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Guyanese tennis rolls
Tennis rolls: soft, lemony sweet buns from Georgetown
Nobody quite agrees why these buns are named after tennis, but every Guyanese person knows the pairing: a split tennis roll with a thick slice of cheddar, eaten mid-morning or packed for a long bus ride up the East Coast Demerara. They are round, pale golden and very soft, with a gentle sweetness and a hint of lemon zest. Overbaking is the usual problem; they should come out light gold, not brown, so the crust stays tender. Chef's tip: bake the rolls close together on the tray so they rise into each other and keep soft sides, then pull them apart once cool.
- Total time
- 48 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour
- ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast1 sachet
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon zestfrom about 1 lemon
- 1 cup whole milklukewarm
- 1 eggbeaten
- 2 ½ oz buttersoftened
- 1 tbsp milkfor brushing
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar, ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp lemon zest in a large bowl. Add 1 cup whole milk, 1 egg and 2 ½ oz butter and stir into a soft, sticky dough.
Step 2: Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and soft; it should feel like an earlobe. Cover and leave until doubled, about 1 hour.
70 minStep 3: Knock back and divide into 12 equal pieces of about 75 g. Roll each into a tight ball by cupping your hand over it and circling on the worktop.
Step 4: Arrange on a lined tray about 1 cm apart, cover and prove for 30–40 minutes until they are touching. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
35 minStep 5: Brush the tops with 1 tbsp milk and bake for 15–18 minutes, until pale golden and an underside sounds hollow when tapped.
18 minStep 6: Cool on a rack under a clean tea towel to keep the crust soft. Split and fill with cheese.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 39 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does guyanese tennis rolls take?
- About 48 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 18 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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