I saw this recipe on YouTube while listening to my favorite podcaster Sean Carroll, Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy at Johns Hopkins, and theoretical physicist and cosmologist, which has nothing to do with this post!

This bread is lower hydration than I usually bake, but the video looked so good I couldn’t resist. The percent bread hydration determines the gluten development, higher hydration equals more gluten development which yields more open and airy crumb structure in the final product. My pain de cristal is 100% hydration (equal parts water and flour,) while my standard artisan bread is 80% (360g water divided by 450g flour) and this bread is 69%.

This recipe called for a large, lidded baking pan, which I don’t own. (I know thats hard to believe there is some baking equipment I don’t have.) I do have two 16” round cake pans and used one for the bottom and one for the top. I attached binder clips around the perimeter of the upper pan and used the clips to center and hold it in place on the lower. (I am quite proud of my Yankee ingenuity.)

Quick Artisan Rolls

INGREDIENTS
• 220g (1c) water
• 2g (½ tsp) instant dry yeast
• 320g (2 ½ c) bread flour
• 6g ( 1 tsp) salt

METHOD

1. Mix water and yeast, let rest 5 min.
2. Add flour and salt and mix until there’s no more dry flour
3. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes
4. With a wet hand do 4 bowl folds then lift and slap the dough back into the bowl 6 times
5. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes
6. Repeat the bowl folds and lift and slaps
7. Repeat the bowl folds but perform a gentler lift and slap. The dough is now much more elastic and smooth.
8. Let the dough rise about 2 hours until it has doubled in size.
9. Dust work surface and surface of the dough, (especially the perimeter) with flour
10. Gently transfer the dough onto the floured work surface and fold it into a log then divide in 6 equal parts
11. Brush off any excess flour, gently flatten and fold it tightly into a ball
12. Pinch to seal then roll against work surface with cupped fingers to tighten the surface of the dough
13. Let the balls rest for 10 minutes uncovered
14. Roll the dough into a longer shape with your palm
15. Place it on the baking pan
16. Lightly sprinkle flour over the bread
17. Smooth the flour with your hand
18. Score the bread with a sharp blade or knife
19. Sprinkle a little water around the bread to make steam
20. Cover with another tray of the same size
21. Bake at 430°F (220°C) for 20 minutes
22. Remove the top tray
23. Bake for 10 more minutes until the tops are a nice light brown and the internal temp is 195 F.