beef on weck for tomorrow

[Kitchen Witch]

Since it's another busy weekend and I already have sliced roast beef in gravy from Christmas that I froze - I am going to make homemade weck rolls for good old fashioned beef on weck and serve with a green salad and homemade fries to dip in the gravy.

weck rolls -

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water (95 to 110 degrees F) divided
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon barley malt syrup or honey
2 large egg whites
3 to 3 1/4 cups bread flour (preferably high-gluten)
1 tablespoon water
Coarse sea salt crystals and caraway seeds, for sprinkling

1. Sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water in a small bowl. Set aside to proof until bubbly, about 5 minutes.
2. Combine the remaining 3/4 cup lukewarm water, the oil, sugar, salt, barley malt syrup or honey, and 1 egg white in a large mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and mix until smooth. Add the yeast solution and slowly stir in an additional 1 1/2 cups of the flour.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky to the touch, adding only as much additional flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Transfer to a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
4. Punch the dough down, cover the bowl again, and let the dough rise a second time, for about 30 minutes.
5. Return the dough to the work surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth round, then flatten the rounds slightly. Place on a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet, well spaced to allow spreading. Cover loosely with a towel and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
7. Combine the remaining egg white and the 1 tablespoon water in a small dish and blend.
8. Brush the rolls lightly with the egg white wash. Using the tip of a sharp knife or a razor, cut 4 crescent-shaped slits into each roll, radiating out from the center. Sprinkle the rolls with the coarse salt and caraway seeds and spritz, with water.
9. Bake for 5 minutes. Quickly open the oven door, spritz the rolls again with water, and close the oven. Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes more, until browned and crisp. Cool the rolls on wire racks.

Since this recipe will make 8 rolls I am doubling it to make some salt and pepper sticks. For those you don't have to let the dough rise a second time. After the first rise, punch down and divide the dough into about 12 - 14 pieces and roll into ropes about 12-inches long; place on greased baking sheet leaving about 2-inches between them; brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Bake until done - 16 - 20 minutes.

For dessert - filled cakes - I'll whip up a basic white cake and bake in my Xpress 101. I'll get about 14 cakes from a homemade mix. When cool I will fill with a custard filling and drizzle a chocolate icing over the tops - similar to a Boston Cream Pie.