Why are my bread rolls dry?

0 votes
asked Dec 28, 2023 in Recipes by JMetfoord (920 points)
Why are my bread rolls dry?

1 Answer

0 votes
answered Sep 5 by Mandymorgan (13,510 points)
The most common reason for your bread rolls to become dry are because the dough didn't have enough water and was not kept moist enough.

You need to be sure the dough has enough water to be kept moist and also avoid sprinkling the surface of the dough with flour when kneading as it will absorb the water in the dough and dry it out.

If your bread rolls are not soft it could be that you're baking them at too high of temperature, not using sugar, eggs and butter or not enough sugar eggs or butter.

The secret to soft rolls and soft buns is sugar, eggs and butter.

The sugar is what feeds the yeast and helps the bread rolls or buns to rise faster and the egg adds fat content that helps the rolls, buns or bread become soft and delicious.

The butter at room temperature which should be added in chunks to the dough is key for making the buns or rolls soft.

The best way to soften bread rolls is to wrap them in a damp paper towel and then place some aluminum foil over them to wrap them to hold the moisture in or run a bit of water over the bread rolls and wrap them in aluminum foil and heat them in an oven at 300 F for 12 to 15 minutes.

A toaster oven also works well for heating and softening bread rolls.

If you don't have an oven or toaster oven you can moisten a section of paper towel long enough to cover the bread rolls and then wrap the bread rolls in the damp paper towel.

Then place the wrapped bread roll in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften it.

You can soften hard bread quickly by wrapping the bread in a damp towel and placing the bread on a baking sheet with the damp towel.

Then heat it in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes or wrap the bread in a damp towel and place the bread on a microwave safe dish or plate and microwave on high for 10 seconds.

The best place to store bread in the kitchen is in a cool dry area of the kitchen away from any moisture.

You could store the bread in a kitchen cabinet away from moisture or in a deep drawer.

Another option is to store the bread in the microwave when not using it or a bread box.

If eating the bread within a few days you can simply store the bread right on the counter in the open and it will be fine for the few days.

In general, most loaves of bread will last up to a week at room temperature, and 3 to 5 days longer in the fridge—though keep in mind that refrigeration of the bread can make the bread go stale.

Bread that goes stale is still useful for breadcrumbs, croutons, and bread pudding.

Using an airtight container will preserve the moisture in the bread and keep it from drying out too quickly.

However too much moisture can lead to the bread molding.

If part of the bread is moldy you can remove the moldy parts of the bread and eat the rest which is what I do.

A freezer bag is also a decent short-term, room-temperature bread storage solution.

Storing the bread on the countertop in a plastic bag (or well-sealed plastic wrap) will help keep it from going stale, but be warned the crust of the bread will suffer and grow mold due to trapped moisture.

106,000 questions

110,952 answers

1,327 comments

7,057,583 users

...