Crusty French Bread Rolls (Printable)

Golden, crispy exterior with tender interior. Perfect warm with butter or paired with soups and salads.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

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

→ Topping

06 - 1 tablespoon flour for dusting

# Steps:

01 - Combine lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Let stand for 5-10 minutes until mixture becomes foamy.
02 - Add bread flour and salt to 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.
05 - Place rolls on parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with towel and let rise for 30-40 minutes.
06 - Preheat oven to 450°F. Place a tray of water on bottom rack to create steam for crustier rolls.
07 - Dust tops lightly with flour. 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.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The steam trick creates that bakery style crust that shatters beautifully when you bite into it
  • These rolls freeze beautifully so you can bake once and enjoy fresh bread for weeks
02 -
  • Water temperature matters, too hot kills yeast, too cold makes it sluggish
  • The steam tray is nonnegotiable if you want that signature crackly crust
03 -
  • Spraying water into the oven right before baking creates extra crustiness
  • Let the rolls cool completely before storing to prevent soggy bottoms

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