JULIAN COLE has offered a few recipes for bread rolls in this column, and he finishes with a French take on this old favourite.

THESE French-style bread rolls are made with milk and are winningly easy to make.

Some recipes contain sugar, and if you want to go down the sweeter route, add a tablespoon of caster sugar.

That seemed unnecessary to me, so I left the sugar out. I also reduced the salt from two teaspoons to one.


Ingredients:

450g white bread flour
One teaspoon salt
50g butter, softened
One sachet of easy-blend yeast
280ml of lukewarm milk, plus extra for glazing.


Method:

Combine the flour, yeast and salt, rub in the butter, and then add the milk, forming the dough.

Knead for eight to ten minutes, then place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling-film and leave for an hour or so, by which time the dough will be well risen.

Cover a baking sheet in greaseproof paper, deflate the dough and divide into 12 pieces, rolling each one until a neat round. Place on the baking tray and cut a fairly deep cross in each roll, cover and leave for 20 minutes or so.

Pre-heat the oven to 200C, brush rolls with a little milk and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a wire tray.