New Year's Day Brunch 2016

 Our annual tradition... a pictorial

SMOKED HAM ROLLS | Saveur, October 2005

• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 7 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
•2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 10 ounces black forest ham, cut into small cubes

1.  Dissolve yeast in 2 1⁄3 cups warm water in a small bowl; set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes. Grease a large bowl with oil and set aside. Combine flour, salt, and sugar in another large bowl, add yeast mixture, and stir until dough is stiff. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 15 minutes. Knead ham into dough, shape dough into a ball, and transfer to prepared bowl. Cover bowl with a clean damp dish towel and set aside, in a warm spot, to let rise until doubled in bulk, 1–1 1⁄2 hours.
2.  Lightly dust 2 sheet pans with flour and set aside. Turn dough out onto a clean surface, divide into 24 equal pieces, and shape each into a ball. Put 12 dough balls on each pan, about 1" apart, cover with clean damp dish towels, and set aside, in a warm spot, to let rise until doubled in bulk, 1–1 1⁄2 hours.
3.  Move one of the oven racks to center of oven and another oven rack to lower third of oven. Put a small pan of water on lower rack. Preheat oven to 400°. Bake rolls until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped, 25-30 minutes. Transfer rolls to a cooling rack to cool.

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