Ingredients
DOUGH
- 720 g bread flour
- 320 g warm water
- 240 g bubbly active sourdough starter, see notes for no sourdough (100% instant yeast) option or 100% sourdough option
- 10 g instant yeast
- 2 large eggs
- 100 g granulated sugar to sub for honey, see notes
- 70 g butter softened
- 16 g fine salt
EGG WASH
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp cream
GARLIC BUTTER
- 56 g salted butter 4 tbsp
- 3 garlic cloves finely grated
- 4 g fresh parsley finely chopped (about 1 tbsp)
- 1-2 pinches flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer with dough hook
- 1 Sheet pan or baking tray
Method
- Mix. Combine the flour, water, starter, yeast, eggs, sugar and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on low until the flour is absorbed, then knead on medium-high for 8 minutes until the dough is smooth.
- Add butter. With the mixer still running, add the softened butter a little at a time. Knead for another 8 minutes until the dough is smooth, strong and shiny and passes the windowpane test. Shape into a ball in the bowl and cover.
- Bulk proof. Let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled, about 1-2 hours.
- Divide and shape. Gently deflate the dough and divide into 16 equal pieces, about 94g each. On a clean, unfloured surface, cup your hand over each piece and roll it in small circles until it pulls into a tight, smooth ball. The slight grip of an unfloured bench is what builds the tension, so only add a sprinkle of flour if it is really sticking.
- Final proof. Line a sheet pan with baking paper and place the rolls in rows on the pan, just touching. Cover and proof until light, puffy and filling the pan, about 1-2.5 hours. Don't rush this one (underproofed rolls will be dense). Toward the end, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Egg wash and bake. Mix the egg and cream and brush gently over the rolls. Bake for 18-22 minutes until deeply golden and the centre roll reads 190°F (88°C) inside.
- Make the garlic butter. While the rolls bake, melt the salted butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the grated garlic and warm for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, without letting it brown. Take it off the heat and stir in the parsley.
- Brush and serve. The moment the rolls come out of the oven, brush them generously with the garlic butter and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Rest in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then pull apart and serve warm.
Notes
100% instant yeast option: Replace the 240g starter with 120g additional flour and 120g additional water, and increase the instant yeast to 12g. Everything else stays the same. Bulk proof for approximately 45–60 minutes and final proof for 1–1½ hours.
100% sourdough option: Leave out the instant yeast entirely. Make sure your starter is very active and bubbly before you begin by feeding it 12–18 hours beforehand. Bulk proof for approximately 5–6 hours at room temperature, followed by a 2–4 hour final proof. For an easier schedule, bulk proof overnight, then shape and proof the following morning.
Starter or discard: Either works because the instant yeast is doing most of the rising. If using discard, use discard no older than 2 weeks and pour off any hooch first.
Honey instead of sugar: Substitute the same amount of honey and reduce the water by approximately 15–20g.
Make ahead: Shape the rolls a little earlier into the bulk proof, cover and refrigerate overnight on the pan. If using cling wrap, lightly oil the tops so they don't stick. In the morning, egg wash and bake straight from the fridge.
Storage: Keep wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Warm through before serving and brush with a little extra garlic butter.
