Chilli & Sesame Rolls

I actually made these rolls a few weeks ago but have only just got round to writing them up. I made a version of this recipe when I went to visit my parents in France a few months ago. Mum asked me to make some bread using wholemeal flour that she bought last time she was in England. I raided her cupboards to see what extra flavourings I could find and settled on the combination of chilli flakes and sesame seeds. In France I made this into a large round loaf that we ended up eating with Mum's homemade quiche and a simple salad. When I came to make these at home it was during a week where I fancied bread rolls to go in my lunch box rather than baking a big loaf. These rolls pack a bit of a punch with the chilli but you can reduce it if you prefer a milder heat. The chilli does perk up an ordinary cheese roll though and wakes you up if you're feeling a bit tired by lunch time.

Ingredients - makes 8-10 rolls depending on size required

250g strong white bread flour
250g strong wholemeal bread flour
1 tbsp dried active yeast or 7g sachet fast action yeast
2 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 tsp salt
50g sesame seeds plus extra for sprinkling on top
300ml lukewarm water

1. Reactivate the dried yeast according to pack instructions, skip this step if using fast action yeast.
2. Mix together the flours, salt, chilli flakes and sesame seeds then add the yeast and water and bring everything together into a dough. You may need slightly more water depending on your flour. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic and then put into a lightly oiled bowl and leave to rise until doubled in size, usually about an hour.
3. Knock back the dough and knead lightly then shape into rolls. The best way to get equal, even sized rolls is to weigh the dough do that each roll is roughly the same weight. Put the rolls on a non stick baking tray and cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size, around 45 minutes. 
4. Preheat the oven to 220C and lightly brush the top of the rolls with water and sprinkle sesame seeds on top then bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden and hollow when tapped on the base. Cool on a wire rack. 

 

I've entered these into  Bake Your Own Bread hosted by Heather from GirliChef, Michelle from Delectable Musings & Connie from My Discovery of Bread