Makes 10 rolls
1 cup lukewarm warm water
3 ½ teaspoons fresh yeast or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon of sugar
4 cups organic semolina
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ¾ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of poppy seeds, or as desired
Pour ¼ of the warm water into a cup or small bowl, and add the yeast and sugar, mixing together well with a fork, being sure to dissolve all the ingredients well.
Put the semolina in a large bowl with the rest of the water; add the oil, mix together well. Add the dissolved yeast mixture a little at a time, kneading it into a smooth dough. Add the salt and knead for another ten minutes.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, dry place for at least two hours, or until doubled.
Gently punch the dough down with your hands and roll into about 10 balls or ovals. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush the surface with oil and sprinkle with the poppy seeds.
Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake for about 20 minutes, until they are golden and
crunchy, and cooked all the way through (i.e., no longer wet and dough-like).
Bread has been the symbol of culture, history and anthropology, hunger and wealth, war and peace; at first, loaves were flat, and any yeast was a natural—accidentally even. It was in the Renaissance that the recipe for bread dough was introduced to a separate leavening substance (yeast). This was a baking revolution.
The popularity of bread increased and increased, with new shapes, sizes, and ingredients. Varying according to European regions, bakers and home cooks added oil, butter, olives, seeds, and/or aromatic herbs, or for sweet breads, chocolate, citrus zest, and/or dried fruit such as raisins.
These rolls are like small loaves, and the sprinkling of poppy seeds gives a distinctive crunch. Poppyseed rolls are extremely popular in Eastern Europe.