Italian Hard Rolls

I love the smell of fresh bread in the house.

There are so many recipes of great breads I took and put in my "to do list" but because of the long rise time (sometimes more then 12 hours) I almost always find myself baking all kinds of rolls and buns instead.

For the holiday a friend bought me the great book "A passion for baking" and there was an Italian rolls, so cute and mouthwatering that makes me run to the kitchen and make them.



Italian Hard Rolls- Adopted from A passion for baking

2 Hour Sponge
1 cup warm water (100 F to 11o F)
2 1/2 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 cups bread flour

Dough
1 cup warm water (100 F to 110 F)
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups bread flour
all of the sponge (2 hour sponge)
Finishing touches
flour, for dusting
melted butter or olive oil

Direction:

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

For the 2 hour sponge, mix ingredients in a mixer bowl just to combine a pudding like consistency.
cover loosely and let bubble and stand for 2 hours.

For dough Add water, honey, olive oil, salt, and flour to sponge in mixer bowl and stir to combine.
Attach dough hook and knead on lowest speed of mixer about 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessarily to make a chesive, elastic dough.
Remove dough hook and spray dough with nonstick cooking spray.
cover entire bowel with clean towel and let rise 45-90 minutes or until almost doubled.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate.
Divide dough in 12 portions. Shape into oblong rolls.
Place rolls on preared baking sheet and let rise 20 to 30 minutes, until puffy. score rolls, leave them plain, or snip them with scissors for decorative effect. Dust with flour if desired.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray rolls lightly with water, spritz oven and wall.
Bake until done and rolls are brown all over, 25 -28 minutes.
For shiny rolls with less crispy crust, paint with melted butter or olive oil before baking.