Wholewheat Herbes de Provence Pull Apart Rolls - Toasty Savoury Goodness

Wholewheat Herbes de Provence Pull Apart Rolls

I get cravings for making bread like pregnant women might crave a boiled potato.... What? Just me? There is a dearth of GOOD bakeries in the Fairview area apart from Wholefoods and that includes the bland batons of air from Baguettes et Echalottes on Granville island. But if you don't want to pay the price of a large bag of flour for one (albeit tasty) loaf at WF, then you have to bake.

The dangerous thing about these scrumptious Pull Apart Rolls is that, as you slather butter on each steamy little ball of baked joy, you don't realise you've eaten nearly an entire loaf of bread. The Herbes de Provence give the otherwise run of the mill rolls a savouriness and subtle sophistication, particularly because of the Lavender. Mmmmmmm

Wholewheat Herbes de Provence Pull Apart Rolls

1 1/2 c Water, luke warm, it so hot you cannot comfortably dunk your finger
1 T Honey
2 t Yeast (or 1 envelope)
1 t Salt
2 t dry Herbes de Provence
1 c Bread Flour
3 c Wholewheat Flour (+/- 1/2 c depending on humidity)
1-2 T Olive Oil

In your stand mixer bowl, add the Water and Honey. Stir to dissolve. Sprinkle over the yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes until frothy.

Add the Salt, 1T Olive Oil and the Herbes de Provence. Mix on low/stir for a minute.

Leave on low/stir and add the first 2c of Flour a 1/2c at a time. Then turn it up to medium until all the flour is incorporated. Scrape down the sides and add another 1/2c of Flour. Turn on low until Flour is I corporated and youre safe from a face full of Flour. Continue to do this adding 1/4 cups of Flour until the dough pulls away cleanly from the sides and is slightly tacky to the touch. I like it stickier than normal. Or at least I do in Vancouver. For some reason, out east, I could bring the dough to a easy to handle consistency and it would turn out great. When I moved here and made dough to that consistency, it came out too dense and dry. Test test test...for your area.

Knead on medium for 10 minutes.

Grease a large bowl lightly. Lift the dough out and pull and roll it in your hands to form a ball. Place in greased bowl then turn over for oily side up. Set aside covered in plastic wrap or moist towel to rise for 1 hour.

Brush a bundt pan lightly with Olive Oil. Have a small bowl Oil at hand. Oil your hands. Pull bits of dough about 3/4 the size of tennis balls. Roll and drop into bundt pan. Continue and tightly pack the Rolls. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Check though because the Rolls may rise over the lip of the pan and you don't want the dough to touch it. Uncover then.

Preheat oven to 375F

Brush with oil and bake for 25-30 minutes. It should be golden brown and risen.

Serve with a generous pat of Butta.....mmmmmm

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