Description
Rustic French bread rolls bring Parisian bakery magic straight to home kitchens with their golden crisp exterior and tender interior. Hearty and authentic, these rolls invite eager bakers to savor classic French craftsmanship in every delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Dry Ingredients:
- 3 1/4 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Liquid Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups (296 milliliters) warm water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Optional Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
Instructions
- Activate the yeast by mixing it with warm water and sugar, allowing the mixture to become foamy and develop a rich, aromatic profile.
- Create a soft, pliable dough by incorporating flour and salt, then knead thoroughly until the texture becomes smooth and springy, developing strong gluten networks.
- Transfer the dough to an oil-coated container, ensuring complete coverage, and allow it to undergo a slow, steady fermentation in a draft-free environment until it expands to double its original volume.
- Carefully deflate the risen dough, redistributing the yeast and releasing trapped gases through gentle manipulation.
- Portion the dough into uniform segments, gently shaping each into a round, symmetrical ball with a taut surface tension.
- Arrange the formed rolls on a prepared baking surface, providing modest spacing to allow for potential expansion during the final proofing stage.
- Sprinkle cornmeal across the roll tops for an artisanal, rustic texture and additional sensory complexity.
- Permit a secondary rising period, allowing the rolls to develop additional volume and lightness.
- Bake in a moderately hot oven, creating a golden-brown exterior with a crisp crust and soft, airy interior.
- Allow the freshly baked rolls to rest briefly, enabling internal steam to redistribute and enhance overall texture before serving.
Notes
- Master yeast activation by ensuring water temperature is precisely between 105-110°F, which helps activate without killing the delicate yeast microorganisms.
- Create consistent roll sizes by weighing each portion of dough to guarantee uniform baking and professional presentation.
- Enhance crust development by placing a shallow pan of water on the bottom oven rack during baking, generating steam that produces a crispier, more artisanal exterior.
- Transform rolls into gluten-free versions by substituting all-purpose flour with a high-quality gluten-free blend containing xanthan gum for improved texture and structure.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 125 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg