Easy Rustic Bread Rolls

Name: Easy Rustic Bread Rolls
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 9 rolls
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 500g bread flour; 350g water, at room temperature; 10g fine salt; 7g active dry yeast; 6 garlic bulbs; 4 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped; 1 tbsp olive oil; Pinch of salt

These bread rolls are super easy and fast to make. They have a crusty outside, soft inside and they require only four ingredients almost everyone has in their pantry. I’ve also included an optional twist: a filled version with roasted garlic and fresh thyme.

Proof time 1 hr 20 min

Bake time 20 min

Total time 1 hr 40 min

Servings 9 rolls

Easy Rustic Bread Rolls

Easy, quick bread rolls with a crusty bite and rustic look.

Ingredients

For the rolls
500g bread flour
350g water, at room temperature
10g fine salt
7g active dry yeast
For the optional filling
6 garlic bulbs
4 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt

Method

6 garlic bulbs, 4 tbsp fresh thyme, 1 tbsp olive oil, pinch of salt

If you are making the roasted garlic-thyme version, start preparing your fillings. Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C). For the garlic, cut about ¼ in (0.5 cm) off the top of each bulb, so the tops of the cloves are exposed. Place the bulbs cut side up on a large sheet of aluminum foil, on your baking tray. Drizzle the tops with the olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Wrap the foil tightly around the bulbs and roast for 40 minutes, until the cloves are soft and golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then squeeze the cloves out of their skins in a medium bowl. Mash the cloves with a fork until it forms a paste, and set aside. For the fresh thyme, strip the thyme leaves from the stems by holding the top of a stem with one hand, then pinch the stem just below with the thumb and index finger of your other hand, and sliding your fingers down the stem. Chop them finely and add them to a small bowl, and set aside.

500g bread flour, 350g water, 10g fine salt, 7g active dry yeast

In a large bowl, add the water and yeast, mix briefly. Add the flour and then the salt, start mixing with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until it forms a shaggy dough.

Tip the dough out on a clean workspace and start kneading by hand for 10 minutes. Because this dough has a fairly high hydration (70%), the dough can feel wet and sticky at first, depending on the flour you use, but this should improve after a few minutes of kneading. Do the windowpane test and if it passes, form into a tight ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Now preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

Tip the dough out on a clean work surface and divide into 9 even pieces. Flatten each piece into a rectangle with the long sides vertically and smear an even layer of garlic paste on the dough. Sprinkle some thyme on top, and fold the sides in on each other. Now roll the dough away from you starting from the bottom. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat this process until you’ve shaped all rolls. Sprinkle some flour on all the rolls and loosely cover with some plastic wrap or a clean, dry towel. Leave to rest on your kitchen counter for 20 minutes, then place them in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes at 450, then increase heat to 475°F (245°C) and bake for 5 more minutes.

Take the rolls out of the oven and leave on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. These are really good when they’re still a bit warm, so enjoy!