British Sandwich Week continues and today’s recipe focuses on the bread roll. This recipe is taken from Sourdough Mania.

Bread Rolls

For breakfast, a snack or great home-made sandwiches.

LEAVEN:
10 g active starter (2.5%)
30 g strong white (type 812) flour (7.5%)
20 g wholemeal flour (2.5%)
40 g water (7.5%)
Mix the ingredients, cover and wait until doubled in size.

MAIN DOUGH (for about nine medium-sized rolls):
450 g strong white (type 812) flour (90%)
50 g wholemeal flour (10%)
120 g cold milk (24%)
180 g water (36%)
15 g soft brown sugar (3%)
10 g salt (2%)
20 g olive or sunflower oil (4%)

Pour 100 g of boiling water over the wholemeal flour. Stir well until all the flour is absorbed, then add the cold milk and remaining water and mix again to obtain a medium-thick mixture. Sift the white flour into a stand mixer bowl and gradually add the flour, milk and water mixture and mix at the lowest speed until all ingredients are well combined into the dough. Cover and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix in the oil, salt and sugar. After autolysis, add the leaven and the oil, salt and sugar mixture. Knead until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Cover and leave to rise until doubled in size. Over the first 2 hours, you can make two sets of stretching and folding. Then shape the balls, leave them to rest, covered, for 10 minutes, then shape into slightly oblong loaves.

Wait until they have roughly doubled in size and are soft and airy (as far as I’m concerned, this takes about 4 hours at 22°C/71°F). Use your finger to check whether the rise is sufficient. Shortly before baking, lightly flour and form a roll by pressing with the handle of a spoon. Bake them in an oven with steam preheated to 220°C/425°F/gas 7 for the first 10 minutes, then without steam for 20–25 minutes total until golden brown. Cover them with a cotton cloth while they are still warm so that the crust becomes soft.