Lemon and Thyme Rolls

A delicious bowl of soup is not complete without warm bread to dip in the broth! These rolls were a perfect accompaniment to the Italian Pasta Bean soup I had the other night. The savory thyme and lemon zest make this recipe stand out and it is worth the extra time to prepare. I also really liked the amount of black pepper added to the dough. The insides are soft and fluffy, especially when they’re still warm from the oven! Since this recipe is yeast based it takes about an hour and 45 minutes for the dough to complete 2 rises.

Lemon and Thyme Rolls
Adapted From NYT
(Makes 6 rolls)
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 lemon, zest
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Combine the water and yeast in a mixing bowl and stir until the yeast dissolves.
2. Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 cup of flour. Stir in a second cup of flour, the thyme, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
3. Sprinkle some of the remaining flour over a work surface and your hands.
4. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto the work surface. Gradually knead in additional flour, until the dough no longer feels sticky.
5. Lightly oil a large bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and roll it in the bowl to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
6. Punch the dough down and knead it for about 1 minute. Return the dough to the bowl and let rise until doubled again, about 45 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 375F. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Shape them into flattened rounds, about 4 to 4 1/2 inches in diameter.
8. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet and let stand for 15 minutes.
9. Brush the tops with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool.