{"id":9219,"date":"2012-12-10T08:00:03","date_gmt":"2012-12-10T15:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/?p=9219"},"modified":"2015-08-06T11:47:53","modified_gmt":"2015-08-06T17:47:53","slug":"homemade-italian-sandwich-rolls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/homemade-italian-sandwich-rolls\/","title":{"rendered":"Homemade Italian Sandwich Rolls"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_9228\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9228\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-served.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9228\" title=\"homemade crusty Italian bread sandwich rolls\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-served-300x143.jpg\" alt=\"homemade crusty Italian bread sandwich rolls\" width=\"300\" height=\"143\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-served-300x143.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-served-1024x490.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9228\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">homemade crusty Italian bread sandwich rolls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>I needed hoagie buns, or deli sandwich rolls, for French dip sandwiches for dinner on Friday last week.<\/strong> \u00a0I didn&#8217;t want to buy them. \u00a0<em>That just sounded bland.<\/em> \u00a0I didn&#8217;t want to use a regular bread recipe. <em>\u00a0That bread would already be fairly moist, and thus get soggy quickly when dipped in au jus.<\/em> \u00a0So I began looking for recipes. \u00a0I looked in all my baking cookbooks. \u00a0I did an online search. \u00a0It seemed like everyone had been buying their sandwich buns, or making them from an average bread recipe.<\/p>\n<p><strong>One clue I ran across, was that the sandwich rolls were being referred to as Italian bread. \u00a0<\/strong> I happened to have an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0688050425\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0688050425&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=dailyimprov-20\" target=\"_blank\">old Italian cookbook<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=dailyimprov-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0688050425\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" \/>\u00a0on my kitchen bookshelf, that I <em>may<\/em> have opened once in 20 years. \u00a0I bought it for a great $8.50 at a used book store because it looked interesting, but that was as far as it went. \u00a0<em>Until Friday.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>It&#8217;s a good thing I was looking early in the morning, because the recipe called for at least 5 hours of rising time. \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>But, other than that, it was a straightforward recipe promising special flavor. \u00a0I \u00a0got my ingredients together, then\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">warmed my large metal bowl under hot water.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>The recipe is given in proportions suitable for using for several varieties of Italian bread,<\/strong> but when I multiplied it for the amount that I thought I would need for dinner, I ended up with figures like 1.87 teaspoons of salt. \u00a0SO, I rounded and adjusted to even numbers, trying to keep it all in proportion still. \u00a0For eight sandwich rolls:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #800000;\">2 cups warm water, warm like comfortable on the wrist<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">4 teaspoons of yeast &#8211; I use<\/span>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B003Z7VYXW\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003Z7VYXW&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=dailyimprov-20\" target=\"_blank\">Saf Instant Yeast<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=dailyimprov-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B003Z7VYXW\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" \/>, <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">which I keep in a jar in the freezer<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #800000;\">2 teaspoons of salt<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">1.5 cups freshly ground flour from hard red wheat berries<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #800000;\">3 cups unbleached white flour<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">just enough flour to keep it from sticking unmanageably to the counter top during kneading<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>The directions in the book include a variety of process options<\/strong>, confirming the idea that bread making is a creative affair. \u00a0It doesn&#8217;t have to be done perfectly or exactly to yield yummy results. \u00a0Even if there are things that can be &#8220;done better&#8221; the next time, it is a rare mistake that ruins the batch. \u00a0I have been making homemade bread, almost weekly, for 20 plus years, but this was my first attempt at Italian bread.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">Sprinkle<\/span> the yeast over the warm water<\/span> and let it sit 3 &#8211; 4 minutes; <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">then gently <span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">whisk<\/span> to mix.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9241\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9241\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-yeast-on-water2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9241\" title=\"previously frozen yeast warming on water's surface\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-yeast-on-water2-300x247.jpg\" alt=\"previously frozen yeast warming on water's surface\" width=\"300\" height=\"247\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-yeast-on-water2-300x247.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-yeast-on-water2-1024x845.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9241\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">previously frozen yeast warming on water&#8217;s surface<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">Stir<\/span> the salt in.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">Add<\/span> all the flour at once,<\/span> which is different from my regular bread making. I used a wooden spoon to<span style=\"color: #800080;\"> combine\u00a0<\/span>until it formed a nice lump that pulled away from the bowl. This did not take very long.\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_9247\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9247\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-ready-to-knead.