Graceful Mary

For the Bread:

• 1 1/2 cups water, lukewarm about 105F 
• 2 Tablespoons active dry or Instant yeast
• 3 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/2 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil
• 4 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions:

• Add lukewarm water to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the kneading hook. Add the yeast and 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar. Let stand 5 minutes, then add the remaining sugar, salt and oil.
• Add the flour and mix for a 3-4 minutes, to develop the dough. Cover with clean towel and let stand 15 minutes.
• Remove dough to a floured work surface. Knead dough a couple of minutes, adding additional flour as needed, only if the dough is sticking to your hands or the work surface. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. *I like to weigh the entire piece of dough, then divide that amount by 4, to weigh out identically sized pieces.
• Form each piece of dough into a ball, cover with a clean tea towel and let rest 15 minutes.
• Roll each piece of dough into an 8×8-inch square. Starting with the edge closest to you, tightly roll the dough up, jelly-roll style and pinch the seam together. Using your palms, roll the dough log on a work surface, gently and evenly stretching it out longer, until it is 11 to 12-inch long. Be sure that the dough is even thickness along the length of the dough. Remove the dough to a large, un-greased baking sheet. *You can lightly dust the baking sheet with a bit of flour or line the baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper, if your baking sheet is prone to sticking.
• Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
• Brush the top of the rolls with water, cover and let rise 20-30 minutes, until puffy. 
• As the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 375F (regular bake/not fan-assisted), so the oven will be hot and ready when your rolls are ready. 
• Brush the dough with water again and sprinkle with any toppings at this point (seeds, cheese, dried herbs etc.)
• Bake 18-22 minutes, or until deep golden. Remove from the oven and immediately transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.