These are the perfect dinner rolls. Light and tangy, they are delicious eaten out of hand, dragged through a bowl of sauce, or slathered with good butter. Leftover rolls can be kept in a plastic bag and reheated in the oven or they can be split and toasted for breakfast. They can be sliced for bread pudding or diced for stuffing. If you prefer, you can shape the dough into two long loaves instead of small rolls, or you can shape it into the traditional wide, flat slipper loaf that ciabatta is named for. Either way, it makes for excellent sandwiches or grilled crostini.

　　

Ingredients

makes 12 rolls

　　1/2 teaspoon/1.5 grams instant yeast

　　3/4 cup/200 grams warm whole milk, approximately 110°F (43°C)

　　1 cup/300 grams sourdough starter

　　1 tablespoon/14 grams olive oil

　　2 1/4 cups/338 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

　　1 1/2 teaspoons/9 grams fine sea salt

　　1 tablespoon/14 grams vegetable oil

　　Cornmeal, for dusting the baking sheet

　　

Step 1

Put the yeast and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir to dissolve the yeast. Add the sourdough starter and the olive oil to the bowl. Use the paddle attachment to stir the ingredients together. Slowly add the flour and then the salt. Mix for 3 minutes, then change the attachment to a dough hook. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, then knead the dough for 10 minutes on medium speed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough by hand until it is silky and smooth, about 5 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Alternatively, if you don’t have an electric mixer, you can combine the yeast and milk in a large measuring cup. Stir to dissolve the yeast and add the starter. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl, stirring to blend them together, and then form a well in the center of the flour. Add the milk, starter, and olive oil to the well and stir them together using a wooden spoon, slowly incorporating the flour by working from the center outward. When the mixture forms a loose dough, turn it out onto the counter. Knead the dough with your hands, incorporating any additional flour from the bowl, until you have a soft, tacky dough that has the consistency of soft Play-Doh. Knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes until it is smooth and silky with a loose, elastic texture.

　　

Step 3

Grease the inside of a bowl with the vegetable oil and put the dough inside, turning to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and leave it on the counter. Let the dough rise for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until doubled in size.

　　

Step 4

Lightly dust a baking sheet with cornmeal. Put the dough on a floured work surface and roll it into a log about 18 inches (46 centimeters) long. Use a pair of scissors to cut the log into 12 equal pieces. With the palm of your hand, roll each piece into a ball. Put the balls on the baking sheet, forming an evenly spaced 3 × 4 grid. Cover the baking sheet with a damp towel and let the rolls rise for 2 hours.

　　

Step 5

Thirty minutes before the rolls are done rising, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

　　

Step 6

Remove the towel from the baking sheet and put the rolls in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes until the rolls are a dark golden brown and sound hollow when tapped with your finger. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan.

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