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9247\" title=\"Italian bread ready to knead\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-ready-to-knead-300x202.jpg\" alt=\"Italian bread ready to knead\" width=\"300\" height=\"202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-ready-to-knead-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-ready-to-knead-1024x692.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9247\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Italian bread ready to knead<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">Knead<\/span> the dough for a full 12 minutes<\/span>, until it is elastic and smooth, and a finger hole poked into it quickly fills in. ONLY add flour when necessary to keep it from being too sticky to knead. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u00a0Keep it as moist as possible.<\/span> \u00a0<em>The kneading time is the part that I didn&#8217;t do as well as I should have for this first trial.<\/em>\u00a0 I am used to kneading a 4 loaf batch of bread for 8 &#8211; 10 minutes. I was concerned I would be over-kneading this one-loaf-lump and make the bread tough; but after the the bread was wimpy about rising, my chef-daughter helped me to understand that this recipe had a higher ratio of water to flour, and thus required more kneading.\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_9254\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9254\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-rubber-gloves.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9254\" title=\"I always knead bread with rubber gloves, because the yeast makes my hands itch!\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-rubber-gloves-300x217.jpg\" alt=\"I always knead bread with rubber gloves, because the yeast makes my hands itch!\" width=\"300\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-rubber-gloves-300x217.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-rubber-gloves-1024x740.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9254\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I always knead bread with rubber gloves, because the yeast makes my hands itch!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>After <span style=\"color: #800080;\">removing<\/span> any larger pieces of dough from the mixing bowl, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">dust<\/span> the bottom of the bowl with flour and <span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">put<\/span> the dough inside. <span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">\u00a0Cover<\/span> the bowl with a damp, clean kitchen towel. \u00a0Then, <span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">get<\/span> a thick towel damp and <span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">put<\/span> it over the top of that.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Place<\/span> it all in the Excalibur dehydrator and <span style=\"color: #800080;\">turn on<\/span> the machine to about 80 degrees. (or just put it in a warmish, draft-free location) \u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">Let is rise<\/span> for a solid two hours<\/span>, or until \u00a0double or more in volume. \u00a0<em>I neglected to get the towels damp, at first, and found that the dough formed a skin.<\/em> \u00a0I just broke the skin up and pushed it into the rest of the dough when I punched it down after the first rising.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9258\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9258\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-in-Excalibur.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9258\" title=\"letting Italian bread rise in dehydrator on the cool late fall day\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-in-Excalibur-300x197.jpg\" alt=\"letting Italian bread rise in dehydrator on the cool late fall day\" width=\"300\" height=\"197\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-in-Excalibur-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-in-Excalibur-1024x675.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9258\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">letting Italian bread rise in dehydrator on the cool late fall day<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9261\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9261\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-skin-formed.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9261\" title=\"sticky Italian bread dough pushed down after first rising\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-skin-formed-300x237.jpg\" alt=\"sticky Italian bread dough pushed down after first rising\" width=\"300\" height=\"237\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-skin-formed-300x237.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-skin-formed-1024x809.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9261\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">sticky Italian bread dough pushed down after first rising<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Let it <span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">rise again\u00a0<\/span>for 2 &#8211; 3 hours<\/span>, again until it has about doubled. It will develop it&#8217;s flavor with the longer rising.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9267\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9267\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-second-rising.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9267\" title=\"inadequately kneaded dough does not rise as well\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-second-rising-300x245.jpg\" alt=\"inadequately kneaded dough does not rise as well\" width=\"300\" height=\"245\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-second-rising-300x245.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-second-rising-1024x839.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9267\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">inadequately kneaded dough does not rise as well<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">Grease<\/span> two half sheet pans or cookie sheets, <\/span>then <span style=\"color: #800080;\">divide<\/span> the dough into eight equal pieces. I cut through it with a rubber spatula. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">Form\u00a0<\/span>the pieces<\/span> into the shape you would like for your sandwiches. I chose rectangles this first time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9274\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9274\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-hoagie-rolls.