Matcha Rolls

I pulled hot matcha rolls out of the oven today and ate 3 of them like it was nothing. Thanks to the free sample bag of Dakota Matcha (a grade of matcha meant for baking) from Matcha Source, I confronted my minor fear of bread making and was rewarded with these soft sweet rolls.

And really, I don’t know what I’ve been afraid of because anything baking in the oven will seduce you with the scents that fill the kitchen, even before you take your first chewy bite.

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The small proportions make this very manageable and no special equipment is needed. Perfect for a first-time breadmaker! Granted, there is some kneading involved, but the dough is fairly firm and doesn’t make a huge mess. Actually, kneading reminds me of my days studying ceramics and I love the way you can feel the elasticity of the dough change. Doing this convinced me that I don’t need a fancy mixer to handle my dough. I like the old-fashioned way just fine.

The flavor of the matcha is subtle when you eat them hot out of the oven. But it becomes a little more pronounced once they’ve had a chance to cool, with just a hint of sweetness.

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Matcha Rolls
Adapted from New Tastes in Green Tea
Makes 8 rolls

2/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1 oz. sugar
1/4 oz. (1 packet) dry yeast
7 oz. bread flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. matcha
2 Tbsp. toasted black sesame seeds

Gently warm the milk in a small pan over a low heat. Add butter and sugar, and stir until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to body temperature.

Add the dry yeast to the pan and stir. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and matcha. Slowly pour in the milk and yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. Once incorporated, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and has some elasticity. Shape the dough into a ball, cover lightly with a kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes.

When the dough roughly triples in size, divide it into 8 portions and shape into small rolls. Cover with towel again and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees.

Place the rolls on a baking sheet and let them rise again for 30 minutes.

Using your finger, wet the top of the rolls with water and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Bake for 12–15 minutes.

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