2 Day Poolish Dinner Rolls
The absolute best dinner rolls you can make at home! The secret to making the softest, fluffiest rolls is swapping regular yeast for an overnight pre ferment.
Servings: 12 Rolls
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- 9"x13" Baking Tin
- Dough Scraper
- Digital Food Probe
Ingredients
The Poolish
- 150 g Water (25°c/77°f)
- 150 g Strong White Bread Flour (See Notes)
- 0.7 g Instant Yeast (See Notes)
Tangzhong
- 25 g Strong White Bread Flour
- 50 g Whole Milk
- 50 g Water
Dough
- 325 g Strong White Bread Flour
- 25 g Caster Sugar
- 10 g Fine Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Skimmed Milk Powder (Optional)
- 0.7 g Instant Yeast
- 1 Large Egg (50g Out Of The Shell, At Room Temp)
- 75 g Whole Milk
- 50 g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
Egg Wash
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Cold Water
To Finish
- 20 g Unsalted Butter (Melted)
- Sea Salt
Instructions
Poolish
- Pour the water into a mixing bowl, add in the yeast then stir to dissolve. Add the flour into the water then stir until just combined.Make sure to check the temperature of your water. You'll also need a set of micro scales to weigh out the yeast.
- Transfer the poolish to a container then cover with a lid, leaving it slightly open to allow any gas to escape.Make sure to use a container with plenty of extra room! The poolish will double in size, at least.
- Let the poolish ferment at room temperature for 1 hour then place in the fridge for 16-20 hours. The poolish will double in size during the cold ferment, so I like to make a mark on the side of the container where it comes up to before it ferments.
- The next day, take the poolish out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour. This tempers the poolish, meaning it won't be cold when you add it to the dough.
Tangzhong
- Whilst the poolish is coming up to room temperature, make the tangzhong. To do this, place the flour, milk & water into a small saucepan & whisk to combine.
- Set the pan over a low heat and cook, stirring constantly until you get a thick paste.
- Once cooked, transfer the tangzhong to a bowl and leave to cool to room temperature.Make sure to cook the tangzhong at least 30 minutes before your poolish is ready, so it has time to cool down. Get the butter for the dough out of the fridge now as well, so it has time to soften.
Dough
- Place the flour, sugar, salt, milk powder (if using), yeast, egg, cooled tangzhong and all of the poolish into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Place the milk into a jug, warm to 25°c/77°f then pour into the flour. This temperature is just above room temperature, so it will only take a few seconds to warm up in the microwave. If you haven't got a microwave, warm the milk in a pan set over a very low heat.
- Mix the dough with a dough hook, until it's smooth and coming away from the sides of the bowl. This will take 4-5 minutes. It's best to start mixing on a low speed then once everything's combined, mix on a medium speed.
- With the mixer still running, add in the butter a small amount at a time, incorporating each piece fully before adding more. Once all of the butter has been incorporated, keep mixing until the dough passes the window pane test. This will take another 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm (or a tea towel) & leave to double in size at room temperature. This will take 1½-2 hours.
Shaping
- Grease a 9x13" baking tin then line with baking parchment.
- Next, knock the dough back, transfer to a lightly floured surface then divide into 12 even pieces. Each piece should weigh around 75 grams.
- To shape, take a piece of dough & bring the edges into the middle. Flip the dough over & use a cupped hand to shape into a tight ball. Place seam side down in the tin.Dragging the seam on the work surface helps increase surface tension.
- Repeat the shaping process with the remaining dough, placing them into the tin, spaced a centimetre or two apart, to form 4 rows of 3. Cover the tin with clingfilm then leave to prove at room temperature, until risen in size by 50%. This will take 1-1½ hours.The rolls should be touching once proved!
Baking
- Whilst your rolls are proving, preheat an oven to 190°c/170°c fan (374°f/338°f). Make sure to give your oven plenty of time to preheat.
- Once your rolls are ready, add the egg & water in a small mixing bowl, whisk to combine then gently brush a thin layer onto each roll.
- Bake the dinner rolls for 25-30 minutes, until they have risen and are a deep golden brown on top.
- As soon as your rolls come out of the oven, brush them with the melted butter and sprinkle over a pinch of sea salt. Leave to cool in the tin then serve.
Salt Butter Smoke Magazine
Love seasonal cooking?
Issue 001 features over 20 original autumn recipes, seasonal features, preserving guides and beautiful photography.
Take a Look Inside →Notes
1. To Bake In An Aga - Use the simmering plate to make the tangzhong. Bake the buns in the baking oven, on the bottom set of runners.
2. Flour - You’ll need a strong white bread flour for these dinner rolls. Make sure to use one with a protein content of 12-15%. I use a Canadian bread flour from Shipton Mill.
3. Yeast - The poolish & dough use a very small amount of yeast (it's not a typo!). Ideally you'll need a set of micro scales to weigh the yeast out but if you don't have them, it works out roughly to a quarter teaspoon. Make sure to use instant/fast action yeast, that's still fresh & active.
4. Poolish - The pre ferment will at least double in size as it ferments so it's key to use a tub that it will fit in. I use a 1 litre cylinder shaped container. Also make sure not to put the lid on tightly, as you need to allow a space for the gas to escape.
5. Milk Powder - Adding skimmed milk powder to the dough is optional but helps keep the bread soft & gives it a deeper golden colour once baked. I used skimmed milk powder but whole will work as well.
6. Water/Milk Temp - I’d highly recommend using a digital food probe to check the temperature of the water & milk before using it for the poolish & dough. This is key for proper fermentation.
7. Storage - These dinner rolls are best eaten the same day as being made but any leftovers should be kept in an airtight container & will stay fresh for 2-3 days at room temperature or an extra day or two, when stored in the fridge. I’ve found that the best way to reheat dinner rolls is to microwave individual portions (1-2 rolls) for 10-20 seconds.
Enjoying This Recipe?
The Prep List is my free weekly newsletter with seasonal recipes, kitchen notes and behind-the-scenes from my kitchen. Add Salt Butter Smoke as a Google Preferred Source to see more of my recipes in Search.