New Orleans Style French Bread Rolls

I wanted to bake a decent homemade roll that will hold up to the juices from my French Dip Sammies that I am making for the Superbowl today (and by the way , great for making Po' Boys too)  I found this easy recipe from King Arthur Flour and decided to give it a try.  They aren't "pretty" looking rolls but, have a nice crusty exterior and a supper soft inside/crumb.  What is nice, you can roll this dough into what fits your needs.  One gal I know rolled this dough into two muffuletta shaped (circles) for a party and said it was a hit.  Enjoy! ~Diane

NOLA-Style French Bread Rolls

Ingredients:
2 cups lukewarm water *or water temp your yeast needs to activate
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 to 6 cups Unbleached Bread Flour
1 tablespoon table salt

Instructions
Pour the water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar, stir, sprinkle with the yeast, and allow to sit for 15 minutes, until frothy and bubbling.

Add the remaining tablespoon of sugar, olive oil, 5 cups flour, and salt. Use a spatula to bring the ingredients together into a shaggy dough.

Place the bowl on the mixer fitted with a dough hook, and mix the dough at medium speed for 8 minutes. The dough should form a ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour, a few tablespoons at a time, if the dough seems too sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for a minute or two.
Lightly coat the mixing bowl with cooking spray or oil. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a draft-free place for 1 to 1  1/2 hours.

After the first rise, deflate the dough and divide it into four equal pieces. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes, then shape each piece into a ball and cover with greased plastic wrap, while you prepare a clean, lightly floured (or lightly greased) work surface. The plastic wrap will keep any waiting dough soft and moist as you shape the loaves.

Roll each piece of dough into a 16" x 3" log. Place on two parchment-lined baking sheets, putting two on each pan. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let them rise for 1 hour.
While the loaves are rising, place racks in the center and upper third of your oven and preheat to 375°F.

Place the risen loaves in the oven and bake them for 30 minutes, or until they're deep golden brown. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through the baking time (top to bottom, bottom to top). Remove the bread from the oven and cool it on a rack before using it to make sandwiches.

Yield: 4 loaves or 8 shorter sub-rolls

Recipe Note:  I wanted 6" sub-type rolls for my French Dip Sandwiches.  I rolled out 8 individual rolls. They turned out great - coming in at 6 inches long and approx 3-4 inches wide.

Recipe by: King Arthur Bread  Company
Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home