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Chewy Italian Rolls

This delightful recipe is easy to follow and perfect for any occasion.

Prep Time
15 hrs 30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
15 hrs 45 mins
Servings: 8 rolls
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Biga:
  • 1 ½ 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ¼ ¼ cup whole wheat flour preferably white whole wheat
  • 1 1 cup water
  • ⅛ ⅛ teaspoon instant yeast
Dough:
  • Biga from above
  • 2 ½ 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ½ ½ cup water
  • 2 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ ½ teaspoon instant yeast

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. For the biga, mix all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl until combined. Cover the bowl with greased plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 12-20 hours until it is puffed and very bubbly (as long as it is really bubbly, don't stress if it hasn't puffed much).
  2. For the dough, scrape the biga into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Add the flour, water, salt and instant yeast. Mix until combined. Continue mixing/kneading for 4-5 minutes, the dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky but shouldn't leave a lot of residue on your fingers if you grab a bit of it. If it seems overly sticky and isn't pulling away from the sides of the bowl, add a couple tablespoons extra flour at a time until the texture looks and feels right.
  3. Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
  4. Turn the dough onto a lightly greased countertop and press it into a 6 X 12-inch rectangle. Using a pizza cutter or bench scraper, cut the dough in half lengthwise (see pictures below). Then cut into 8 rectangular or square-ish rolls.
  5. Place the rolls onto a lined baking sheet, spacing 1-2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with greased plastic wrap and let them rise for 45 minutes or so until puffy.
  6. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Optional: put a baking stone in the oven while the oven preheats.
  7. Bake the rolls (placing the pan on the baking stone, if using) for 13-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.

Notes

  • Yeast: you really need instant yeast (not active dry) for this recipe since the yeast isn't proofing in any water before using it in the recipe.
  • Flour: also, you can use bleached all-purpose flour but since I only ever use unbleached and that's what King Arthur recommends, I put it that way in the recipe.
  • Plan Ahead: don't forget to plan ahead for this recipe since the biga needs to rest for 12-20 hours!

Nutrition Information

Calories 243kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 51g (17%) Protein 7g (14%) Fat 1g (2%) Sodium 585mg (24%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 1g (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8rolls

Amount Per Serving

Calories

% Daily Value*

Calories 243kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 51g 17%
Protein 7g 14%
Fat 1g 2%
Sodium 585mg 24%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 1g 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.