European Style Crusty Rolls

Ingredients

• Makes 12 small rolls

Overnight Starter (room temperature)

• 1/2 cup cool water
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

Main Dough

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
• all of the starter from above

Egg Wash

• 1/3 cup water
• 1 egg white

Directions

1. Starter: 1st day
2. You need to make the starter the night before.
3. Mix the starter ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature overnight.
4. The Next Morning: 2nd day
5. In the bowl of a standing mixer bowl, combine the dough ingredients and starter from the night before.
6. Using the dough hook, knead for 7-8 minutes.
7. The dough should be smooth and soft and just tacky to the touch.
8. You may need to add a bit of water, a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too stiff, or, if you find the dough is too soft, a tablespoon at a time of additional flour.
9. Lightly oil a large boil.
10. Shape the dough into a large ball and transfer it into the oiled bowl.
11. Cover with a clean tea towel and let it sit in a warm place to rise for one hour.
12. After one hour, deflate the dough. It will not have risen much, cover again and let it rise for another hour.
13. Gently deflate and gather dough from ends and bring it to the center, cover and allow to rise one more hour another. Total rising time is 3 hours.
14. Place the dough onto an oiled counter and cut the dough piece()s in half again and again until you have 12 pieces.
15. Shape dough pieces into oval shape balls. |
16. Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover them with an oiled piece of plastic wrap.
17. Let the rolls rise for 1 to 2 hours in a warm place until they're puffy, almost but not quite doubled.
18. After the 1-2 hour rise time, place rolls in the refrigerator for another 2 to 3 hours.
19. 1/2 hour before baking: Preheat the oven to 425F.
20. In a small bowl whisk together the water and egg white until frothy.
21. Remove rolls from the refrigerator, and brush them with the egg wash. You will not use all of egg wash.
22. Using a very sharp knife, slash a 1/4-1/2 inch deep cut across the top of each roll, and a shorter slash, not as deep on each side of the main slash.
23. Immediately place the rolls in the preheated oven on the middle rack.
24. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're a deep golden brown.
25. Turn off the oven and open the door wide. Letting the buns cool off in the oven, makes them crispier.