EVOO and Black Tea Rolls
These soft, squish-able, pull-apart dinner rolls have a delicious capacity for sopping, mopping, and wiping up the last delectable bit of gravy, sauce, or vinaigrette.
For the rolls
1 cup whole milk
3 tbsp finely ground Dona Amber Assam Tea
¼ cup water, warm
1 tbsp dry active yeast
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp Sizzle
1 egg
1 orange
3½ cups bread flour
1½ tsp kosher salt
1 egg white
For the orangey dipping oil
¼ cup Drizzle
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
Freshly ground black pepper
Flaky sea salt
Instructions
Active Time: 1 Hour
Full Time: 4 Hours
In a small pot, combine the milk and the finely ground Amber Assam and set over medium-low heat. Allow the tea to infuse, 3 to 4 minutes, until fragrant and warm. Remove from the heat. (If necessary, cool until warm, but not hot, to the touch).
Combine the warm milk mixture, warm water, honey and dry yeast, and let the mixture sit for a few minutes, or until the yeast looks foamy and bubbly.
Stir in the Sizzle, the egg, and the zest of one orange, reserving one teaspoon of orange zest for the dipping oil.
Either kneading by hand or using the dough hook attachment of a stand mixer, add the bread flour and kosher salt and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes in a mixer at medium speed, or about 8 minutes if kneading by hand.
Shape the dough into a ball, then transfer to large mixing bowl well coated in Sizzle. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and let rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
Chill the dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
When ready to shape the rolls, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. (This dough is easy to work with when well chilled and rested!)
Using a rolling pin, shape the dough into a large rectangle about 30 inches long and 20 inches wide.
Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, slice the dough into five strips lengthwise, and then again into six strips widthwise, yielding 30 small rectangles.
Roll each rectangle up into a small ball by cupping the palm of your hand and using a light touch.
Generously grease two 8-inch round pie tins or cake pans with Sizzle. Divide the balls between the two pans, spacing them evenly, then cover with plastic wrap or a lid and let rise for a second time, another 90 minutes. The rolls should be nearly doubled in size, bulging, and feel light and buoyant to the touch.
Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
Brush the egg white all over the surface of the rolls. Transfer to the oven and bake until deeply golden brown, rotating halfway through, about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately baste in Drizzle.
To make the orangey dipping oil, whisk together the Drizzle, orange juice, and orange zest. Add a pinch of flaky sea salt and black pepper.
