Sourdough Sub Rolls

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword sandwich bread, sourdough, sub rolls

Prep Time 24 days

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 12 people

3 cups (300g) vigorous sourdough starter 100% hydration or 1:1 ratio flour to water
1 ½ cups (350ml) water
4 cups (400g) all-purpose flour

Make sure your starter is strong and bubbly before making the bread. You may have to feed several days before you plan to make the rolls.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the starter, water, and flour together with a rubber spatula until the dough becomes lumpy and shiny. Cover the bowl with cheesecloth or plastic wrap and allow the levain to ferment in the refrigerator overnight or up to 3 days.
As a side note, due to my busy work schedule, I fermented the dough for 3 days.

Take the bowl of levain out of the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature; this should take about 20 minutes.
Sift together the remaining flour and the salt into the mixing bowl with the levain. Knead the dough by hand or mix the dough with an electric stand mixer with a hook attachment. Alternatively, you can also use a bread machine to mix the dough.
Knead the dough until it becomes a smooth, pliable ball of dough. If you kneaded by hand, a good rule of thumb is to knead and pound the dough until you’re extremely tired!
If using an electric mixer, tear off a small piece of dough and flatten and stretch it into a thin layer. If the layer does not tear, then the dough has developed enough gluten. If the dough easily tears, mix the dough more. This method of checking the dough for elasticity is called The Windowpane Test.
If using a bread machine, the dough mixing setting is usually enough to properly knead the dough. This is my favorite method to use because it’s the easiest and I can prepare or do other tasks in the kitchen without having to monitor my mixer.

Allow the dough to rest for at least 15 minutes. Then, on a floured surface, divide the dough into 6 equal parts. You can lubricate your hands with olive oil so that it’s easier to handle the dough.
(1) Take one piece and flatten it into a square.
(2) Fold the top half over toward the center.
(3) Fold the bottom half toward the top of the dough.
(4) Take the left edge and fold it toward the center.
(5) Take the right edge and fold it toward the center.
(6) Scrunch the dough into a log, keeping the folded edges in place.
(7) Roll the log out until it is 12 inches long.
(8) Place the log onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. As an optional step, you can add a layer of semolina flour or course corn flour on the paper to prevent sticking.
(9) Repeat these motions for the remaining 5 pieces of dough, leaving approximately 3 inches between each roll.
(10) Fold the parchment paper between each roll. This will help support the rolls and prevent them from touching each other as they rise.

Spray the rolls slightly with cooking spray and loosely cover the rolls with plastic wrap or cheesecloth.
Allow the rolls to proof for 1 to 4 hours or until they have doubled or tripled in size.

Once the rolls have risen, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Leave a small pan filled with water in the oven. This will create steam to give your rolls a crisper crust.
Dust your rolls with flour. Using a sharp knife or a bread lame, score the rolls straight down the center, no deeper than ¼ inch.
Place the trays of bread in the center of the oven, and bake the rolls for 30 minutes. If you find that the top rack baked darker than the bottom rack, take the top set of rolls out and bake the bottom rack for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
The rolls are finished when they achieve a tan crust and the bottoms feel hollow when carefully tapped. Allow the rolls to cool completely before slicing for sandwiches.