Loaf 84 – Thanksgiving Epi Rolls
For Thanksgiving dinner I decided to make epi rolls. Epis are baguettes that have been snipped and shaped so that they look like a wheat stalk after baking. The pieces break off as individual rolls, which works great for a big family meal. I’ve only tried them once before and only did a so-so job of shaping them (see Loaf 36).
This time I used the Lean bread recipe from Reinhart rather than the French bread recipe. The only difference between the two is the Lean recipe is more hydrated, and it’s the one I make regularly now. More hydration leads to an airier crumb, but it is also more difficult to handle. The loaves are shaped as baguettes to proof, then snipped at alternating diagonals with kitchen shears prior to baking. The pieces are angled apart from each other something like this:
Two of the loaves cut and ready to bake.
The additional hydration made these a real challenge to manipulate, now I understand why he suggests the less hydrated recipe. If you compare my results to professionals, my style is awful. Luckily our dinner family and guests weren’t so snobbish, so we enjoyed the convenience and flavor, along with the uniquely fun presentation.
Served on a pizza peel.
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- Shaped baguettes before rising.
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- Two of the loaves cut and ready to bake.
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- The four baked loaves.
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- Close up of the loaves.
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- Served on a pizza peel.
