Morning Rolls

Name: Morning Rolls
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 43 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Scottish
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour; 7 g fast-action dried yeast; 5 g caster sugar; 10 g Fine sea salt; 25 g vegetable shortening; 320 ml lukewarm water; 15 g rice flour; 20 g Plain flour

Soft, chewy Scottish morning rolls with a floury crust, baked close together so they pull apart easily into tender, batch-baked breakfast rolls.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· Central Belt

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 18 min
Total: 43 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 245 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

500 g strong white bread flour — plus extra for dusting
7 g fast-action dried yeast — one standard sachet
5 g caster sugar — 1 tsp to kickstart yeast
10 g Fine sea salt — essential for crust and crumb flavour
25 g vegetable shortening — or traditional lard
320 ml lukewarm water — around 38°C
15 g rice flour — for dusting the baking tray base
20 g Plain flour — for topping before baking

Equipment

•Large mixing bowl
•Baking tray
•Measuring jug
•Damp tea towel
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 245 kcal
fat: 3.5 g
carbs: 46 g
fibre: 2.2 g
protein: 8 g
calories: 245 kcal

Instructions

1
Combine the strong bread flour, yeast, caster sugar, and fine sea salt in a large mixing bowl.
2
Rub the vegetable shortening into the flour mixture with your fingertips until evenly dispersed.
3
Pour in the lukewarm water and mix thoroughly until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
4
Knead the dough on a clean surface for ten minutes until smooth, glossy, and elastic.
5
Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and prove for one hour.
6
Tip the risen dough onto the worktop, gently deflate, and divide into eight equal pieces.
7
Shape each piece into a smooth, taut ball, then flatten firmly with the palm of your hand.
8
Dust a baking tray with rice flour and arrange dough discs close together, barely touching at the edges.
9
Cover loosely with a damp cloth and leave to rise for thirty minutes until puffed and touching.
10
Dust the tops generously with plain flour, or leave bare if aiming for a dark well-fired finish.
11
Bake at 220°C (200°C fan) for fifteen to eighteen minutes until well-risen and golden or darkly charred.
12
Transfer the rolls immediately to a wire cooling rack and cover with a clean tea towel to soften.

Chef's tips

Baking the rolls close together on the tray forces them to rise upwards and creates soft, tear-away sides. For the Glasgow 'well-fired' style, omit the flour dusting on top and bake for an extra three to four minutes until deeply browned with charred patches. Covering the hot baked rolls with a clean tea towel traps the steam and ensures a tender, chewy crust.

Ingredient substitutions

vegetable shortening → lard or block butter
rice flour → fine semolina or extra plain flour for tray dusting

Storage

Store morning rolls in an airtight bread bag at room temperature for up to two days, though they are best eaten the morning they are baked.

Reheating

Warm split rolls under a moderate grill for one minute or pop them in a low oven at 150°C for three minutes to refresh the crumb.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Spacing the dough portions too far apart on the baking tray, resulting in flat, dry buns rather than soft batch rolls
•Under-kneading the dough, which prevents the gluten network from supporting the characteristic high, airy rise
•Letting the rolls cool uncovered, which turns the delicate crust brittle rather than soft and chewy

Serving suggestions

Filled with sliced hot Lorne sausage and brown sauceStuffed with a warm tattie scone and crispy back baconSpread generously with salted butter alongside a mug of strong Scottish blend tea