Crusty French Bread Rolls (Printable version)

Golden, crispy exterior with tender inside. Perfect served warm with butter or alongside soups and salads.

# What you'll need:

→ Dough

01 - 4 cups bread flour
02 - 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
03 - 2 tsp active dry yeast
04 - 1 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 1 tsp sugar

→ Topping

06 - 1 tbsp flour for dusting

# Directions:

01 - Combine lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy and bubbly.
02 - Add bread flour and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix until dough forms, then knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
03 - Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with damp cloth, and let rise in warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
04 - Punch down dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball or oval roll.
05 - Place rolls on parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with towel and let rise for 30-40 minutes until puffy.
06 - Preheat oven to 450°F. Place a tray of water on bottom rack to create steam for crustier rolls.
07 - Lightly dust tops with flour and slash each roll with sharp knife. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crusty.
08 - Transfer rolls to wire rack and cool completely before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The steam trick creates that professional bakery crust you usually have to buy
  • These rolls transform humble ingredients into something that feels like a special occasion
02 -
  • The water tray is not optional, it creates the steam that makes the crust crisp and shiny
  • Let the rolls cool completely before storing or the crust will soften from trapped moisture
03 -
  • Use a very sharp knife or razor blade for scoring, dull blades drag and deflate the dough
  • The rolls are done when they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom

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