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9274\" title=\"four Italian bread rectangular buns per half sheet baking pan\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-hoagie-rolls-300x171.jpg\" alt=\"four Italian bread rectangular buns per half sheet baking pan\" width=\"300\" height=\"171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-hoagie-rolls-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-hoagie-rolls-1024x585.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9274\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">four Italian bread rectangular buns per half sheet baking pan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>About this time, I was getting a little depressed. We were having company for dinner and those hoagie rolls looked awfully <em>flat, flat, flat.<\/em> \u00a0However, working with the premise that I might as well see it through to the end, I let these <span style=\"color: #800080;\">rise<\/span> for about 30 minutes while the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">oven<span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\"> heated<\/span> up to 475 degrees<\/span>. \u00a0The rolls stayed flat. \u00a0\ud83d\ude41 \u00a0 \u00a0In my melancholy, I <span style=\"color: #800080;\">skipped slashing<\/span> the tops to allow for expansion while baking.<\/li>\n<li>I <span style=\"color: #800080;\">put<\/span> a glass bowl full of water in the bottom of the oven, then <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">baked the rolls for 5 minutes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Per recipe in the book, I then <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">turned<\/span> the oven <span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">down<\/span> to 400 degrees.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9278\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9278\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-in-oven.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9278\" title=\"water is supposed to help bread form a crusty crust\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-in-oven-300x220.jpg\" alt=\"water is supposed to help bread form a crusty crust\" width=\"300\" height=\"220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-in-oven-300x220.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-in-oven-1024x754.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9278\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">water is supposed to help bread form a crusty crust<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">Check<\/span> the rolls every 5 minutes for doneness.<\/span> They didn&#8217;t turn brown like other bread and they sounded hard when tapped quite early, so I decided that about 25 minutes was a standard amount of time for that size of bread. I <span style=\"color: #800080;\">took<\/span> them <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">out<\/span> after 25 minutes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">It was recommended that they be allowed to<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\"> cool<\/span> completely<\/span>, so I put them on a wire rack and worked on the rest of dinner, including going to <em><\/em><em>pick more <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/do-you-let-your-lettuce-go-to-seed\/\" target=\"_blank\">late fall volunteers from summer lettuce gone to seed<\/a>,<\/span> in the near dark and rain.<\/em>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_9289\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9289\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-flat-and-hard.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9289\" title=\"cooling on the rack keeps the bottom of the bread from getting gooey\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-flat-and-hard-300x214.jpg\" alt=\"cooling on the rack keeps the bottom of the bread from getting gooey\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-flat-and-hard-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-flat-and-hard-1024x732.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9289\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">cooling on the rack keeps the bottom of the bread from getting gooey<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9300\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9300\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-inside.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9300\" title=\"decent crumb inside the Italian sandwich rolls\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-inside-300x217.jpg\" alt=\"decent crumb inside the Italian sandwich rolls\" width=\"300\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-inside-300x217.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-inside-1024x743.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9300\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">decent crumb inside the Italian sandwich rolls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Slicing the rolls in half \u00a0WAS a challenge<\/strong>, but the inside actually looked good, even though a bit crumbly. \u00a0<em>I decided to serve them for dinner. \u00a0<\/em>They tasted very good, everyone agreed!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9297\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9297\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-fillings.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9297\" title=\"everyone has their own sandwich design\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-fillings-300x250.jpg\" alt=\"everyone has their own sandwich design\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-fillings-300x250.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-fillings-1024x855.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-fillings.jpg 1564w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9297\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">everyone has their own sandwich design<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9299\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9299\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-sandwich.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9299\" title=\"flat ended up being a good size to bite into\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-sandwich-300x190.jpg\" alt=\"flat ended up being a good size to bite into\" width=\"300\" height=\"190\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-sandwich-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-sandwich-1024x648.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9299\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">flat ended up being a good size to bite into<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9303\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9303\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-bleu-cheese-.