French Baguette Rolls
These French baguette rolls are the perfect texture for a sandwich roll: firm and hearty while still being plenty soft and flavorful. You won't hear me complaining about the fact that they can be made (start to finish) in an hour. Plus they are dairy free.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups very warm water about 110 degrees, see note + 1 cup more for baking
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 ⅔ cups (18.5 ounces) all-purpose flour divided, see note
- 1 ½ tablespoons instant yeast
Instructions
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Line a half baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment add 1 ½ cups hot water, sugar, and salt. Measure out the full amount of flour in a small bowl and add half to the mixer. Finally add the instant yeast on top of the flour, being careful to not let it touch the hot water directly.
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Start mixer and let it mix for a few seconds until the ingredients are incorporated, then add the remaining measured flour gradually until the dough begins to pull away from the sides and center of the bowl (see note). Let the dough mix for 6 minutes with the mixer then remove and place on a floured surface.
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Cut the dough into twelve equal pieces (I use a bench scraper, about 2.6 ounces each) and roll into dough balls. Place on baking sheet, about 2-inches apart.
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Score each of the rolls with a very sharp knife or baker’s lame: a few shallow cuts at an angle. Cover with a light dishcloth and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm place until doubled. Rolls should not be touching after they have risen.
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Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees (or 425 convection bake). Adjust rack to bottom third of the oven and place a shallow pan underneath this rack on the bottom of the oven.
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When rolls are risen, place them in the preheated oven on the rack in the lower third of the oven. Then carefully add 1 cup of water to the shallow pan, closing the door quickly to create steam. Let bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Recipe Notes
1. I’ve found that tap water is usually not hot enough so I microwave the water for a minute to a minute and a half until it’s very warm, but not scalding.
2. When adding the flour keep in mind that like all bread recipes, you may need more or less flour than the recipe suggests. When fully mixed, the dough should be tacky, but not so sticky that you can’t work with it. If it is over floured then it will be hard and stiff, which is also not what you are going for. It should be smooth and elastic and easy to roll out.
3. I like a little firmer dough for these rolls since they are freestanding (meaning they don't rely on other rolls next to them to help them rise). They are the perfect texture for a sandwich-type roll - hearty and firm while still being soft on the inside.
4. I've also doubled the recipe and fit 24 rolls on a single baking sheet, where they touch after rising. The edges are a bit softer and they aren't quite as gorgeous looking, but they are very good this way too.