Split Rolls

I think that there must be THOUSANDS of split roll recipes online these days, but I will add mine anyway... This is a variation on the French Pisolet from Eastern France and Belgium.

Makes four dozen rolls

INGREDIENTS

7 cups hard wheat bread flour or all-purpose flour, approximately

4 teaspoons salt

2 packages yeast

3 tablespoons sugar

½ cup non-fat dry milk

2 teaspoons plain malt syrup

4 ounces (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1 cup rye flour, for dusting

DIRECTIONS

Put 4 cups of flour into a large bowl and stir in the salt, yeast, sugar, and dry milk. Form a well in the bottom of the bowl and pour in 3 cups of water. With a large wooden spoon, pull in flour from the sides of the bowl to form a heavy batter. Add malt syrup. Break butter into small pieces and stir into the batter. Blend. Add the rest of the flour, ½ cup at a time; use your hands when dough gets stiffer. Move the dough to the floured work surface and, adding flour if dough remains sticky, Dough will become soft and elastic. Continue to knead another 10 minutes.

Return the dough to the cleaned and greased bowl. Cover and let rise till doubled in bulk. Punch down and knead briefly. Return to bowl and allow dough to rise again. Punch down and divide dough in half. Set one half aside and form the other half into golf ball sized balls. Sprinkle dough balls with rye flour (to keep it from sticking) and split almost in two with a strong quick chop with the side of your hand. Gently pull the ends of the roll to make a slightly oblong shape. Put the rolls split side down on a lightly greased surface to rise for 20 minutes. While the dough rises, preheat oven to 425F. Turn rolls right-side up for the oven. Place water in a bread loaf pan in the bottom of the oven. Bake rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, turning baking sheet around halfway through baking time. While first batch bakes, form the other half of the dough into rolls and allow to rise. Bake second batch just as the first.