Crusty European-Style Hard Rolls
Crusty European-Style Hard Rolls
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| Yield: | 12 small rolls |
Ingredients
Starter
- 1/2 cup cool water
- 1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast
Dough
- all of the starter
- 3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
Egg wash
- 1 large egg white mixed with 1/2 cup cool water
Directions
1) To make the starter: Mix the starter ingredients together until smooth, cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight.
2) Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead them together — by hand, mixer or bread machine — until you've made a soft, somewhat smooth dough; it should be cohesive, but the surface may still be a bit rough. It may also stick to the bowl just the tiniest bit.
3) Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 3 hours, gently deflating it and turning it over after 1 hour, and again after 2 hours.
4) Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface. Divide it into 12 pieces, shape the pieces into balls, and firm them up by rolling them under your lightly cupped fingers.
5) Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover them, and let them rise for 1 to 2 hours, until they're puffy, though not doubled in size. They'll flatten out a bit as they rise; that's OK.
6) Cover the rolls, and refrigerate them for 2 to 3 hours. Towards the end of the rolls' chill, preheat the oven to 425°F.
7) Whisk together the egg white and water until frothy. Remove the rolls from the refrigerator, and brush them with the wash; you won't use it all up. Again, don't be discouraged if the rolls seem a bit flat; they'll pick up when the hit the oven's heat.
8) Slash a 1/4" deep cut across the top of each roll. Immediately put the rolls into the oven.
9) Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're a deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack. Or, for best crunch, open the oven door, and allow the rolls to cool in the turned-off, open-door oven.
Yield: 12 small rolls.
Reviews
03/28/2012- These were excellent. I had some dark rye so added a half cup, like someone else tried, turned out great. The only problem I had is that they didn't brown like the picture. I did the egg wash thing, did I not put enough on?
There could be several reasons that your bread isn't browning properly. Over-proofed dough, an inaccurate oven, or improper/overuse of steam could all be culprits. Please call our baker's hotline if you have any questions. ~Amy
- 03/11/2012
- I have a strong claim to make here, but I'm prepared to make it: this recipe has catapulted me to a whole new level in my baking. The instructions were perfect to allow me to know what to look for, what should be happening, and how long it should likely take. I have mastered a couple of your sandwich bread recipes, your beer pizza crust recipe is our weekly go-to, and I am always the one to bring soft buttery dinner rolls to a holiday gathering, but to this point, a crackly perfect roll has eluded me. No more. This recipe is fantastic and makes perfectly golden brown rolls. Also: I swapped 1/2 cup of the flour for rye flour and it worked like a charm, if that helps anyone else (my husband loves all things rye). Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
- 02/01/2012
- I made these thinking that they would be like the Chicago hard rolls they sell at Publix. I followed the directions exactly. They did not rise in the oven and I could of used them as a weapon the were so hard. They had a great flavor and and nice sourdough-type texture.
It may be helpful for us to troubleshoot with you via phone conversation. Several variables could have contributed to your results. Please call us on the baker's hotline so that we can discuss this further. ~Amy
01/16/2012- Was asked to make a hard roll by my best friend who grew up in NY. Read >25 recipes and tons of reviews to each of the recipes. Decided to make this one, made the starter and altho it wasn't all bubbly the next day (I did keep it covered w/a kitchen towel in a warm place) I continued w/the recipe. Glad I did, they were so good. I followed the blog and after the second rise, stuck them in the fridge for a few hours. baking them off at 425 w/o problems. Just had a toasted one w/blackberry jam for breakfast, and I love the sourdoughy taste. Thanks for another great and really easy recipe. Question: would this work w/25 or a 33% rye flour?
As you reduce the percentage of wheat flour, the dough will become a little heavier and the crust less crispy. This is going to be an experiment. I suggest beginning at 10%. That "small amount" is still going to add a lot of flavor to the roll. Give it a try. Frank @ KAF.
- 01/04/2012
- I'm usually hit or miss when it comes to baking bread and was very pleased when these turned out. I like that the outside is has a nice crust without being rock hard.
- 12/17/2011
- I baked these rolls today and I'm a little disappointed in the results. All that work and the dough wouldn't rise in the oven! A least the dough rose before being put into the oven otherwise this would have ended badly. (My skill level: I've baked with yeast before but I'm still a beginner.)
I'm thinking the outer part of the dough dried out? It wasn't that easy to cut like when I was dividing the dough into the rolls. So instead of expanding in the oven I had rolls with paper cuts. Any suggestions?
Overall: The flavor is great, nice crunch? I will try to make them again but hopefully with better results!
I would recommend covering your dough with a light cloth or flour-sack-type dish towel when it is raising to be sure that it doesn't dry out. If you have specific questions, please give us a call on the Baker's Hotline. ~Mel
- 12/17/2011
- 09/01/2011
- I'm in the process of making these as I type. I do have one question though, has anyone tried spritzing water on them before they go into the oven like french bread instead of the egg wash. I always thought it was the water that made the crunch on the outside. Any feedback would greatly be appreciated.
Great recipe, keep up the great work!
Yes, indeed you can spritz them every five minutes or so while they are in the oven to achieve a crisper crust. ~Amy
- 08/02/2011
- Hi everyone! These crusty rolls were absolutely delicious. I found the recipe easy and WOW! It was even better than the chewy shop bought stuff. The egg wash really made it look the part! I cannot wait to make it again. When it was cold all it took was to split the roll and pop into the toaster and it was fresh as ever.
- 06/10/2011
- I just tried this recipe for the first time & the rolls turned out great. I made 8 instead of 12 as other reviewers suggested & I totally agree that the size is just right. Since I started using yeast from KAF, my bread baking has improved so much. Thank you again KAF for another great recipe!
