Help with simple bread baking recipe
Hi everyone, a few weeks ago I started making my own wholemeal bread rolls and tweaked the recipe until I got it nice. I have a couple of questions about the recipe and process I am using.
The ingredients I use are:
- Very strong wholemeal flour (https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/produ...toneground-wholemeal-flour/051804-25784-25785 [1])
- Allinson easy bake yeast (https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/271257713 [2])
- Fine sea salt (https://groceries.asda.com/product/salt-pepper/saxa-fine-sea-salt/1000000442953 [3])
- Water
I mix all the dry ingredients in the bowl and then pour in the water and mix everything into the dough. I don't really knead it once it has all come together (just a little before shaping it into the rolls). After dividing and then shaping into the rolls I put them on the baking sheet and leave for 1.5/2 hours and then put them in the oven.
My questions are:
- Do I need to knead the dough more? I read that because I am using easy bake yeast I do not, but I would be keen to get some advice on whether I should be.
- I have seen some videos that mix the yeast, salt and water before adding the flour, and I have seen some that just mix the dry ingredients altogether first and then add the water. Which would you recommend is the better method for my recipe?
- Some recipes let the dough rise and then they knead it again before letting it rise/proof a second time. Is this something I should consider doing or is my current method enough?
- I have been letting it rise at room temperature. Would I be better to let it rise by filling a bowl with hot water and putting it at the bottom of a switched off oven and putting the rolls in as well? Alternatively, I have also seen someone turn the oven on for 2-3 mins and then switch it off and place the dough in to allow it to rise. Would either of these methods be better than the way I am doing it currently?
- Once cooked, I have noticed the rolls are much much crustier/harder than anything I used to buy in a shop and also denser on the inside too. I don't mind this, but I was wondering what causes this to happen e.g. is it a result of my ingredients (e.g. all wholemeal and very strong flour), my process, etc?
Many thanks in advance!