Olive & rosemary bread rolls

Makes 10-12

Pre-ferment

175g white bread (strong) flour
150g water
level tsp of dried active yeast

Mix all the above in a bowl, cover with kitchen foil or cling film and leave it in a room temperature for about 12 hours (up to 16 hours).

Final dough

whole pre-ferment
300g white bread flour
100g wholemeal bread flour (you can use white bread flour only - 400g)
200-250g water
level tsp of dried active yeast
3 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
tbsp salt

In a bowl mix pre-ferment, flour, yeast, 2 tbsp olive oil, rosemary and add water but not all at once - some flours take more water than others. Mix well until the dough is formed - it should be flexible and not too sticky. Leave it for about 30 minutes, then sprinkle with salt and knead the dough for minute or two. Place in a bowl oiled with 1 tbsp olive oil, cover with clean tea towel and leave it to rise until doubled in size. (45-90 minutes, depends on temperature)

Remove from a bowl, place on a lightly fluored surface and by punching release the air out of the dough. Divide into 10-12 equal pieces and form rolls. To see how to shape bread rolls click here.

Place them on a baking tray, lined with baking paper, cover with clean tea towel and leave them to rise for about 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 250 C and on the bottom of the oven place an ovenproof dish filled with water - it will create some steam inside and it is crucial to making a crust. Place the rolls in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Leave it to cool down on the rack.