Easy Crusty Bread Rolls

lwunder's Note:

These are yummy crusty rolls that resemble the delicious rolls my family enjoyed while we were visiting Switzerland. They are easy to make because you measure out all the ingredients for the starter and the final dough at the same time. I find it easiest to weigh out my ingredients on a kitchen scale, directly into my mixing bowl. That is why I have given the ingredients in grams. I have also converted the measurements to cups, however, the recipe works best if measured on a scale.

• Total Time: 6 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 6 hrs
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 32

Yield: 32.0 rolls

Starter

• 300 g bread flour (approx. 2.33 cups, see footnotes)
• 100 g white whole wheat flour (approx. 0.75 cup)
• 5 g yeast, Active dry (1 tsp.)
• 10 g sugar (2 tsp.)
• 670 g water (670 ml, approx. 2.8 cups)

Flour Mix

• 1000 g bread flour (approx. 8 cups)
• 5 g yeast, Active dry (1 tsp.)
• 15 g salt, Kosher (1 T)
• 300 g buttermilk, Cultered Whole (300 ml, approx. 1.25 cups)

Directions:

1. Weigh out ingredients for starter in your mixing bowl and whisk together. They should be the consistency of pancake batter.
2. Measure out the remaining bread flour and place on top of starter.
3. Make two little wells in the dry bread flour, add the salt in one and the yeast in the other.
4. Place mixing bowl on its stand, cover (loosely with plastic wrap or a lid), and let ferment for 1-2 hours. The yeast will become active during this time.
5. Measure out buttermilk and let stand until ready to use.
6. After the preliminary ferment, add buttermilk to bowl and mix with a dough hook until a smooth, elastic dough ball is formed, about 5 minutes.
7. Turn the dough out onto a greased countertop (olive oil or Pam Spray works well).
8. Knead into a ball (1 minute) and place into a dough riser lightly coated with oil. Spray top of dough with oil, cover and let rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size*.
9. Preheat oven with two pizza stones (one per shelf) to 450°F Be sure that the stones and a cookie sheet (bottom shelf) are in the oven when you start pre-heating it.
10. Turn bread dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and divide into four pieces. You can make four large loaves at this point or can continue on and divide each dough ball into 8 pieces.
11. Form the rolls and place them on 2 sheets of parchment paper that are roughly the same size as your pizza stones (16 rolls/sheet).
12. Cover** and let rise for 45 minutes.
13. After rising, sprinkle the rolls with flour and slash the tops. ***.
14. Place the rolls in the oven using a pizza peel.**** At the same time, put a cup of ice into the cookie sheet to humidify your oven.
15. Bake at 425F for 30-35 minutes. If your oven has a convection bake setting, switch to convection for the last 10 minute of baking.
16. Cool on wire racks and enjoy!
17. *If you are not ready to form the rolls/loaves after the first rise, you can punch the dough down and let it rise again until doubled in size. **I use a plastic storage container that is designed to store things under my bed. It is the perfect size and keeps my dough safe from cats, dogs and other critters. ***A sharp serrated knife works well. ****An inverted cookie tray works in a pinch.