Step-By-Step Instruction

1. Yudane:
1. Add semola/bread flour in a bowl, pour the boiling water and mix well with spatula or spoon until no dry flour.
2. Cling film and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.  I prepared the night before.
3. You can use immediately when take out from the fridge or leave it on the counter for 30 minutes to return to room temperature.
2. Sweet Stiff Starter 
1. Dilute starter with water, stir in sugar and mix in bread flour to become a dough.  Please use stand mixer with paddle attachment to mix if you find hard to mix with hand.
2. Cover and let it ferment until tripled. I prepared a night before and leave it in aircond room (approximately 24 - 25C room temperature) overnight until tripled.  It took about 8 - 9 hours depending on your starter.  It should take around 4 - 6 hours to get triple at room temperature at 28C - 30C. 
3. Main Dough:
1. Put all ingredients (except butter/olive oil), including all the stiff starter and yudane dough into a bowl of stand mixer.  I usually torn the stiff starter and yudane dough slightly.
2. Slightly combine the mixture by hand with the paddle attachment before turning on the machine so that the flour will not splash out.  Using the paddle attachment, mix for 2 minutes or until all incorporated. This step is critical to prevent  an uneven mixed dough as the stiff starter is rather hard and a dough hook may not be able to mix it well enough.
3. Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes or until the dough comes together. Add in butter and continue knead for 10 - 12 minutes or until reach window pane stage.  The whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
4. 1st Proofing/Resting:  
1. In the same bowl, let the dough rest for 15 - 60 minutes. Keep it covered with clingfilm or use a lid. This dough I rested for45  minutes and the dough rose slightly in 45 minutes. 
5. Shaping:
1. Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide dough into 6 or 8 equal portions. Please use a kitchen scale if you want to be exact.  
2. Form each portion to a ball.  Please watch the video or diagram "How To Shape French Roll"
3. Place rolls onto the parchment paper (cut same size as baking stone).  Make sure they are about 1 ½ to 2 inches apart. 
6. Final Proofing:
1. I made marks with a pencil about 1 cm away from the original size of the rolls.  Let the rolls proof at a warm place until the dough rise about double in size or when it reaches the pencil marks.   This one took approximately 2 hours at at room temperature of 30C.  The duration of proofing depends on your ambient temperature and starter.
7. Baking:
1. Preheat oven with baking stone and lava rocks at 200C (fan-forced) for 30 - 45 minutes before baking.  
2. Once the oven is ready, score the dough.  Wet the blade with water for easy scoring.  Keep the blade at 45° angle, and make a quick and determined slash across the dough lengthwise. 
3. Spray water on the rolls and bake immediately.
4. Open the oven door, transfer the rolls together with the parchment paper with a big pizza scrapper onto baking stone.  
5. Pour one cup of hot water into the lava rocks.  
6. Close the door immediately.  
7. Reduce temperature to 190C (fan-forced) and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove rolls from oven and let them cool on rack.

Sweet Stiff Starter

Main Dough

Expert Tips for Successful Bakes

1. Sourdough Starter:   
• A healthy starter is essential for successful bread baking. To ensure your bread rises well, it's important to feed your starter regularly and use it (the levain) at its peak. A consistently fed starter will be more active and reliable. If the mother starter isn’t strong, the dough may still struggle to rise properly, even if the levain is used at its peak.  For more information, click the links: "How To Make Sourdough Starter" and "Sourdough Maintenance".
2. Gluten Development: 
• Essential for soft, airy bread, gluten is created when flour hydrates. To develop it, use techniques like autolyse or kneading. The windowpane test checks readiness—dough should stretch thin without tearing.  From my experience, high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a paper thin windowpane stage.
3. Kneading: 
• Please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide. Times vary by flour and mixer type. For higher fat dough, knead longer (18–20 minutes).
4. Flour & Hydration: 
• Use high-gluten flour for optimal texture. Always reserve some liquid to adjust dough consistency for best results.   If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency.
5. Dough Temperature:
• Maintaining the right dough temperature during kneading is crucial for a fine crumb. If the dough becomes too warm, the crumb will become too big and uneven. To prevent this, use cold water, milk, or eggs, and chill your mixing bowl or hook attachment in the freezer. Knead at low speeds, and if your kitchen is warm, rest the dough in a cooler spot. Proper dough temperature ensures a soft, fluffy bread with a fine, even crumb.
6. Proofing:
• Proofing time depends on your environment. Use the finger poke test to gauge readiness. To check dough readiness, lightly press the side with your finger:
• If it bounces back instantly, it’s under-proofed and needs more time.
• If the indentation stays, it’s over-proofed.
• If the indentation slowly bounces back, it’s ready to bake.
• There’s also a final rise called oven spring when the dough bakes, which adds to the bread’s height.
7. Wrinkle Top or Shrinking: 
• If your bread collapses or develops wrinkles on top after baking, it might be over-proofed during the second rise. Aim for the dough to rise to 80-90% of its final size or just below the rim of the pan to prevent this. Over-proofing leads to weaker structure, causing the bread to lose shape.
8. Baking & Oven Temperarate:  
• Do also note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Underproofing: 

Can lead to tight crumb and reduced volume. Let dough rise until puffy and domed.

Overproofing: 

Will cause rolls to deflate or collapse.

Skipping steam in the oven: 

Results in a pale or tough crust.

Underbaking: 

May cause the center to be doughy. Use internal temp as a guide (about 95°C or 203°F).

Serving Suggestions and Storage

To Serve:

Fresh with salted butter or jam

As sandwich rolls

Toasted with garlic butter

Side rolls for soups and stews

Storage:

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days

Freeze individually wrapped rolls for up to 2 months

Reheat by toasting or warming in a 160°C oven for 5–7 minutes

FAQ

Q: Can I use a liquid sourdough starter instead of stiff starter?

A: This recipe is developed for sweet stiff starter. A liquid starter may work with adjustments, but the dough hydration and timing will change.

Q: Why do I need steam in the oven?

A: Steam helps the crust develop properly and allows the rolls to expand before the crust sets. It creates a shinier, crackly crust.

Q: Can I skip the Yudane method?

A: You can, but the texture may be drier and less chewy.  Yudane improves softness and keeps the rolls fresh longer.

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