5-Ingredient Traditional Scottish Baps Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Our Traditional Scottish Baps Recipe yields a batch of light and fluffy bread rolls that are just perfect any time of day! If the thought of bread baking is intimidating, our foolproof, 5-ingredient recipe is the ideal way to jump in and see how easy it is to make scrumptious homemade bread!

• Simply perfect: A straightforward ingredient lineup of flour, instant yeast, salt, and milk yields everyone’s ideal bread. The cloud-like roll is pure comfort food and is irresistible as-is or toasted.
• Versatile shape: This pillowy roll is made for sandwiches. So, whether it’s bacon and a fried egg for breakfast, butter and jam with an afternoon cup of tea, or stuffed with meat, cheese, and veggies for an on-the-go lunch or dinner, a Traditional Scottish Bap will give you a hearty meal that you can hold in one hand!

I know you love the Bigger Bolder Baking mix of tempting brand-new recipes and delicious time-tested ones like these Traditional Scottish Baps. For more Irish and UK regional favorites that have been enjoyed for generations, be sure to try Mum’s Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe, Homemade Welsh Cakes, Traditional English Toffee Pudding, and Traditional Irish Barmbrack.

Table of Contents

• What are Traditional Scottish Baps?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make Traditional Scottish Baps
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead & Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Roll Recipes

What are Traditional Scottish Baps?

• Traditional Scottish Baps are bread rolls made from yeasted dough. They originated in Scotland and are popular throughout the UK. Baps are beloved for their soft, tender texture and deliciously versatile taste, which makes them the perfect companion for any filling or spread.
• Depending on the region, baps can also be referred to as a floury bap, a morning roll, a cob, a barm cake, buttery, a batch, and just a “roll”!
• The term “bap” is believed to come from the Old English word “bappe,” which meant a small loaf of bread. Baps became an everyday home-baked staple in Scotland in the 1700s and became increasingly popular with the rise of commercial bakeries in the mid-1800s. Now, they are loved more than ever and are becoming increasingly popular worldwide!

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Stand mixer with a dough hook
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Pastry brush

Key Ingredients and Why

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour provides the structure for the baps. Its protein content is 8 to 11%, the perfect amount to make a strong gluten network, so the roll has both chew and tenderness.

Instant yeast

• Convenient instant yeast, which doesn’t have to be dissolved in water before use, speeds up the fermentation process.
• Instant yeast can be put directly into the dry ingredients. Salt can deactivate the yeast, so mix it with flour first.

Salt

• Salt enhances the flavors of the ingredients.
• Additionally, salt strengthens the gluten network, making the dough more elastic and easier to work with.

Whole milk

• Whole milk gives the baps moisture and a rich texture.
• Milk contains natural dairy sugar, which gives the rolls a subtle sweetness.

Water

• Water hydrates the flour to form gluten.
• Importantly, water activates the yeast.
• Use lukewarm water here. To tell whether the water is lukewarm, take a small amount of water and put your finger in it. If it feels close to your body temperature or slightly warmer, the water is lukewarm.

How to Make Traditional Scottish Baps

Make the dough

1. Using a stand mixer with a dough hook (or in a large bowl mixing by hand), combine flour, yeast, and salt at low speed for 30 seconds. 
2. Pour in milk and water. Next, mix at medium-low speed for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth. (If kneading by hand, knead for 15 minutes).

Initial Fermentation

3. Put the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover, put in a warm place, and let rise until doubled in size, about an hour. 

Shape the baps

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Divide the dough into ten equal pieces. Roll each piece into a small ball. 

Final proof

6. Place the dough balls on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Bake and serve

8. Right before baking, brush baps with milk and lightly dust with flour. 
9. Then, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. 
10. Cool and serve. 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• This recipe uses instant yeast, which doesn’t need to be proofed. If you want to use active dry yeast, use 1 tablespoon of yeast and proof it in the lukewarm milk that is used for this recipe for 10 minutes (or until frothy) before kneading in the rest of the ingredients.
• Make a breakfast sandwich with a fried egg and some bacon or sausage!
• Try serving these rolls with a side of one of my Compound Butters.
• These are wonderful with a little Sweet and Boozy Peach and Whiskey Jam or even Microwave Strawberry Jam!
• You can make slider rolls by making these rolls half the size to yield 20 smaller rolls. The baking time will be shorter, so start checking them at about 12 minutes.

Make Ahead & Storage Instructions

• Make ahead:
  • Make dough a day in advance.
    • After the first rise, shape the dough into rolls and place on a prepared baking sheet.
    • Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
    • Finally, let the dough come to room temperature before baking.
  • Bake baps and freeze.
    • Bake the baps and let cool to room temperature.
    • Wrap tightly or put into airtight containers.
    • Freeze for up to six weeks.
    • When ready to serve, let the rolls thaw overnight in the fridge.
    • Warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 minutes.
• How to store leftovers:
  • Store leftover baps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
  • Leftovers can also be frozen for up to six weeks.

FAQs

What’s the difference between baps and regular dinner rolls?

• Baps are known for their humble ingredients, fluffy texture, and straightforward flavor. Baps are bigger and suitable for a sandwich.
• Dinner rolls are often richer because they contain butter and eggs. These smaller rolls are commonly seen as a complement to a meal, such as our 1-Hour Dinner Rolls, Insanely Fluffy Potato Dinner Rolls, and Pumpkin Dinner Rolls. 

How do I make sure my baps aren’t dense?

• Measure your flour carefully.
• Knead the dough for the full 10 minutes (15 minutes if you’re kneading by hand). This gives the dough a lighter, more elastic texture.
• Make sure your baps rise for the directed time during both the first and second rise. Rolls can be dense if they don’t proof for a long enough time.

How do I keep my baps from being too dry?

• Be sure to use whole milk in this recipe. Full-fat milk adds moisture
• Bake just until the baps are golden-brown. Another sign that they’re done is the rolls will sound hollow when tapped.

More Roll Recipes

• How to Make Waterford Blaas (Authentic Irish Rolls)
• Insanely-Fluffy Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls
• Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)
• Soft and Fluffy Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
• 1-Hour Dinner Rolls

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