Carrot Thyme Rolls

Carrot Thyme Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 ounce vegetable oil
• 7 ½ ounces carrot puree*
• 1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon iodized salt
• 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
• 4 ¾ cups bread flour 

To make:
Steep the five sprigs of thyme in the milk and allow to cool just until warm to the touch. Remove the sprigs and bloom the yeast in the milk with the sugar. Add everything to the bowl of a stand mixer, and allow the ingredients to come together in a cohesive mass on a low speed. At this point, you may add more flour or water if necessary.

Turn the mixer on to medium speed and allow the dough to mix for 3-5 minutes. The dough will be slightly sticky yet smooth. Turn the dough out of the mixer bowl and knead on the countertop just a few strokes. Place dough in an oiled bowl and allow to rise in a warm, non-drafty place until double in size.

Portion the dough in 1 ½ ounce balls. Roll the dough in rounds and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic and allow to rise again.

At this point, preheat the oven to 400ºF (350ºF with a fan on if you have convection). Once the rolls are fluffy, bake them for about 12 minutes. This may take longer in a home oven. Allow to cool slightly and enjoy!

*For the carrot puree, you can roast the carrots or steam them and puree them until smooth. To save time, though, you can pick up carrot puree in the baby food aisle of your local grocery store.