Schnittbrötchen mit Sauerteig (German sourdough bread rolls)

This is a recipe for making great sourdough based bread rolls. The crust is perfect, and so is the taste. I am using diastatic malt in this recipe, which I made myself by sprouting wheat grain, drying and grounding it. Ed and Marieke explained how to do this on their great site Weekend Bakery. But if you don't have any diastatic malt just leave it out (perhaps you can add some more flour to your dough preventing it getting too wet). But never leave out the sourdough based starter, because it brings a wonderful taste to your buns!

The evening before baking the buns you can prepare your starter:

- 100 g wheat flour (I use biological flour type 550 from Germany)
- 100 g lukewarm water
- 35 g sourdough culture (again, check Weekend Bakery for making your own sourdough)

Mix the flour and the sourdough in a small bowl with the water and leave it at room temperature (covered with some plastic). The next morning the starter should be active, forming bulbs).
Now make your final dough:

- 400 g wheat flour
- 15 g diastatic malt
- 4 g dry yeast
- 11 g salt
- 5 g soft butter
- 200 g lukewarm water
- 235 g starter

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them well (I use a whisk for this) and add the butter, the water and the starter. Form a dough and knead well for about 15 minutes. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
Now divide the dough into 9 equal parts (weighing 95 grams each) and make boule shapes. Cover them and let them rest a few minutes. Roll the boules into a more rectangular form using the palm of your hand and the tips of your fingers. Slash the top with a lame or bread scoring knife and transfer them upside down to a cloth which has been floured well (see below).

Cover with a cloth and let them proof for a least 45 minutes.
For baking I use a perforated aluminum (baguette)form. It works great.

Now they are ready for the oven, The 'Snitten' should be up now. Transfer them to the roasting oven and for getting a nice crust, create some steam by putting a small metal baking tray on a rack high in the oven and pour in half a cup of hot water immediately after putting the bread in the oven. Besides this, spray the rolls after 2 minutes of baking with water. Bake them for 25 tot 30 minutes.
Take them out an d let them cool on a rack.

Thanks to Der Hobbybrotbäcker for the original recipe!

Klik hier om het recept in het Nederlands te lezen.