Garlic Parker House Rolls (vegan)

To make the dough, place the bread flour in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the yeast to one side and the salt to the other, stir to combine.

Add the milk, lukewarm water and the maple syrup and mix to form a shaggy dough. Knead with the mixer or turn out onto an un-floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough will be sticky at first but resist the temptation to add extra flour, it will become smooth after a minute or two of kneading (you may need to scrape it off the surface with a dough scraper).

Add the softened vegan butter. Continue to knead until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic. It may seem greasy and messy at first but keep kneading and I promise you the butter will all mix in and the dough will become smooth.

Once the butter is fully incorporated the dough should look smooth and silky and it should pass the windowpane test (you should be able to stretch a portion of the dough thin enough to see light through it without it tearing). It should still be soft and slightly sticky however.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and set aside to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours. Line a 23 x 33 cm/9 x 13 in tin with baking paper.

Punch down the risen dough, divide it in half and shape each one into a ball. Cover and set aside to rest for 15 minutes.

Mix together the melted butter, crushed garlic and mixed dried herbs. Line a 23 x 33 cm/9 x 13 in cake tin with baking paper.

Roll one of the balls of dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle, approximately 20 x 30 cm/8 x 12 in.

Brush the surface of the dough all over with half of the garlic butter then slice the rectangle in half lengthways.

Fold each half in half lengthways. Slice each half crosswise into four squares, to make a total of eight squares. Repeat with the other half of the dough to make a total of 16 folded squares.

Arrange the squares in the lined tin, overlapping them slightly if needed to make them fit. I do four rows of four.

Cover and set aside to rise until puffy but not yet doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4.

Gently brush the tops of the risen rolls with milk, then bake for 25 minutes until browned and the temperature in the centre registers at least 90°C/194°F on a probe thermometer.

Remove them from the oven, and optionally brush with extra melted butter. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving.