So, I love sourdough. In my humble opinion it makes a far superior loaf of bread but, and this is only a whispered but, in the spirit of complete transparency, I have to admit that it does take a little bit of time and does involve those dreaded words....planning ahead.
Yes, you start by feeding your starter on day one, day two the dough is prepared and on day three you bake your loaf of bread and can finally enjoy it. And it goes without saying that it is very much worth the time and effort. I can not emphasise that enough. But we all have those days. You know the ones. Time is a little bit scarce or you suddenly realise that you forgot to feed the starter or, and this is most common for me at least, you discover that you are nearly out of bread.
On a day like that I often make a yeasted loaf or a soda bread and they are of course delicious and convenient. But what if you could make sourdough and have it ready on the same day? Is that even possible? Yes! Not only is it very much possible but these same-day sourdough rolls are delicious, versatile, and full of sourdough flavour.
They are great as a side to dinner or soup and they also make great burger buns. Another thing that I love is that they keep well and are still light and moist the following day.
I have recently become fascinated with using heritage flours and not only the difference in taste to modern grain but also the health benefits of using ancient grains like spelt or einkorn. Einkorn is the oldest of the grains known to man, which in itself is pretty cool. It is a good source of fibre, protein, and vitamins and unlike most modern grains it is GMO-free. The theory behind using ancient grains is that they are less likely to cause inflammation and may well be a far healthier choice for anyone who has a sensitivity to flour products.
With this in mind, I have been using Sharpham Park flour (a mixture of einkorn, spelt, and emmer) in this recipe and I found that it made really lovely, tasty rolls. I was expecting them to be a bit dense or heavy but was pleasantly surprised. Of course, you can substitute all-purpose or bread flour in this recipe and they will work beautifully as well.
For this recipe, you will need to feed your starter in the morning and if the weather is cold find a nice warm spot for it to sit for a couple of hours. As we are still in the winter and it is rather cold here I put my starter in front of the fireplace and it soon starts to bubble away.
If you want to learn how to make a sourdough starter, check out my easy tutorial blog here.
I use a stand mixer to knead my dough as I am lazy and well, a shortcut that works is a shortcut I'll take! Hand kneading is of course possible but will take a little bit longer.
Same-day Sourdough Rolls
Ingredients:
200g Active sourdough starter
350g Flour - either all-purpose or strong bread flour
140ml Milk
1tbs Honey
1 Egg yolk
50g Softened butter
1tsp salt
Method:
Into the stand mixing bowl add starter, flour, milk, and honey.
Using the dough hook, mix on a low speed until all the ingredients are incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and continue to work the dough for 3 minutes.
Add in the egg and butter and continue to mix until you have a smooth, stretchy dough (about another 5 minutes).
Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover using a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and rest in a warm place for 1 hour.
After an hour remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. Note: this is a sticky dough so don't be alarmed.
Divide dough into 8 equal pieces, roll each into a ball, and place onto a lined baking sheet.
Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for 4/5 hours.
Preheat oven to 170°C (370°F) and egg wash the rolls. Optionally you can sprinkle on some seeds of your choice, I use a mix of poppy, nigella, and sesame.
Bake for 25 minutes, cool on a rack and enjoy!