Enroladinho de Salsicha

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large mixing bowl
• •Baking tray, at least 30 by 40 cm
• •Parchment paper
• •Pastry brush
• •Clean kitchen towel

Instructions

1. 1

   Wake the yeast

   Pour the warm milk into a large bowl and stir in the yeast and sugar. Touch the milk first: it should feel warm like bath water, not hot. Hot milk can kill the yeast, cold milk slows everything down, and then you'll think dough is difficult when the poor thing was just uncomfortable.

   Instant yeast can go straight into the flour, yes, but mixing it with warm milk first shows beginners that it's alive. If it smells bready after a few minutes, you're on the right road.
2. 2

   Mix the dough

   Add the egg and oil and stir until the bowl looks mostly even. Add the flour and salt, then mix with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms and there are no dry patches at the bottom. Salt goes in with the flour, not straight onto the yeast, because concentrated salt slows yeast down before it has a fair start.

3. 3

   Knead until smooth

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, pushing it away with the heel of your hand and folding it back. Stop when it feels smooth, soft, and elastic, and springs back slowly when poked. If it's sticky, add flour one tablespoon at a time. Too much flour makes heavy rolls, and nobody asked for little bricks around a salsicha.

4. 4

   Let it rise

   Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm corner until doubled, about 1 hour. Look at the dough, not only the clock: it should be puffy, lighter, and leave a soft dent when pressed. The rise is what gives the roll its tender crumb, so don't rush the part doing the softness.

5. 5

   Prepare the filling

   Pat the sausage halves dry with a clean towel while the dough rises. If they came packed in liquid, dry them well so the dough grips instead of sliding around. Wet filling makes the seam open in the oven, and then the enroladinho unwraps itself like it has opinions.

6. 6

   Divide and roll

   Punch the risen dough down gently to release big air pockets, then divide it into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 8 inches long. Keep the ropes thin enough to wrap twice around the sausage with a little space showing, because the dough will puff in the oven and fill the gaps.

7. 7

   Wrap the salsicha

   Wrap one dough rope around each sausage half, starting near one end and finishing with the loose tip tucked underneath. Place them seam-side down on a parchment-lined tray, leaving space between them. Seam-side down is not decoration, it's insurance: the weight of the roll helps keep the dough closed as it rises and bakes.

8. 8

   Proof again

   Cover the tray and let the rolls rest for 20 to 30 minutes, until the dough looks slightly puffy. This second rest relaxes the dough after shaping, so it bakes soft instead of tight. If you skip it, the rolls still bake, but the crumb will be tougher and less padaria.

9. 9

   Brush and bake

   Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Beat the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon milk and brush the tops gently, then sprinkle with sesame if using. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the dough is golden on top and lightly browned underneath. The egg wash gives color and a soft shine, so don't flood the tray with it. Brush, don't bathe.

10. 10

    Cool and serve

    Let the enroladinhos cool on the tray for 10 minutes before serving. The dough finishes setting as it rests, and the filling is too hot straight from the oven, the kind of hot that makes you regret your confidence. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a little homemade tomato molho if you want to dip.

Chef Tips

• •Buy a salsicha with the shortest ingredient list you can find and a flavor you actually like. This is not where a seasoning packet saves dinner. The dough is homemade, so let it taste like bread, buttered school afternoons, and a little restraint.
• •Don't keep adding flour because the dough feels soft. Soft dough makes soft rolls. Add just enough so it stops gluing itself to your hands, then knead until it behaves.
• •For a Tuesday shortcut, use store-bought pizza dough from a bakery you trust. It won't taste as tender or slightly sweet as this dough, but it gets snacks on the table. Don't use powdered bread mix and call that cooking. A packet is not a teacher.
• •Make them small for birthday trays and game day. Big enroladinhos are fine, but the small ones freeze better, reheat faster, and disappear politely instead of turning into a meal pretending to be a snack.
• •If you want this to sit beside a real meal, serve a few with rice, beans, tomato salad, and something green. The pê-efe is still the formula. The roll is the extra, not the foundation.

Advance Preparation

• •The shaped, unbaked rolls can be frozen on a tray until firm, then packed in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 180°C (350°F), adding 5 to 8 minutes.
• •Baked enroladinhos keep in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 8 to 10 minutes so the dough comes back soft instead of rubbery.
• •You can make the dough, let it rise once, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it overnight. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping so it rolls without fighting you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 52g)