Bread Month

Happy June peeps,

While we stew with the onset of🥵 summer, in my hometown it’s time back to school time🎒📝 (err virtually) and of course the soul-quenching monsoon☔ season.

It is also a month of celebration of the immensely popular Saint Anthony. I may not be overtly religious but certain religious practices of my childhood or youth, I still zealously follow to this day.

One such is my adoration of Saint Anthony🤗, so the 9-day novena prayer for the feast day (that starts today) has me in a joyous mood😌. 

And since Saint Anthony is also associated ‘bread’🍞 (read the story here), I dedicate June to sharing baking and especially bread recipes.

First up is Braided Chicken Sausage Rolls.

A bread variety I recently mastered last month. 

If you are into bread baking already; it will be a cinch, I promise.

RECIPE:

Time taken: 40 mins to make the dough & shaping, 2 to 2.5 hours of proofing in stages, 20 mins to bake

Yield: 8 to 9 sausage rolls, about 3 inch sized

Method:

1) In half cup of lukewarm milk, add a tsp of sugar and 1 tsp + a pinch of yeast (dry active variety or instant), let the mixture froth to prove the yeast is active.

2) Add half a beaten egg to the milk mixture.

3) Sift 1 cup white bread flour + 1 cup all purpose flour (if you don’t have bread flour, you can use 2 cups of all-purpose flour as well). Add about a tsp of salt.

4) Add the wet mixture to the flour and 2 tbsp of melted (and cooled to room temperature) butter. Make a shaggy dough, rest for 2-3 mins.

5) Knead the dough for a good 8-10 mins stretching the dough to activate the gluten. The dough should be smooth, elastic and shiny.

6) Place dough in a greased bowl, store in a warm place in your kitchen; let it proof till it doubles. Should take about 40 to 90 mins depending on the warmth of your kitchen or working space.

7) Thaw the sausages if frozen or make sure they are room temperature. Steam the sausages for about 5 mins and let them cool down.

8)  Once dough is doubled, transfer on a working space and punch out all the air. Knead for a 2-3 mins again.

9)  Divide the dough in 8 to 9 equal dough portions. I prefer to weigh the dough and divide in exact weighing portions to control the size consistency of my the rolls (about 50gms each portion)

10) On a floured surface roll out each dough portion to a rough rectangle. Place the sausage in the centre (along the diameter short line) and with a knife or cutter make a centimeter sized strips on each side (see image) 

11) Braid the strips one over the other, tucking the ends below the sausage roll (see image)

12) Prepare all sausae rolls like this. Place them on a baking tray keep enough space to double up. Cover with clingfilm and let it proof, takes me about 30-40 mins.

13) Once the sausage rolls are proofed to your satisfaction, remove the clingfilm. Gently brush each roll with egg wash and bake in pre-heated oven at 190 deg C for 20to 25 mins.

14) After baking brush them again with light coat of egg wash and let them cool down.

15) Remove from baking tray and serve as you like it, with ketchup n mustard, or just plain for breakfast.

These sausage rolls are so so satisfying😋, to look at and eat of course😁. Do given them a try and let me know how it worked for you.

Cheers!!!