These sourdough rolls baked in muffin tins add merriment to just about every plate they meet. With their mini shape + sweet & tangy flavor, it's no wonder they are a dinner party HIT. Cut them crosswise and you've got yourself a little sandwich roll. Or just enjoy watching the steam slowly escape their center as you pull them apart. They follow a traditional sourdough-making process - the only extra work is in dividing & shaping.
Below you will find step-by-step visuals + you can follow along with me HERE
INGREDIENTS
125 grams of starter (active, bubbly)
310 grams of room temperature water (about 75°F)
50 grams of raw honey
500 grams of organic, unbleached bread flour
2 tsp fine sea salt
DIRECTIONS
Makes 8 rolls
1. Combine starter, water and honey in a bowl. Stir with a fork until everything is fully incorporated
2. Add bread flour - a scale works well to measure out 500 grams ( about 4 cups ) - to starter mixture using a fork to combine, until a "shaggy dough" begins to form
3. Ditch the fork and mix the rest of the dough with your hands, ensuring the flour is fully incorporated
4. Add salt to the top of the dough and cover with a damp cloth for 30 minutes ( autolyse )
5. Mix the salt into the dough by pinching the dough between your pointer and thumb
6. Once the salt is fully incorporated, begin your first set of stretch & folds. Slip one hand under the dough, stretch it up & fold it over itself. Rotate your bowl 90 degrees & stretch dough up & over itself. Another 90 degree rotation, stretch & fold dough over itself. A final 90 degree rotation, stretch dough up & fold over itself. It's like a little square. Cover with damp cloth and let sit for 30 minutes. Perform 3 more stretch & folds over the course of about 1.5 hours (this will help develop the gluten and ultimately the structure of your bread)
7. After the final set of stretch & folds, it's time for bulk fermentation. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it sit anywhere from 6-12 hours. If your home is warmer, it's going to take less time to ferment. You are looking for your dough to have doubled in size and a few bubbles to be forming on it's surface - when this happens bulk fermentation is done (the texture and flavor develop during this time)
8. Flour your work surface and remove dough from bowl with a bench scraper. Let the dough rest untouched for about 30 minutes on the work surface, giving the gluten time to relax - making it a bit more pliable - which makes it easier to divide & shape
9. While your dough rests, lightly flour your banneton baskets. If you plan to proof your dough in the muffin tins - make sure you've put down parchment paper
10. Stretch your dough into a rectangular shape and cut into 8 pieces and shape it by folding one side into the center, turn it and fold another side into the center, another turn to fold that side into the center and fold the final side over the center and flip so the smooth side of the dough is on top. Use your bench scraper and the side of your pinkie finger/palm to gently pull the dough toward you and shape it into a little ball. Place the ball seam side up in the banneton basket or muffin tin for final rise
11. Once you've shaped all 8 rolls, it's time for the final rise. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let sit for 1 hour
12. Pre-heat oven to 475°F
13. After an hour has passed, place the rolls - one in each muffin tin ( lined with parchment paper ) - and score the top of your sourdough muffins. Fill the EMPTY muffin tins with water about 2/3 of the way so they do not burn in the oven
14. Then cover and bake at 450°F for about 30 minutes. Remove cover, turn oven down to 400°F and bake for another 15 minutes
15. Let cool completely before cutting into!
Sourdough muffin tin rolls can be easily re-heated in the oven. Just wrap them each individually in aluminum foil & bake for about 8 minutes at 425°F - you can quite literally have that fresh from the oven feel any time. If freezing, store each roll individually in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Allow roll to thaw before reheating in oven :)
VISUALS BELOW
ACTIVE STARTER READY TO GO
FLOUR, WATER, HONEY
STEP 1 IN ACTION
STEP 2 IN ACTION
STEP 4 SEEN HERE
STEP 6 - THE INFAMOUS STRETCH & FOLD
POST BULK FERMENTATION,
DOUGH IS RESTING PER STEP 8
STEP 10 - DIVIDE & SHAPE
THAT GLORIOUS DOUGH
GETTING READY FOR THEIR FINAL RISE
( PROOF )
POST RISE, SCORED & READY TO BAKE
