Crusty French Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Kitchen scale
• •Large mixing bowl
• •Bench scraper
• •Rimmed baking sheet
• •Cast iron skillet or metal pan for steam
• •Sharp blade, razor, or lame for scoring
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine flour and salt

   Weigh your flour into a large bowl. Good flour smells alive, slightly sweet, like grain that still remembers the field. Add the salt and whisk to distribute evenly. Salt strengthens gluten and controls fermentation, so it matters where you place it.

   Weighing flour is not fussiness. It is precision. A cup of flour can vary by 30 percent depending on how you scoop it.
2. 2

   Add yeast and water

   Sprinkle the yeast over the flour mixture. Pour in the room temperature water. Using a wooden spoon or your hand, stir until a shaggy, rough dough forms. Every bit of flour should be hydrated. The dough will look messy. That is correct.

3. 3

   Rest and develop gluten

   Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Let it rest for 30 minutes. This resting period, the autolyse, allows the flour to absorb water fully and begins gluten development without any effort from you. Time does the work.

   Autolyse is not optional. The dough transforms during this rest from a rough mass into something smooth and workable.
4. 4

   Stretch and fold

   With wet hands, reach under the dough, stretch one side up and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this four times, once from each direction. The dough will tighten and become more elastic. Cover and rest 30 minutes. Repeat this stretch and fold process two more times, with 30-minute rests between.

5. 5

   Cold ferment overnight

   After the final fold, cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours. Cold fermentation slows the yeast and develops deep, complex flavor that fast-risen bread cannot match. The dough will rise slowly in the cold and develop small bubbles throughout.

   This overnight rest is where the magic happens. Do not skip it. Bread baked the same day tastes like flour. Bread fermented overnight tastes like bread.
6. 6

   Divide and preshape

   Remove the dough from the refrigerator. It will be cold and firm, dotted with bubbles. Turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Using a bench scraper or knife, divide into 12 equal pieces, roughly 70 grams each. Shape each piece into a loose round by tucking the edges underneath. Let rest 20 minutes under a towel.

7. 7

   Final shaping

   Working with one piece at a time, cup your hand over the dough and roll in tight circles on an unfloured section of your work surface. The friction creates tension on the surface, forming a taut ball. The bottom should seal naturally. Place shaped rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down, spacing 2 inches apart.

8. 8

   Final rise

   Cover loosely with a towel and let rise at room temperature for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The rolls are ready when they have grown by half and spring back slowly when poked. If the indent stays, they need more time. If it bounces back immediately, they have overproofed.

9. 9

   Prepare oven with steam

   Thirty minutes before baking, place a cast iron skillet or metal pan on the bottom rack of your oven. Preheat to 450F (230C). The high heat and steam create the crust. Boil a cup of water and have it ready.

   Steam is essential. Without it, the crust sets too quickly and the rolls cannot expand fully. The steam keeps the surface supple during the first minutes of baking.
10. 10

    Score and bake

    Dust the tops of the rolls lightly with rice flour or regular flour. Using a sharp blade or razor, slash the top of each roll with a single swift cut, about 1/4 inch deep. Work quickly. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and immediately pour the boiling water into the hot skillet below. Close the door fast to trap the steam.

11. 11

    Bake until deeply golden

    Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the rolls are deeply golden brown, almost mahogany in spots. The crust should feel hard and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Do not underbake. A pale roll is a soft roll, and we want crust.

    The color you think is done is not done. Push past golden to deep brown. The flavor lives in the crust.
12. 12

    Cool before serving

    Transfer rolls to a wire rack immediately. The crust will crackle and sing as it cools, releasing steam trapped inside. Wait at least 15 minutes before eating. The interior is still setting. Patience now, then tear and share.

Chef Tips

• •Find a local mill or buy flour from a source that can tell you when it was ground. Fresh flour has oils that go rancid over time. The difference in flavor is unmistakable.
• •Bread flour has higher protein than all-purpose, which builds more gluten and creates better structure. If you must substitute all-purpose, expect a slightly denser crumb.
• •The dough can ferment in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Longer fermentation means more flavor, but watch for overproofing. If the dough has collapsed and smells strongly of alcohol, it has gone too far.
• •These rolls are best within hours of baking. The crust softens overnight. If you must store them, keep in a paper bag and refresh in a 400F oven for 5 minutes before serving.
• •If you do not have a cast iron skillet for steam, place a few ice cubes directly on the oven floor, or mist the rolls with water before closing the door.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough must be made at least one day ahead. Mix in the evening and bake the following afternoon or evening.
• •Shaped rolls can be refrigerated overnight for a second day of baking. Cover tightly with plastic wrap after shaping and bake directly from cold, adding 5 minutes to the bake time.
• •Baked rolls freeze well for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature and refresh in a hot oven for 5 minutes to restore the crust.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 72g)