Soft Overnight Sourdough Dinner Rolls

For the Dough:

• Mix the Dough: In the evening, whisk the starter, water, and olive oil together in a large bowl with a fork. Add the flours and salt. First, mix with a fork, the dough will be shaggy. Then mix by hand, mixing, folding and pushing the dough until the flour is fully incorporated and no dry bits are present. It will seem dry at first, but the more you work the dough, the more hydrated it will become. The dough will feel stiff and it will stick to your fingers as you go. Do this for about 3-4 minutes. Use the fork to scrape the dough off your fingers.

  Cover bowl with a damp tea towel. Set a timer for for 45 minutes and allow the dough to rest. Now is a good time to feed/refresh your starter. 
• Incorporate the Inclusions (optional): After the dough has rested, work in the inclusions. This can be garlic only, a combination of garlic and herbs or garlic and Parmesian. To do this, add 1/3 of the inclusion(s) on top of the dough (or smear the garlic paste), take a portion of the dough and fold it over and on top of itself. Add another 1/3 of the inclusion(s) and make another fold. Add the last of the inclusion(s), fold again. It will seem like a lot of added bits, but as you work the dough and as the dough develops through fermentation, the inclusions will incorporate. The dough will be stiff.

  Cover bowl with a damp tea towel, set a timer for 30 minutes and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
• Fold the Dough: After the dough has rested, fold the dough. To do this, grab a portion of the dough while it remains in the bowl, stretch it up and fold it over, pressing your fingertips into the center of the dough. You'll notice the dough is a little less stiff and more workable at this point. Repeat, until you've worked your way around the dough.

  This is the first fold (after incorporating the inclusions), and you can stop here and begin bulk fermentation, but If time permits, and optimally, you'll want to repeat this fold one more time as it improves the final dough's structure and crumb. Allow for about 30 minutes between folds. 
• Bulk Fermentation (first rise): After the last fold, cover the bowl with two damp tea towels and allow to rise overnight at room temperature. This will take about 8-10 hours at 70F (21C), but in a cooler kitchen the dough can take up to 12-14 hours to rise – this is the norm in my chilly kitchen 66F (18C). Use the time as a guide and not a determining factor. (***see note about retarding the dough in the refrigerator overnight, and proofing at room temperature if desired).

  The dough is ready when it no longer looks dense, is jiggly when the bowl is shaken, and has about doubled in size.
• Line a small sheet pan (9" x 12.5" / 22cm x 32cm) OR 10" (25cm) cast iron skillet with parchment paper. Set aside.

  Shape the Dough: In the morning, and with damp fingertips, coax the dough into a floured work-surface.  Divide the dough into 12 pieces. If you like, weigh the pieces to ensure uniformity (about 80g or 2.75oz each).

  Working quickly, with a piece of dough on the work surface, pull the edges of each piece to the center to shape the dough, and pinch making a rough dough ball. Place the dough on the work surface, pinched side down, sprits a touch of water on the work surface to increase friction if needed, and gently cup your hand behind the dough ball and pull it towards you to increase surface tension.

  Place the dough around the edges of the skillet first, then the remaining dough balls in the center. It's okay if the dough balls are touching each other. OR if using a sheet pan, place the dough balls 3 X 4 about 1/4" (6mm) apart.
• Proof the Rolls (second rise): There's two ways to approach proofing:

  A. Refrigerator (long proof): Cover the pan with two damp tea towels and place in the refrigerator (the tea towels should stay moist so the dough doesn't dry out). Allow the dough to rise in the fridge for 8-12 hours. They'll become puffy but not doubled in size.

  When ready to bake, pull the dough from the fridge and set at room temperature while you preheat the oven.

  B. Room Temperature (short proof): Cover the rolls with a moist tea towel and proof at room temperature, about 50-75 minutes or until the rolls pass the poke test and look puffy but not doubled in size. 
• Set an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat your oven to 425F (218C).

  Bake the Sourdough Rolls:

  After the oven has preheated, do the poke test to see if the rolls are proofed (see blog post above for how to).

  Egg Wash or Butter (optional): Crack an egg into a bowl and add one Tbs of water. Mix thoroughly and brush each dough ball with the egg wash. OR leave the egg wash off and after the rolls are baked, brush the rolls with melted butter.

  Place the rolls into the oven and bake at 425F (218C) for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375F (190C) and bake for an additional 15-17 minutes.

  The rolls are ready when the internal temperature on a digital food thermometer reads of the rolls are between 205F – 210F (96C – 98C). When done, transfer to a wire rack and brush with melted butter if using. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt is quite nice too. Cool for 10 minutes before sharing. Keeping the rolls in the skillet, means they'll keep warm longer.
• Storage Notes: Sourdough is best consumed on the same day it's baked, but the rolls will last for 2-3 days stored at room temperature in a sealed plastic bag.

  The baked rolls freeze and rewarm beautifully. Pull the rolls apart and allow to cool completely. Wrap in foil, then in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature, and rewarm in a 350F oven, wrapped in foil (to keep their softness) for about 10 minutes.