Sourdough Rolls

How to prepare sourdough rolls

1. Put the starter in a bowl and add 100 g of water at room temperature. Mix a little, then add 200 g of flour and mix again, just until the flour is fully absorbed. No kneading is required yet and you don't need a homogeneous dough.
2. Put the starter in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 12 hours at room temperature. During this time the starter should have doubled in volume, look well risen and have many small holes. This means the starter is okay, doing its job.
3. Add the rest of the water over the starter and mix gently. Then add the rest of the flour and mix again until absorbed, without kneading. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place this time (somewhere around 26-30°C, near a radiator or in the oven heated to 30°C) for 30 minutes.
4. Add the salt and knead the dough until smooth and elastic (one cycle in a bread machine, 5 minutes in a stand mixer or at least 15 minutes by hand).
5. Place back in the bowl greased with a little oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour. The dough will only rise slightly.
6. Turn out onto a floured work surface and fold in thirds from one side, then in thirds from the opposite side, pulling the edges of the dough firmly. Put back in the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for another 1 hour.
8. Repeat step 6 (folding and rising) one more time. This time the dough will rise well, doubling in volume.
9. Turn the dough out onto the work surface and cut into 3 roughly equal pieces. Shape them as desired. I flattened them slightly with my hand, just enough not to squeeze the air out of the dough, then folded them tightly in 4 (see photos 4-7 below). I filled one piece with taleggio cubes, that piece is shown below, but you'll do the same with plain rolls.
10. Place the shaped rolls in a baking tray, put the tray in a plastic bag and let rise again in a warm place for at least an hour. Press a piece with your finger and if the mark remains (the dough doesn't spring back to its original shape) they're ready to bake. If you wish, you can score the tops with a blade.
11. Heat the oven to 230°C and bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, until golden. I found them best on the day they were baked, the crust is thin and super crispy. But the crumb stays elastic and soft for a few days if kept in a bag.

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