Crusty French Bread Rolls (Printer-friendly)

Golden and crispy rolls with tender interiors, perfect warm with butter or paired with soups.

# 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

# How To Make It:

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

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The steam trick creates that professional bakery crust without any fancy equipment
  • These rolls freeze beautifully, so you can bake once and enjoy fresh bread for weeks
02 -
  • The water tray in the oven is nonnegotiable for that crackly crust, dont skip it
  • Let the rolls cool completely on a wire rack or the bottom will get soggy from trapped steam
03 -
  • Weighing ingredients instead of using cups makes bread baking much more consistent
  • If your rolls brown too quickly, tent them with foil for the last 5-10 minutes

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