These French Rolls Mixed in the Bread Machine take some planning–including awakening the starter a day ahead of time–but are well worth the effort due to the sheer deliciousness.
This is one of those recipes that isn’t a huge time drain, but does require work in little bursts. Begin the starter. Get the rest of the dough going. Do another rise. Shape the rolls and rise a third time. Bake.
Also, just like the real thing in France, these are intended to be eaten fresh. However, that’s no big problem so long as you have room in your freezer. Freeze extra rolls the day they are made, and they’ll thaw and heat later and still be amazing.
This recipe is modified from Making Artisan Breads in the Bread Machine by Michelle Anderson, which I highly recommend to any bread machine owners. [affiliate link]
Bready or Not: French Rolls Mixed in the Bread Machine
Equipment
- bread machine
- kitchen scale
- plastic wrap
- parchment paper
- basting brush
Ingredients
Starter (make 12 to 18 hours ahead)
- 1 1/4 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup lukewarm water 100-110-degrees F
- 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
Dough
- 3/4 cup lukewarm water 100-110-degrees F
- 1 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cups bread flour plus more for work surface
- 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
- nonstick spray or olive oil
Finish
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
Make the starter
- In the bucket of a bread machine or in a separate pitcher, stir together all of the starter ingredients until combined. Cover the top with plastic wrap and let set to rise at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.
Make the dough
- If the starter didn’t rise in the bread machine, place it there now and add the additional water, salt, flour, and yeast. Start the dough cycle.
- Once the full cycle is done, apply nonstick spray or olive oil in a large bowl. Gather the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl, flipping it to completely coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until it doubles, about an hour. Prepare one or two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Weigh the dough and then turn it out in a lightly floured work space. Determine the desired size of rolls; for standard dinner-sized ones, twelve is ideal. Divide the dough accordingly, forming into balls by tucking the lumpier bits and seams underneath. Fill a saucer with water to dab fingertips to make smoothing the dough easier. Space rolls out on prepared pan(s). Lightly cover with plastic wrap.
- Let rolls rise about 45 minutes. They should puff up. Preheat oven at 450-degrees.
Make the egg wash
- Whisk together the egg and water. Remove and discard plastic wrap from rolls. Brush egg wash over the rolls.
- Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Rolls should sound hollow when tapped. They are best eaten hot the day they are made, but if frozen promptly, they will reheat later for same-day eating and still taste delicious!
