Hello lovelies,
have you ever baked pink bread rolls? These beetroot bread rolls get their bright color from raw beets, which are simply puréed with the water into the dough. Add crunchy walnuts, a spoonful of honey and a little patience, because the yeast dough needs 1 hour of rest. The result is soft, slightly sweet rolls that are sure to amaze at any breakfast table.
I love baking rolls myself on weekends, because the smell wakes up the whole house. Recently it was my vegan pretzel rolls with baking soda, and today I am showing you the colorful version with beets and nuts.
Beetroot, Randen and Baumnüsse
In Switzerland we call beetroot Randen and walnuts Baumnüsse, which is why the German version of this recipe uses the Swiss names. The beets go into the dough raw, so you do not need to cook them first. Puréed with the lukewarm water and the honey, they make a vivid pink liquid that colors the flour evenly. In the finished rolls they taste very mild, with just a gentle, earthy sweetness. The walnuts add bite and a nutty flavor.
You can knead the dough by hand or with a stand mixer. By hand it takes about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic, with the dough hook only 5 to 6 minutes. I only knead in the chopped nuts briefly at the very end, so they do not tear the dough. After 1 hour in a warm place, I divide it into 12 pieces, or about 20 when I bake mini rolls for a party.
I usually buy a whole bunch of beets and turn the rest into a salad. My beetroot salad with oranges and ricotta is perfect for that and goes wonderfully with a long brunch featuring these rolls.
Fresh from the oven, the rolls taste best with butter and a pinch of salt. If you prefer something savory, spread them with cream cheese or with my beetroot walnut dip from the Christmas menu, which picks up the flavors of the rolls once more.
Give these beetroot bread rolls a try and tell me in the comments how pink yours turned out.
