Dutch Crunch Bread

To make the bread, stir together the yeast, water, milk and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand for 5 minutes until bubbles start to form on the surface.

Attach the bread hook to the stand mixer and add the oil, salt and flour. Mix on medium-low speed until a dough ball starts to form. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until a smooth, elastic dough ball forms.

Place the dough ball in a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a turned-off oven to rise until it’s doubled in size, about 1 hour.

When the dough is almost done rising, make the Dutch crunch topping. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the topping ingredients (active dry yeast, water, sugar, oil, salt and rice flour). Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth and has a thick, paste-like consistency. It should be thick enough to hold its shape, but thin enough to slowly drip down when you hold the whisk above the bowl. Allow the topping to sit for 15 minutes.

When the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Dust the complete surface of the dough with flour. Divide the dough into 6 pieces. If you want to make smaller rolls, divide the dough into 8, 10 or 12 pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a ball. Place on a parchment-lined (or silicone-lined) baking sheet. Place a clean towel over the baking sheet, and let sit for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 380 F.

Using a spoon, cover each roll completely with a thick layer of the Dutch crunch topping. Be generous with the topping, you want a thick layer so it’s able to crack properly.

Place the rolls in the oven to bake until the cracked tops turn a golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Allow the rolls to cool slightly before eating.

These last up to 1 week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

The recipe for the Dutch Crunch topping was adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible. The recipe for the Bread Rolls also was adapted from The Bread Bible and an adaptation of a recipe found on Baking Bites.