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9303\" title=\"Chef Betharoni put bleu cheese crumbles over cheddar on her sandwich\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-bleu-cheese--300x168.jpg\" alt=\"Chef Betharoni put bleu cheese crumbles over cheddar on her sandwich\" width=\"300\" height=\"168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-bleu-cheese--300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-bleu-cheese--1024x573.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9303\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef Betharoni put bleu cheese crumbles over cheddar on her sandwich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>I was inspired to try the whole thing again two days later, because we had so much left over roast.<\/strong> \u00a0This time, I tripled my recipe, so I guess I was optimistic. \u00a0\ud83d\ude42 \u00a0<em>It all worked out very well, except I forgot those slashes, again&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9293\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9293\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-2nd-batch-risen.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9293\" title=\"second attempt at Italian bread goes according to plan\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-2nd-batch-risen-300x100.jpg\" alt=\"second attempt at Italian bread goes according to plan\" width=\"300\" height=\"100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-2nd-batch-risen-300x100.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-2nd-batch-risen-1024x343.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9293\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">second attempt at Italian bread goes according to plan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9295\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9295\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-round-roll-buns.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9295\" title=\"round buns this time, though\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-round-roll-buns-300x186.jpg\" alt=\"round buns this time, though\" width=\"300\" height=\"186\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-round-roll-buns-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-round-roll-buns-1024x637.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9295\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">round buns this time, though<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9311\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9311\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-flatten-rounds.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9311\" title=\"the rounds were pushed flatter for the last rising, but they still puffed up when baked\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-flatten-rounds-300x65.jpg\" alt=\"the rounds were pushed flatter for the last rising, but they still puffed up when baked\" width=\"300\" height=\"65\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-flatten-rounds-300x65.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-flatten-rounds-1024x224.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9311\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">the rounds were pushed flatter for the last rising, but they still puffed up when baked<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The buns were definitely thicker. <em>Might make them thinner next time<\/em> \u00a0 \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9310\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9310\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-take-2-in-round.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9310\" title=\"round Italian bread buns browned up a bit this time\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-take-2-in-round-300x166.jpg\" alt=\"round Italian bread buns browned up a bit this time\" width=\"300\" height=\"166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-take-2-in-round-300x166.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-take-2-in-round-1024x566.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9310\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">round Italian bread buns browned up a bit this time<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>The flavor of this Italian bread reminds me of sourdough, but not as strong.<\/strong>\u00a0 It seems like it is a good substitute that doesn&#8217;t require the same planning and tending as a sourdough starter.<em> It is also a candidate for trying in <a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/build-a-backyard-brick-oven-foundations-and-legs\/\" target=\"_blank\">the brick oven<\/a>,<\/em> to get that extra special touch that only the brick oven can give!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9318\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9318\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-fresh-cut-round.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-9318\" title=\"piping hot Italian bread sandwich rolls, because sometimes you just can't wait -\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-fresh-cut-round-300x174.jpg\" alt=\"piping hot Italian bread sandwich rolls, because sometimes you just can't wait -\" width=\"300\" height=\"174\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-fresh-cut-round-300x174.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Italian-bread-fresh-cut-round-1024x596.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9318\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">piping hot Italian bread sandwich rolls, because sometimes you just can&#8217;t wait &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"http:\/\/rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/cm?lt1=_blank&amp;bc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;fc1=000000&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;t=dailyimprov-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as4&amp;m=amazon&amp;f=ifr&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;asins=0688050425\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"320\" height=\"240\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I needed hoagie buns, or deli sandwich rolls, for French dip sandwiches for dinner on Friday last week. \u00a0I didn&#8217;t want to buy them. \u00a0That just sounded bland. \u00a0I didn&#8217;t want to use a regular bread recipe. \u00a0That bread would already be fairly moist, and thus get soggy quickly when dipped in au jus. \u00a0So [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18,19],"tags":[63,70],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9219"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9219"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9219\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}