Chinese chicken salad rolls

I made this recipe for Chinese chicken salad:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chinese-chicken-salad-iii/detail.aspx

Then, I rolled up the salad into rice paper, as is normally done with spring rolls:
http://tomorrowaustin.wordpress.com/2007/08/21/vegan-spring-rolls-with-peanut-sauce/

I'm still working on my rolling technique, but these tasted great.

Dinner rolls or hamburger buns

Here's a recipe that I improvised to make some hamburger buns.

Combine in a bowl:

2 1/2 tsps yeast
3 c flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsps sugar

Add:
1 tbs oil
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water

Adjust the water/flour amounts until you have a fairly dry, firm dough. Let rise 1 hour.

Punch down, then form into 8 rolls. I used a technique where I pull the sides of each roll down and collect the dough into a knot. Then, I hide the knot on the underside of the roll. This gives the tops a very smooth appearance. This technique is much better than forming a ball by rolling between the hands. Let proof 1 hour.

Bake 10-15 minutes at 400*F.

Dutch Crunch bread (rolls)

The recipe for the bread itself is pretty solid, and I think does not need any tweaking. The topping is very sensitive to hydration level, and adding just a little more flour or water will change the character of the end result a lot. I am still making small adjustments..

Bread (12 rolls):
Mix:
5 tsp yeast
1/2 c water
2 tbsp sugar
and let sit until foamy

Add:
4 tsp oil
3 tsp salt
2 c water

6 c flour

Let the dough rise for an hour, then punch it down, and divide into 12 rolls. Place these rolls on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and let them rise while preparing the topping.

Topping:

Mix:
1 tbsp yeast
1/2 c water
2 tbsp sugar

Let the yeast dissolve, then add:
1/4 c oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 c rice flour (not "sweet rice flour")

Add more water or rice flour until the mixture is the consistency of cookie icing. Getting this hydration level correct will take a little experimentation -- it's worth it. Spread the topping in a very thick coating over the rolls, and let them rise for 15 minutes while preheating the oven to 425*F.

Bake at 425*F for about 20 minutes. When the topping is nicely browned, they're done!



I like the parts of the rolls that were touching each other while baking. It's chewy and sweet from the topping, so I purposefully place them close together on the sheet. Of course, the little pools of topping that form at the bottom of the rolls are great too!