Rustic Dinner Rolls

Why this recipe works European-style dinner rolls are different from their rich, tender American cousins. The dough for these rustic rolls is lean and the crumb is open, with a yeasty, savory flavor. But the best part might be their crust—so crisp it practically shatters when you bite into it, yet chewy enough to offer satisfying resistance. It is this crust that keeps European-style dinner rolls in the domain of professionals, who use steam-injected ovens to expose the developing crust to moisture. We wanted a reliable recipe for rolls as good as any from a European bakery. Unfortunately, when we tasted our first batch, we found a dense, bland crumb beneath a leathery crust. The flavor was easy enough to improve: We added whole-wheat flour for earthiness (just 3 tablespoons did the trick) and honey for sweetness. Extra yeast opened the crumb slightly, but it wasn’t enough. The crumb structure of artisan-style loaves is achieved with a wet dough, so we ultimately found success when we upped the hydration of our roll dough. The water created steam during baking, opening up the crumb and making it airier. For an ultracrisp crust, we came up with a two-step process that mimicked a steam-injected oven: First, we misted the rolls with water before starting them in a cake pan at a high temperature to help set their shape (since the dough was soft, individually baked rolls turned out squat). Next, we lowered the temperature, pulled the rolls apart, and returned them to the oven on a baking sheet until they were golden on all sides. We do not recommend mixing this dough by hand.

MAKES: 16 rolls

RESTING TIME: 30 minutes

RISING TIME: 2½ to 3 hours

BAKING TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 4½ to 5 hours, plus 1 hour cooling time

KEY EQUIPMENT: stand mixer, two 9-inch round cake pans, water-filled spray bottle, rimmed baking sheet

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups (16½ ounces) bread flour
• 3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
• 1½ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1½ cups (12 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon water, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1½ teaspoons salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Whisk bread flour, whole-wheat flour, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk water and honey in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup until the honey has dissolved.
2. Using the dough hook on low speed, slowly add the water mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and hook as needed. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
3. Add salt to the dough and mix on low speed for 5 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky, about 1 minute. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl or container, cover tightly with plastic, and let it rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.
4. Using a greased bowl scraper or your fingertips, fold the dough over itself by gently lifting and folding the edge of the dough toward the middle. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and fold the dough again; repeat turning the bowl and folding the dough 2 more times (total of 4 folds). Cover tightly with plastic and let it rise for 30 minutes. Repeat the folding process, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
5. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Press down on the dough to deflate it. Transfer the dough to a well-floured counter, sprinkle lightly with flour, and divide it in half. Stretch each half into an even 16-inch log and cut into 8 equal pieces (about 2 ounces each). Using your well-floured hands, gently pick up each piece and roll it in your palms to coat it with flour, shaking off the excess.
6. Arrange the rolls in the prepared pans, placing 1 in the center and 7 around the edges, with the cut side facing up and the long side of each piece running from the center to the edge of the pan. Cover loosely with greased plastic and let the rolls rise until nearly doubled in size and the dough springs back minimally when poked gently with your knuckle, about 30 minutes. (Unrisen rolls can be refrigerated for at least 8 hours or up to 16 hours; let the rolls sit at room temperature for 1½ hours before baking.)
7. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Mist the rolls with water and bake until the tops are brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the rolls from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Carefully invert the rolls out of the pans onto a baking sheet and let them cool slightly. Turn the rolls right side up, pull them apart, and arrange them evenly on the sheet. Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Transfer the rolls to a wire rack and let them cool completely, about 1 hour, before serving.