Buns & dough

Crusty Bread Rolls

Northeast England–style ~68% hydration rolls. First bread bake notes: bloom yeast, hand mix or dough hooks, steam in oven.

Effort
high
Yield
6–8 rolls

How to do it

  1. Bloom yeast: Warm water to ~104°F. Dissolve sugar, add yeast, mix; rest in a warm spot 10 minutes. If no activity, replace yeast. (Instant yeast can skip blooming, but blooming won’t hurt.)
  2. Mix salt into flour in a bowl.
  3. Combine yeast water with flour — stand mixer on lowest speed adding flour gradually, or hand knead / hand mixer with dough hooks ~10 minutes until smooth and a little sticky (68% hydration).
  4. Grease a bowl with ~1 tsp oil. Turn dough onto a floured bench; form a ball; use surface tension to tighten skin. Place in bowl (top down briefly to pick up oil, flip back), cover (e.g. shower cap).
  5. First proof: Warm spot (e.g. oven with light only, ~77°F) ~1 hour until more than doubled.
  6. Second proof: Scrape onto floured surface, re-ball, back in bowl, 30 minutes in warm spot.
  7. Turn out, flour surface and dough. Divide (~860 g total → 6–8 rolls; weigh if you want even rolls). Preshape balls; rest under a dry floured cloth 5 minutes.
  8. Grease one large or two small trays (parchment OK). On a dry bench, roll each piece into a light oval; transfer with bench scraper or spatula, spacing well.
  9. Dust with a little flour; cover with a light cloth; final proof 20 minutes.
  10. Put a pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven; preheat to 390°F. Score tops (lame or knife — slow, short strokes on wet dough). Optional: spray water into oven.
  11. Bake 16 minutes (rotate halfway if you like); +2 minutes for darker crust optional.
  12. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes (or hold warm in off oven).