Dutch Crunch doesn’t refer to the type of bread, but rather the topping that is spread over the bread before baking. In Dutch it’s called Tijgerbrood or “tiger bread” after the tiger-like shell on the bread when it comes out of the oven. The final product has a delightful sweet crunch to it that makes it perfect for a sandwich roll. It’s a common option at sandwich shops all over the Bay Area and is often one of the first breads to run out.
Sara and Erica of Baking JDs were our March 2012 Daring Baker hostesses! Sara & Erica challenged us to make Dutch Crunch bread, a delicious sandwich bread with a unique, crunchy topping. Sara and Erica also challenged us to create a one of a kind sandwich with our bread!
The recipe for the Dutch Crunch topping came from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible. The recipes for the breads we’ve suggested came from The Bread Bible and an adaptation of a recipe found on bakingbites.com (http://bakingbites.com/2006/09/cooking-school-dutch-crunch-bread/).
For the challenge we were asked to make the Dutch Crunch topping and use it on our choice of bread or roll and use the finished bread to construct a sandwich of our choice. We were allowed to use any bread or roll recipe. So I decided to make “Savory Rolls with Garlic and Sun-dried Tomatoes”. If you like anything garlicky like me, you would love this one.
SAVORY ROLLS WITH GARLIC AND SUNDRIED TOMATOES - DUTCH CRUNCH TOPPING
Ingredients:
2 cups bread flour
a teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon chopped garlic( you may reduce this to half if you do not like the flavor)
a tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes chopped
3/4 cup of water
2 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butterIn a Food processor, pulse together flour,salt and yeast. Add the chopped garlic,sundried tomatoes,olive oil and butter. Pulse again till you see the flour crumbled. Add warm water and beat until all come together. Knead and shape it into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place until double in size, which will take about two hours.
Punch the dough and shape into balls/bun shape. You will end up with six of them. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment,allow it proof for about 20 minutes. In the meanwhile make the topping.
Dutch Crunch Topping
Ingredients
1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105-115º F) (41-46°C)
1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoon rice flourDirections:
1.Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with a whisk; beat hard to combine. The consistency should be like stiff royal icing – spreadable, but not too runny. If you pull some up with your whisk, as shown below, it should drip off slowly. Add more water or rice flour as necessary. Let stand 15 minutes.
2.Coat the top of each roll with a thick layer of topping.You should err on the side of applying too much topping – a thin layer will not crack properly.
3.Let stand, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.
4.When baking, place pans on a rack in the center of the oven and bake.The Dutch Cruch topping should crack and turn a nice golden-brown color.
I was thrilled with the result. Though my rolls weren’t that dark in color,the crunchiness is all that mattered. I read in the DB forum that adding a lil more sugar would result in a darker texture. Since I was making a savory roll, I decided not to do so. I loved the crunchiness of the roll.The bread was tender and had an amazing garlic flavor to it. Actually while baking there was a nice aroma of garlic in the entire house…aah that was lovely!
I came up with a very simple sandwich with whatever available at home. I used some cream cheese spread and mayo on the roll. Also added roasted potatoes(cooked ,sliced and roasted with some olive oil,paprika and salt), onions,tomato and very little grated carrots. This was my dinner last night and I just loved it. I plan to make some Soft rolls with this kind of topping again.
Thanks so much Sara and Erica for the lovely challenge.
