Bacon Mac & Cheese Sprouted Wheat Rolls - NFOB Special Award

   

 I got so many new recipes from the National Festival of Breads last month that my family is enjoying fresh bread often! The unique ingredients of many of the recipes are sometimes surprising but always good. Patrice Hurd of Minnesota says "While listening to someone rave about Bacon Mac & Cheese, I wondered if I could incorporate those great flavors and textures into a yeast bread." She did and it was a special award winner for the Best Recipe Using Pork, sponsored by the Kansas Pork Association.
     These rolls are soft and tender with a fragrant unique appearance. When I took them to a covered dish lunch last week - with a label to explain the ingredients - they were a hit!
     Sometimes the contest recipes send me searching for ingredients I haven't used before or looking for a substitute. However, these new ingredients are fun to learn about and tasty to try. This recipe has a few I'll explain here.
     Vital Wheat Gluten is extra gluten that helps the bread product rise and stay high. It is especially helpful in whole grain breads. It isn't that hard to find in the grocery store, both King Arthur and Bob's Red Mill are popular brands.
     Many older recipes for bread use mashed potatoes. Today's recipes may call for potato flakes, or instant potatoes, since modern cooks probably aren't making mashed potatoes every day. The potato starch works well with the gluten in bread dough. It forms an outer casing on the gluten bubble to strengthen it. Again, useful in whole grain doughs because the bran of the whole grain is coarse and could pop the gluten bubble. The potato starch helps made a lighter bread.
     Adobo sauce wasn't in my cupboard, or my local store. Luckily my daughter had some, but a google search gives a recipe for making it with chile powder, water, garlic cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, oregano, apple cider vinegar, and salt. It gives a sweet earthy flavor to foods.
     All paprikas are not the same! Paprika is made from grinding various kinds of red peppers and the usual paprika is neither sweet or hot but makes a good garnish with a bright color. Smoked paprika is made from peppers that have been dried and smoked over and oak fire. It gives a smoky flavor to dishes.

     So, now that you've gathered these special ingredients, I think you'll see that this recipe is a good addition to your collection. We served it this weekend with steaks and it is a good compliment to a special meal.

BACON MAC & CHEESE SPROUTED WHEAT ROLLS      

Dough (made in a bread machine)

⅔ cup lukewarm water, 80°

1 large egg yolk, reserve white for egg wash

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons instant potato flakes

2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk

1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten

1 cup King Arthur unbleached bread flour

1 cup King Arthur 100% whole grain sprouted wheat flour

1 (¼ oz) package Red Star Platinum Superior baking yeast

Filling

6 slices thick-cut smoked bacon, chopped in ½” squares

¼ teaspoon liquid smoke

2 teaspoons adobo sauce

1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

1 cup prepared macaroni and cheese, deli or refrigerated, room temperature

Directions:

1.     Place all dough ingredients into a bread machine pan in order listed and set on DOUGH cycle. Add additional water or flour if needed to form a soft dough.

2.     Cook bacon until crisp. Drain bacon using a wire mesh strainer; return bacon to skillet and stir in liquid smoke. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon for topping.

3.     Place macaroni and cheese on a cutting board; using a knife, cut through macaroni a few times and set aside.

4.     Grease cups of a standard size 12-cup muffin pan, 2¾” wide x 1¼” deep.

5.     Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; deflate and roll into a 12’ x 12’ square. On the bottom half of the square, spread adobo mixture (adobo sauce with smoked sweet paprika) to within ½” of edges, spread macaroni and cheese, then bacon over adobo. Fold top of dough down over filling; seal edges.

6.     Cut into twelve 1” strips. Hold one edge of strip down and twist 3 times. Coil into a roll, tucking ends under and place into muffin cup. Repeat with remaining strips. Cover; let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

7.     Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk reserved egg white with 1 tablespoon water; brush over rolls and sprinkle with reserved bacon. Bake 18-20 minutes until golden; cool in pan 5 minutes then run knife around edges. Remove from pan; serve warm.

Yield: 12 rolls

I need practice to get the rolls the same size! That tiny one on the
left is my little Cook's Helper's.