Let's Make Pain Au Lait Rolls

Let’s Make Pain au Lait

This week we move into the world of rich breads. Rich breads are those that have some fat, sugar and sometimes eggs in them. This dough has them all. It’s not as rich as some doughs can get but this is a great start. It’s still a straight dough method bread. Once we move into higher fat percentages, we’ll use the brioche method. But that’s another post in the future. 

You can use this dough to make loaf bread if you want but the most common usage is for soft rolls. They can be hamburger style buns or something like the buttery Parker House rolls. Even with the very small percentage of butter in this formula, they are incredibly buttery. More butter can be added on the exterior of the bread. I like to bake these with some egg wash on them or some herb butter. With the egg wash, they will have a very shiny exterior. This is one dough every baker will want to add to their repertoire. 

Usually I mix small batch doughs by hand but this dough does benefit from machine mixing if you have one. The butter mixes in easier. If you don’t have a machine, mixing by hand is fine. 

What are the basic ingredients?

Chef Tom Pain au Lait

bread flour 100% 500g

milk 60% 300g

kosher salt 2% 10g

instant yeast 1.5% 7g

Sugar 10% 50g

Butter 16% 80g

Eggs 10% 50g

Egg wash for finishing

Or herb butter for brushing

½ sheet pan

Bench scraper

Stainless steel bowl for mixing

Parchment paper

Baking stone (optional)

Water sprayer for steaming

Straight dough method 

Start by combining all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Put the dough hook on and mix on slow for 4 minutes. Then change the speed to slightly faster for another 4 minutes. If you are mixing by hand, refer to the instructions in any of the previous lean dough mixing methods. (French bread, focaccia, etc) Cover the dough and let it rest for an hour. After some fermentation and relaxation, give the dough a stretch and fold. This will help develop gluten and make the dough stronger. Let it rest for another hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. 

When you are ready to use the dough, scale out 50g pieces. You should have approximately 19-20 rolls. Round each of these rolls. I do a rough round to start and then let it rest for about 5 minutes. Then I come back and round them completely so there are no wrinkles, creases or flaps on the rolls. They should be as round and spherical as you can make them. 

Place the rolls on a ½ sheet pan to proof. Alternatively, you can butter a cast iron pan or cake pan and place several rolls inside. If you are using this method, be sure to leave some space between each of the rolls as they will expand to fill the space. On the ½ sheet pan, I like to leave 2-3 inches between the rolls. I don’t want them touching. In the cast-iron or cake pan, it doesn’t matter. 

Let the rolls proof for 1½ to 2 hours. They should double in volume in that time. If they don’t, give the rolls more time. The time will vary with the time of year, your environment and the way you mixed the bread. When they double in volume, brush with egg wash or herb butter. You can also finish with poppy or sesame seeds. 

While the breads are proofing, preheat your oven to 375°F. Place the pan in the oven and bake until they become golden brown. Since these have sugar and fat, they are not baked quite as darkly as the lean breads are. It should bake for 15-20 minutes. When the rolls are done, place the finished rolls on a wire rack to cool. It’s not recommnended to cool them on the pan as they will begin to sweat as they cool making the bottoms soggy. 

These rolls can be used for sandwiches, burger buns or eating plain. As with most breads, I like them toasted before I enjoy them. One little tip is that if you are going to use them for hamburger buns, proof them with a piece of sprayed parchment and another sheet pan on top. This way, they proof out not up and give you a very nice flat roll. Egg wash as normal. The buns will remain relatively flat during baking. Have fun and experiment with different flavors, flours and toppings. 

Chef Tom