Knot rolls & Cheese and Onion Bread

These two rolls use the same basic bread dough. I love love loved the cheese and onion bread - cooking the onion added such a lovely sweetness to it, and the flavours were beautifully balanced!

Knot rolls and cheese and onion bread - yummo

Basic Bread Dough

2 tsps instant yeast and 1 tsp sugar
2 1/4 cups warm water (or you can use milk for a softer dough)
6 cups sifted plain or bakers flour
2 tsps salt
1 tbs shortening

Step 1: Prepare the yeast liquid by combining the yeast, sugar, and warm water/milk. Set aside for 10-15mins until it is frothy.
Step 2: Mix the flour and salt together, rub in the shortening. Add the yeast liquid and mix to form a dough. Knead until it is smooth and elastic - about 10 minutes by hand.
Step 3: first rising. shape into a ball, put into a bowl & cover it. Place in a warm spot until it has doubled in size - about and hour.
Step 4: punch down, knead lighlty, and shape into loaves or rolls.
Step 5: second rising - cover and let rise till doubled.
Step 6: Bake in a hot oven - 230 degrees celcius - till the loaves shrink slightly and the crust is golden. This will be about 40 minutes for large loaves, 30 minutes for pan loaves, and 15-20 minutes for rolls. I shaped mine into knot rolls - to do this roll out a "snake" and then tie a knot in it! ;)

Cheese and Onion bread.

2 tsps instant yeast and 1 tsp sugar
2 1/4 cups warm water (or you can use milk for a softer dough)
6 cups sifted plain or bakers flour
2 tsps salt
1 tbs shortening

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1-2 tsps butter

Step 1: Prepare the yeast liquid by combining the yeast, sugar, and warm water/milk. Set aside for 10-15mins until it is frothy.
Step 2: Mix the flour and salt together, rub in the shortening. Add the yeast liquid and mix to form a dough. Knead until it is smooth and elastic - about 10 minutes by hand.
Step 3: first rising. shape into a ball, put into a bowl & cover it. Place in a warm spot until it has doubled in size - about an hour.
Step 4: saute onion in the butter until it is translucent. Cool.
Step 5: punch down the dough, add the cheese and onion to the dough and knead it through by hand until they evenly mixed through. Shape into loaves or rolls.
Step 6: second rising - cover and let rise till doubled. I added a little sprinkle of cheese on top of my rolls before baking.
Step 7:  Bake in a hot oven - 230 degrees celcius - till the loaves shrink slightly and the crust is golden. This will be about 40 minutes for large loaves, 30 minutes for pan loaves, and 15-20 minutes for rolls.