A is for amaranth, b for barley. Or buckwheat. Look for corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, and teff as well. Wheat and wild rice bring up the rear, along with a handful of specialty flours. Such are the base ingredients in Beth Hensperger's inspiring The Pleasure of Whole Grain Breads. You may recognize Hensperger as the author of The Bread Bible,
These dinner rolls are streaked with sun-dried tomatoes and infused with the flavor of fresh herbs. Serve with a soft wedge of room- temperature Teleme cheese or slices of Vermont cheddar, accompanied by a glass of chilled white.
Makes: 20 rolls
Sponge
1 tablespoon (1 package) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup bread flour
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
Dough
1/4 cup good-quality olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
4 to 4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil, dill, or rosemary
1 cup well-drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Sun-dried tomato oil, for brushing
To make the sponge: In a large bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and water. Add the whole-wheat and bread flours and oats; beat hard with a large whisk until creamy. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature until bubbly and double in bulk, about 1 hour.
To make the dough: In a large bowl using a whisk or in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sponge, olive oil, salt, and 1 cup of the bread flour. Beat hard for 1 minute. Add the herbs and tomatoes. Add the remaining bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing on low speed until a soft, shaggy dough that just clears the sides of the bowl forms, switching to a wooden spoon when necessary if making by hand.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead until the dough is soft, smooth, and springy, 1 to 2 minutes for a machine-mixed dough and 3 to 5 minutes for a hand-mixed dough, dusting with flour only 1 tablespoon at a time, just enough as needed to prevent sticking. Place in a lightly greased deep container, turn once to coat the top, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until double in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Grease 20 standard muffin cups (you will need 2 muffin tins). Turn the dough out onto the work surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Divide each portion into 5 equal pieces. Form each piece into a tight 2-inch ball and place in a prepared muffin cup, seam side down. Using floured kitchen shears, snip an X about 1 inch deep in the top of each roll. Brush with the tomato oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until double in bulk, about 45 minutes.
About 20 minutes before baking, preheat an oven to 375 degrees F and position a rack in the center of the oven.
Bake the rolls until browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the pans and serve hot, or cool on a rack and reheat before serving
