two rests will activate the gluten mesh without much effort, in the absence of a stand mixer.
Now flour the bowl and the dough and let it rise covered until doubled.
After about 2 hours, the dough will have doubled in size. Turn it out onto a floured work surface.
It’s soft, flour it, and gently roll it out to deflate it a bit. Then fold it over itself two or three times and form a loaf.
Cut portions of 1.5/1.75 ounces (according to your taste) and form balls, which you will place on the baking sheet. Space them apart, as they will grow.
Put them in the turned-off oven to rise for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, the rolls will be puffed and risen, take them and brush them with the egg yolk diluted with a few drops of water.
If you wish, you can decorate them with poppy and sesame seeds or leave them plain.
Preheat the oven to 355°F and bake them on the lower middle rack, for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden.
You will smell a delightful baking aroma throughout the house, really intoxicating.
Remove from the oven and let them cool. They can be frozen and taken out an hour before serving.
