Ethiopian Honey Rolls

I love homemade bread. I love the smell of my house, the crusty tops of the rolls, and the steamy dough, when you break the bread. I am on a baking bonanza lately, in anticipation of Jonah's first birthday party, and these were my first experiment. They are really crusty, but soft inside, and the flavors are pretty complex. At first bite, you get a sweet, subtle flavor, but as you chew, you can taste the coriander undertones, and the bite of the cloves. Oh, so good. Throw a slice of turkey or cheese on these rolls, or even a smear of hummus, and you have a perfect little lunch.





Don't be scared of yeast. Just make these. 4 Bowls...

Ethiopian Honey Bread/Rolls (Yemarina Yewotet Dabo)

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water (110-115 degrees)
1 egg
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup lukewarm whole milk
6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
4-5 cups all-purpose flour

In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over the warm water. Let stand for 3 minutes, then stir to dissolve. Set the bowl in a warm place for about 5 minutes; mixture should double in volume. If it does not, repeat procedure.

Combine the egg, honey, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a deep bowl, mixing until smooth. Add the yeast mixture, milk, and 5 tablespoons of the melted butter. Beat until well blended. Stir in flour 1/2 cup at a time, until becomes too stiff to stir.

On a lightly floured board, knead the dough, adding a small amount of flour when necessary to keep from sticking. Knead for about 5 minutes. Place dough in a large, greased bowl. cover with a damp cloth and let sit in warm place for about 1 1/2 hours.

Grease a cookie sheet with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Punch down the dough and knead it again for a few minutes. Shape the dough into a round, and place it on the greased sheet. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Let the bread rise again while oven is preheating. Bake the bread for 1 hour, or until the top is crusty and light golden brown.

Cloverleaf Honey-Wheat Rolls

Mmmmmm... Rolls...

We had a couple of friends over this weekend, and their girl, Eve. I decided to make dinner, but I held back from making anything new, since I've always heard that that's an entertaining faux pas. I made Szechwan Chicken Meatloaf, with the Sukiyaki Stir Fry. I decided to try these honey-wheat rolls, because I've been eyeing the recipe for a year now, and I didn't think it could hurt, to try one itty bitty new recipe.

These rolls are really good. Well, fantastic. Let me put it this way: There were 4 adults, and 3 babies eating dinner. We had a dozen rolls. Between the 7 of us, we ate all but 1. They are a great consistency, with a nice light, sweet flavor. They are called "Cloverleaf Rolls," because they are meant to rise into 3 distinct peaks, like a clover. Well, mine didn't "peak" like the photo on the Cooking Light website, but they certainly tore into 3 flaky pieces, which made them really pretty, and easy to eat. They are also extremely easy to throw together (if you have a Cuisinart or Kitchen Aid Mixer). I decided to make 2 more batches for Thanksgiving. This is a great, solid recipe. What's better than home baked bread?





Make these. Now. They were a 5 Bowler.

Cloverleaf Honey-Wheat Rolls


Bake these rolls up to a day ahead; store at room temperature in a zip-top plastic bag, or freeze them for later. Wrap the rolls in foil and reheat at 350� for 10 minutes or until warm.


Yield: 1 dozen (serving size: 1 roll)


1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water (100� to 110�)
2 cups bread flour, divided
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons honey
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon water
1 large egg

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 1/2 cups bread flour, whole wheat flour, honey, butter, and salt to yeast mixture; stir until well blended. Add 1/4 cup bread flour; stir until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining bread flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85�), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425�.

Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. Divide dough into 12 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time, divide each portion into 3 pieces; shape each piece into a ball (cover remaining dough to prevent it from drying). Place 3 balls in each muffin cup. Cover and let rise 25 minutes or until doubled in size.

Uncover dough. Combine 1 tablespoon water and egg; brush over rolls. Bake at 425� for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.


CALORIES 152 (18% from fat); FAT 3g (sat 1.6g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.2g); IRON 1.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 24mg; CALCIUM 4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 27.3g; SODIUM 206mg; PROTEIN 5.1g; FIBER 2g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2002