Rustic Dinner Rolls

These hearty, rustic dinner rolls have a hint of sweetness and a deep, complex flavor thanks to repeat rising over the course of the afternoon. Start the dough at lunchtime and you'll be able to pop them out of the oven just in time for supper.

Breads

Prep: 20 min
Rise: 3 hours
Cook: 30 min
Total: About 4 hours
Yields 16 rolls

Nutritional Info

Carbs per serving: 25g

1 ½ cups water (12 ounces)
14g / 2 teaspoons honey
1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
In a large bowl, whisk water, honey, and yeast until combined.
480g / 17 ounces bread flour
30g / 1 ounce whole wheat flour (about 3 tablespoons)
Add flour to bowl.
Using a dough whisk, stir until ingredients have combined a rough dough has formed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Let dough rest for 30 minutes.
1 ½ teaspoons salt
Sprinkle salt evenly over the top of the dough and mix with a dough whisk to combine.
Knead by Hand
Stir well with a dough whisk until a rough ball of dough starts to forms. Turn out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand until dough is soft and smooth, about 8 to 10 minutes. If dough is very sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour and continue mixing.
or Knead with Stand Mixer
If you prefer, you can use a mixer to knead the dough. Place dough in the bowl of a stand mixture and mix on low speed until dough is soft and smooth, stopping machine two or three times to scrape dough from hook if necessary, about 5 minutes. If dough is very sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour and continue mixing.
First Rising
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap or dish towels. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Second Rising
Once doubled in size, punch down dough and fold over onto itself several times. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise a second time until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Forming Rolls
cooking spray
Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and set aside.
whole wheat flour (as needed)
Divide the dough into 16 pieces. Lightly dust each piece with additional whole wheat flour to prevent surface of dough from sticking to your hands and shape each piece into a flattened ball. Place 8 rolls in each of the prepared cake pans, placing one roll in the center and the other center in a circle around it.
Preheat oven to 500°F and cover cake pans with plastic wrap. Let rise until they've almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
water
Remove plastic wrap and lightly spray tops of rolls with water. Bake rolls at 500°F for 10 minutes until tops are brown. Remove from oven and decrease heat to 400°F.
Gently invert rolls onto a baking sheet and turn right-side up with a pair of tongs. Ensure that rolls are evenly spaced and are not touching. Bake at 400°F until rolls turn a deep, golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a roll reads 195°F, an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

From MakeBetterFood.com. Aug 3, 2012. (makebetterfood.com/recipes/rustic-dinner-rolls/). Adapted from Cook's Illustrated. December 2008.

MakeBetterFood.com

In a large bowl, whisk water, honey, and yeast until combined.
Add flour to bowl.
Using a dough whisk, stir until ingredients have combined a rough dough has formed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Let dough rest for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle salt evenly over the top of the dough and mix with a dough whisk to combine.
Stir well with a dough whisk until a rough ball of dough starts to forms. Turn out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand until dough is soft and smooth, about 8 to 10 minutes. If dough is very sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour and continue mixing.
If you prefer, you can use a mixer to knead the dough. Place dough in the bowl of a stand mixture and mix on low speed until dough is soft and smooth, stopping machine two or three times to scrape dough from hook if necessary, about 5 minutes. If dough is very sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour and continue mixing.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap or dish towels. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Once doubled in size, punch down dough and fold over onto itself several times. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise a second time until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and set aside.
Divide the dough into 16 pieces. Lightly dust each piece with additional whole wheat flour to prevent surface of dough from sticking to your hands and shape each piece into a flattened ball. Place 8 rolls in each of the prepared cake pans, placing one roll in the center and the other center in a circle around it.
Preheat oven to 500°F and cover cake pans with plastic wrap. Let rise until they've almost doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Remove plastic wrap and lightly spray tops of rolls with water. Bake rolls at 500°F for 10 minutes until tops are brown. Remove from oven and decrease heat to 400°F.
Gently invert rolls onto a baking sheet and turn right-side up with a pair of tongs. Ensure that rolls are evenly spaced and are not touching. Bake at 400°F until rolls turn a deep, golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a roll reads 195°F, an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.