Crusty white rolls

Fresh, crusty white rolls are one of my favourite things but homemade ones can taste a little bland - but I'm not sure what shop-bought ones add in and I probably don't want to know. I've found that with a little extra work, I can get something that tastes good but doesn't have anything unwanted in it.

The day before baking

The day before you make the rolls, ideally in the morning but in the evening if you forget, make a simple starter. The idea of this is to give the rolls a bit more taste and texture that you won't get otherwise, but without the effort of maintaining a sourdough starter.

Ingredients

• 125g strong white flour
• ¼ tsp (approx 1g) dried yeast
• 150g lukewarm water

Method

1. Mix the flour and yeast together.
2. Add the water and mix well to a smooth batter.
3. Cover and leave until Friday morning. If you want to have a peek a few hours later, you'll see it bubbling nicely.
4. Optional: give it another good mix on Thursday evening.

Baking day

On Friday morning, make the rolls:

Ingredients

• 375g strong white flour (plus a little more for the work surface)
• 7g dried yeast
• 5g caster sugar (about 1 tsp)
• 10g salt
• 180g lukewarm water (plus a little more if needed)
• olive oil for kneading and lining the bowl

Method

1. Mix the flour, yeast and sugar together in a large bowl.
2. Make a well in the middle of ingredients and pour in the starter from yesterday.
3. Gently combine the starter with the flour, keeping it in the well in middle, to make a sponge. Leave the sponge for about half an hour.
• You're trying to get the batter a little thicker but still leave dry ingredients round the edge. 
4. Mix the salt and water together in a jug and add to the sponge, and mix it all together into a dough. It should be firm but not too dry, so add a little more water if needed.
5. Kneading: either take the traditional route:
1. Knead the dough for 10 minutes on an oiled surface.
2. Shape the dough into a ball.
3. Clean the bowl, add a little oil to it and put the dough into the bowl.
6. Or the lazy person's way:
1. Mix the dough into a rough ball in the bowl, cover and leave for 10 minutes.
2. Knead the dough for about 30 seconds on an oiled surface, then make it into a ball; clean the bowl and oil it and put the dough back in and leave for 10 minutes.
3. Knead again for 30 seconds, make into a ball and leave in the bowl for 10 minutes.
4. Knead again for 30 seconds, make into a ball and leave in the bowl for 30 minutes.
5. Knead for 30 seconds one last time, make into a ball and place back in the bowl.
7. Leave the dough to rise for 1-2 hours, depending on conditions.
• The usual suggestion is "until doubled in size" but this step is not particularly time-sensitive, so it can be left longer if necessary.
8. Optional: knock the dough back and place back in the bowl for another hour or so.
• In theory this enhances the flavour and texture, although it will probably make the final rise slower. It also depends on how long you left it in the previous step!
9. Line a baking tray or two with greaseproof paper.
10. Divide the dough into 8 pieces, make each into a little ball and dust with flour, then place on the baking trays. Leave enough space between them so they won't touch when they rise. Leave to rise for about 1-2 hours.
• When they're ready, they should bounce back a little if you poke them gently with a finger.
• The rolls will rise quite a bit in the oven, so don't worry too much if they look a bit small right now.
11. Bake for about 25-30 minutes in the oven at 210 C (fan).
12. Take out when they're a light golden brown and well-baked on the outside. Leave to cool on a rack.