French Bread Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast, or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ to 4 cups Flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the warm water, instant yeast, sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups of the flour. If you are using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, let the yeast proof in the warm water and sugar for about 3-5 minutes until it is foamy and bubbly before adding the oil, salt and flour.
- Begin mixing, and continue to add the rest of the flour gradually until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Begin kneading the dough for 7-9 minutes.
- The dough should be soft and smooth but still slightly tacky to the touch. It might leave a little bit of sticky residue on your fingers, If you can roll it into a small ball without it sticking all over to your hands, it is good to go. If not, gradually add a bit more flour as needed.
- Lightly grease a large bowl and place the kneaded dough in.
- Cover the bowl with a towel or lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it has doubled (this usually takes about an hour, depending on the warmth of the kitchen).
- Lightly punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly greased countertop.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, and form the dough into round balls. - Place the rolls in a lightly greased 9X13-inch pan or on a large baking sheet lined with parchment or lightly greased. Space the rolls about 1/2- to 1-inch apart.
- Cover the rolls with a towel or lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise until puffy and doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 15-17 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through.
- Immediately out of the oven, brush with butter (optional).