Simple Rolls

• strong white bread flour↗500g g

  plus extra for dusting

• instant yeast↗7g sachet g
• white sugar↗1 tsp tsp
• fine salt↗2 tsp tsp
• sunflower oil↗1 tsp tsp

  plus extra for work surface and bowl

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Sift the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and oil into a bowl. Add 325 ml of warm water, then mix (with a spoon or by hand) until a rough dough forms. Make sure all the flour is well incorporated. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Lightly oil the work surface and place the dough on it. Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes until it becomes tighter and elastic – if you have a mixer you can knead with a dough hook for 5 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a clean, oiled bowl. Leave for 1 hour, or until the volume has doubled.

3. 3

   Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape a long sausage‑like form. Cut the dough in half, then divide each half into four pieces, yielding eight equal portions. Shape each into a tight ball and place them on a floured tray, leaving space between the balls for rising. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 40 min‑1 hour or until almost doubled.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 230 °C/210 °C with convection/gas 8. When the dough is ready, sprinkle each ball with a little more flour. (If desired, you can spray the rolls with milk or beaten egg and sprinkle with seeds.) Bake for 25‑30 minutes until they are light‑brown and sound hollow when tapped from below. Let cool on a rack.