Baked Soft Rolls Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 500g strong white bread flour
• 7g fast-action dried yeast (one standard sachet)
• 25g caster sugar (about 2 tablespoons)
• 8g fine salt (about 1½ teaspoons)
• 300ml warm whole milk (roughly half a pint, or a full mug)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 40g Ghee, softened (about 3 tablespoons), for the dough
• a little extra Ghee, melted (about 2 tablespoons in total), for greasing the tray and brushing the rolls

STEPS

1. Mix 500g strong white bread flour, 7g fast-action dried yeast, 25g caster sugar and 8g fine salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add 300ml (about half a pint, or a full mug) warm whole milk and 1 large beaten egg. Mix until a soft dough forms.
3. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
4. Knead in 40g softened Ghee until fully incorporated and the dough feels soft and slightly tacky.
5. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 60–90 minutes, or until doubled in size.
6. Knock back the dough gently, then divide it into 12 equal portions.
7. Shape each portion into a smooth ball, pulling the edges underneath to create a neat, rounded top.
8. Grease a large baking tray generously with Ghee and arrange the dough balls in rows, leaving a little space between them.
9. Cover loosely with a tea towel and leave to prove for 30–45 minutes, until noticeably puffed.
10. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan).
11. Brush the tops of the rolls lightly with melted Ghee.
12. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped underneath.
13. Brush the freshly baked rolls with a little more melted Ghee, then leave them to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

NOTES

Why Ghee and not butter or oil?

Ghee has a higher smoke point than butter and no milk solids left to burn, so it browns the crust beautifully in a hot oven without catching. It also carries a naturally nutty, rounded flavour that a plain vegetable oil doesn't bring, while helping the crumb stay soft for longer than butter alone would.

A note on context:

Ghee-enriched doughs turn up across South Asian and Middle Eastern baking, from soft buns to festive breads, for exactly this reason. In a British kitchen used to butter, Ghee behaves in much the same way in a dough or brushed over a crust — it's simply butter with the water and milk solids removed, so it keeps for longer and tolerates higher heat.