You can make either rolls, buns, or bread with this recipe. I usually go for the rolls, which, in my household, are easier for certain people who don't want to wield a knife to cut the bread. Whichever form of bread you make will yield a product that's full of wheat flavor and studded with crunchy, sweet pecans and tart dried cranberries. I like the rolls for breakfast, but they would be equally at home on the dinner table. The rolls are great "as is," slathered with butter or jam, or served with a slice of cheese for a more filling snack. If you want to make "buns," just add a frosting or glaze to the rolls--like for cinnamon buns. For bread, bake the dough in a loaf pan--a 9- x 5-inch pan works well--and increase the baking time to 40-50 minutes or until the loaf is about 190 degrees in the center. This is an easy recipe that yields a tasty, simple batch of rolls, buns, or loaf of bread. Enjoy!
Sourdough Dried Cranberry-Pecan Wheat Rolls -- Makes 12
1 cup of sourdough starter/discard
1 large egg
1/4 cup of canola oil
1/4 cup of milk
1 cup of whole-wheat or white whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup of dark brown sugar (light brown is fine, too)
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, plus extra to knead
1 teaspoon of salt (use a little more if you like saltier bread/aren't watching your sodium)
1/2 - 3/4 cup of chopped/broken pecans
1/2 -3/4 cup of dried cranberries
In a large bowl combine the starter/discard, egg, oil, and milk and beat them together well. Stir in the whole-wheat flour and brown sugar until thoroughly combined. Cover the mixture loosely and let it sit at room temperature for at least an hour (up to about four hours is fine, too). Add 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and the salt and knead the dough for about five minutes, adding a little more flour (about 1/4 - 1/3 cup) as you knead so that you have a moist but not sticky dough. Knead in the pecans and dried cranberries. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each piece in your hands into a ball. Place the balls on the parchment paper an inch or two apart. Spritz the dough balls with non-stick cooking spray and loosely cover them with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it increases by about one-third in size--one to three hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen and how active/strong a starter you have. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake the dough balls for 15-20 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Let the rolls cool a little before serving them warm. The rolls also are great reheated.
