Sweet Milk Rolls with Raisins

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Dough base

1. 1
   Soak the raisins 10 minutes in the hot water, drain and pat dry with a towel.

   BowlColanderKitchen towel
2. 2
   Beat one egg in a small bowl and set it aside for brushing.
3. 3
   Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

   Bowl
4. 4
   Add the lukewarm milk, second egg and vanilla and Knead on low speed 4 minutes. Add the butter in several additions and knead another 6–8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft and slightly sticky and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

   ⚙ KneadingBowlStand mixerStand mixerDough hook

   💡Butter added only after the gluten has developed doesn't stop it from stretching: the rich dough comes out smooth and soft, not sticky.

   💡For yeast dough, use the windowpane test: a small piece stretches into a thin, translucent sheet without tearing, and that's the sign the kneading is done. Add flour only by the tablespoon, and only if the dough is still sticky after a few minutes: too much flour makes a tough dough.
5. 5
   Add the raisins and Knead another 1 minute, until they are spread through the dough.

   ⚙ KneadingBowlStand mixer
6. 6
   Cover and Let rise about an hour and a half in a warm place, until the dough doubles in size.

   ⚙ ProofingPlastic wraporKitchen towel

   💡Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot. The dough is ready when it has doubled, and a gentle finger press leaves a dent that fills back slowly; if it springs right back, wait longer.
7. 7
   Divide the dough into balls of about 3 oz each: cut it with a bench scraper and roll each piece under your palm into a smooth ball.

   Bench scraperKitchen scale

   💡Balls of equal weight bake in the same time: weigh the dough and divide it by weight, not by eye.
8. 8
   Place the balls on parchment paper on a baking sheet, with space between each ball.

   Baking panParchment paper

   💡Leave space between the balls: they grow as they rise and in the oven, and when crowded they stick together and bake pale at the sides.
9. 9
   Cover and Let rise another 40 minutes, until the rolls have risen.

   ⚙ ProofingPlastic wraporKitchen towel
10. 10
    Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).

    ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

    💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
11. 11
    Brush the rolls with the reserved egg.

    Pastry brush

    💡The egg gives the rolls a shiny golden crust, and seeds sprinkled on it stick to it.
12. 12
    Bake 16–20 minutes, until the rolls are golden.

    ⚙ BakingOvenBaking pan

    💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.