Recipe: French Bread Rolls
These rolls are a beautiful blend of bread styles; they have the flavor of french bread and the texture of dinner rolls. I originally made a batch as an experiment before a big neighborhood yard party, to see if I could develop a sturdy-yet-tender roll with a crust thick enough to withstand the bread drying out over time, but soft enough to be a delight to eat. These rolls fit that bill.
I did modify the original recipe a bit, mostly to swap unsalted butter in for oil, but the original version is wonderful as-is. The final result is a roll that’s entirely self-contained, easy to grab, perfect for balancing on a party plate, but delicious enough to hold its own against mains and sides. I hope you’ll give them a try.
French Bread Rolls
Ingredients:
12 oz warm water (1 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar**
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon salt
20 oz flour (4 cups using the spoon and level method)
Directions:
Add the water, yeast and sugar to a stand mixer bowl and let the yeast proof for five to 10 minutes until it looks bubbly or puffy. No stand mixer? No problem, here’s how to knead dough by hand.
Add the butter, salt, and at least half of the flour to the yeast mixture. Using the stand mixer dough hook, knead on medium speed, adding additional flour 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Once the dough is no longer sticky and moves freely in the bowl, knead for five minutes. (The amount of flour you’ll need depends on several factors so go by the dough’s texture more than an exact flour measurement.)
Form the dough into a ball. Coat the stand mixer bowl with a little cooking oil, add the dough, turn once or twice to coat, then cover and let rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size. This usually takes about 60 minutes but the timing will depend on your kitchen temperature - I like to place my bowl in my oven with the heat off but the oven light on for a consistent environment.
Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured countertop. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Divide the dough into 16 pieces (weighing pieces with a digital scale is helpful for more evenly sized rolls) and shape each piece into a ball. Place each ball onto a baking sheet covered with silicone or parchment and let them rise for an additional 30 minutes. Use a spray bottle or pastry brush to coat with water to keep the dough from drying out too much; covering with a damp towel or plastic wrap helps too.
Bake the rolls on the middle rack of the oven at 400ºF for 18-20 minutes, until the tops are browned. I like to spray them liberally with water at the 10 minute mark to help them develop a thicker, chewier crust. You can also add a pan with ice cubes on a rack beneath the rolls for more steam. Let them cool completely before serving, and enjoy 💚 Skål!
**I like using raw sugar (aka turbinado) when I bake, but some people prefer white sugar for a lighter color bread. You can also use honey, or any other natural sweetener you prefer (just be sure to check measurements). You can also omit the sugar altogether.