Make Your Own French Bread Sandwich Rolls!!

A couple people asked me to post the recipe for the sandwich rolls that I pictured in the Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Sandwich post

These are the rolls:

I basically just take my french bread recipe and, instead of dividing it in half to make two loaves, divide it into 6 portions to make sandwich rolls. You could even do 8 if you wanted, and if you are not as big a pig as I am. (It's ok, I know I am. I am not upset by this.)

So it's a very basic, easy bread recipe! You need:

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/2 tsp yeast (or one package)
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• oil or Pam for the bowl

So you're going to combine, in the mixing bowl of your Kitchen Aid, the water, yeast, salt, and 1 cup of the flour. Stir it up and let it set for about 5 minutes. It will get all bubbly and happy (Ok, ok, I have no evidence that the dough is actually happy. But it's BREAD DOUGH for crying out loud!! It SHOULD be happy!)

Then you want to put the bowl on the mixer and attach the dough hook. Knead the remaining 2 cups of flour in, until the dough climbs the dough hook and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Knead for 4 or 5 minutes. Then, dump the dough out into an oiled bowl, turning over once to coat the top with oil.

Let it rise for about 45 minutes, it will about double in size (the dough in the above photo had already risen). Then divide the dough into 6 pieces for larger sandwich rolls, or 2 pieces if you'd like to just make french loaves. I shaped mine into balls and put onto greased cookie sheets. (Oh, I also cut a few slashes across the top, for that "I am a professional baker" look.)

Then let them rise again, for about 30 minutes (meanwhile preheat the oven to 400):

Now, pop them into the oven and bake for about 25 minutes. They will be nice and golden and sound hollow when tapped when they are done:

These make great sandwich rolls, soup bread bowls, or if you shape them into larger loaves, great french or garlic bread. If you shape the entire recipe into one longer loaf, it winds up about the size of the loaves they sell at the market by the checkout in the paper bags. :)

I have been thinking of trying this out with half whole wheat flour too, but just haven't gotten around to it yet!

I got this recipe years ago from Miserly Meals: Healthy, Tasty Recipes Under 75¢ per Serving 

Happy baking!