Fluffy Vegan Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons active yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar, (or maple syrup)
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour, or more, if needed, divided
• 2 teaspoons vital wheat gluten,, optional
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt, at room temperature (or use non dairy cream, cashew cream or coconut cream)
• sesame seeds, or other seeds of choice, for topping, optional
• 1 to 2 teaspoons herbs, such as chive, basil, parsley, etc., optional

Steps

1. Warm the water to about 110° F (43° C), or just warm to the touch. Mix it in a bowl with the yeast and sugar and leave until frothy, about 10 minutes. If it fails to froth, the yeast is too old or dead and will not work.
2. In a separate bowl, combine 3 cups flour with the salt, baking powder and wheat gluten if using. Mix in the yeast mixture, melted butter, olive oil and yogurt, combining everything; it will be somewhat sticky.
3. Begin adding flour 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. Keep kneading and adding flour 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time until somewhat smooth: a stand mixer or food processor takes 4 to 5 minutes, while hand kneading takes 6 to 8 minutes. By hand, fold the dough over, pound it a little, then fold and pound again, continuing this pattern. When not too sticky and somewhat even, pull from the side and tuck under for a smooth top, then put it in a bowl. Brush the top with some oil or dust with flour, cover with a kitchen towel and leave somewhere warm for up to 2 hours, or until doubled. Depending on ambient temperature, doubling can take 1 to 2 hours. The reported usual practice is a slightly warm oven, where the dough doubles within the hour.
4. After rising, punch the dough lightly. With a little flour, lift it onto the workspace, then use a little more flour to knead and shape a longish roll. The baking dish and desired roll size determine whether this makes 9 to 12 rolls or even more. Cut into equal pieces. Shape balls by rolling, or pull the sides and tuck underneath, placing tucked-side down in a parchment-lined or greased baking dish. Make each ball about half the desired full roll size, as it will rise considerably. Leave about 1/2” between them for rolls that rise and stick together, or 1” or more for individual rolls.
5. Brush the tops with oil and cover lightly with a towel. Let rise somewhere warm for about 45 to 55 minutes, until doubled. Spritz the doubled tops with water, sprinkle on seeds or herbs and bake in a preheated 375° F (191° C) oven for 19 to 22 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow. Tap the center bun to check for that hollow sound; if it is absent, bake another 2 to 4 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven. Closely spaced buns take a little longer to bake than widely spaced ones. Take the baking dish out of the oven and leave the buns a few minutes before removing them from the dish onto a cooling rack for 10 minutes or so. Some more vegan butter may be melted on top. Serve warm with vegan butter, or as a side for soups, curries, a holiday spread or as you prefer.