Bacon & Sun-Dried Tomato Rolls

These rolls have the bacon sun-dried tomatoes in the dough mix. They're excellent with soup and as with all bread are at their very best when fresh from the oven with butter melting into them. If anything, err slightly over with the flour and under with the water as the liquid from the onions & toms etc can result in a slightly stick dough. Check consistency during kneading and adjust with floour/water if required. I find 'cooking bacon' is better than rashers as these off-cuts are often chunkier - they make large, lean lardons that survuce the frying then kneading processes. I was brought up on a diet of homemade half and half bread - long before the days of bread makers and almost always make a 50/50 mix. (Making a full loaf I find using the small wholemeal, light crust setting on a large 50/50 mix gets it about right).

• Ready In: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Yields: 12 Rolls

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup milk
• 3⁄4 cup water
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 2  teaspoons salt
• 1 -2  tablespoon  oil
• 2  cups  wholemeal bread flour
• 2  cups white bread flour
• 3⁄4-1  teaspoon  instant dried yeast (for bread makers)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 100 -150  g smoked bacon (smoked cooking bacon, finely diced)
• 4 -6  sun-dried tomatoes (roughly chopped)
• 1  teaspoon tomato puree
• 1  small onions (finely diced) or 2  shallots (finely diced)

Directions

1. Place the sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, onions and oregano in a frying pan. Depending on the amount of residual oil from the tomatoes and the amount of fat on the bacon, add 1-2 Tbsp of oil to the pan and fry gently until lightly browned. Add to the bread tin.
2. Add the remaining ingredients in the following order; tomatoe puree, milk, water, sugar, wholemeal & white bread flours and finally the dried yeast.
3. Run your breadmaker on the dough setting.
4. Meanwhile, grease a baking sheet with butter and pre-heat the oven to 40-50°C.
5. When the dough is ready, cut into 12 equal portions and place on the baking sheet. (If the dough is sticky, knead in some extra flour).
6. Place the rolls in the warmed oven for about ~20 minutes for a 2nd rising.
7. Turn the oven up to 200C and bake for 15 minutes, turning once half way through (no need to wait for the oven to get up to temperature).
8. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling tray.
9. Cut open, spread with unsalted butter and enjoy.