Bread rolls

[desperance]

They're too big, but I did kind of like how these came out - fresh yesterday, toasted today - so I thought I'd just record here what I actually did, as it was a bit of a hybrid:



1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup water
A pinch of dried yeast

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wholewheat flour
1/2 cup water
3 tbs olive oil
2 tsps salt
1 - 2 tsps yeast


Make a biga yesterday night, by mixing the first three ingredients in a bowl and leaving it out, covered but not refrigerated. (Note: if your yeast is instant, just mix it all in together; if it’s dry active yeast, dissolve it in the warmish water and give it ten minutes to wake up before mixing in the flour.)

Today, mix the biga with all the other ingredients. If your yeast is instant, you probably only need one teaspoonful; if it’s dry active, use two and dissolve it in the water first. If you have an electric mixer, use the mixing blade and give it eight or ten minutes, until you have a softish, slightly sticky dough. If not, knead together by hand for ten minutes ditto ditto. Then dribble another teaspoonful of oil into the bowl, turn the dough over in that until it’s coated, and leave it covered for an hour or so, until it’s very puffy.

Flour a baking tray and a work surface. Turn out the dough, deflate it and shape it into a flat rectangle. Cut into eight or a dozen squarish rolls and space them out (floury side up) on the tray. Cover, and leave for an hour or so.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, till golden. Cool on a rack.