Name: Country Rustic Rolls - Crispy Crust, Soft Crumb
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 16 h 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 125g bread flour ((I used Japan high gluten flour - 12% protein); 125g water; 0.5g instant dry yeast; 175g bread flour (I used Japan high gluten flour - 12% protein); 30g whole wheat flour or wholemeal flour; 1.5g instant dry yeast; 6g salt; 1 tsp sugar; 115g water; Rice flour for shaping and topping (optional)

Country rustic roll cut open to reveal soft and fluffy crumb inside with airy texture

Country Rustic Rolls

Light, crispy crust and soft fluffy crumb – a family-friendly artisan bread roll made with poolish. These rolls are inspired by the light, crispy bread rolls often served in French restaurants. In France, they’re commonly called "petits pains de campagne", which simply means little country breads. While my recipe isn’t a traditional French version, it carries the same rustic, homemade spirit.

Why I Baked These Bread Rolls

Recently, I dined at a local French restaurant, and they served a bread roll that truly stood out. It had a thin, crispy crust and an incredibly soft interior—very different from the chewy, rustic sourdough breads I usually bake at home. What surprised me most was how much my family enjoyed it, especially my mother-in-law, who often finds my crustier sourdough loaves a bit too tough.

That meal sparked something in me. I came home determined to recreate those delightful buns—and after a few tweaks, this recipe was born. The result? A light, crispy country-style bun that’s quite close to what we had at the restaurant. I’m thrilled with how it turned out, and even more pleased that my mother-in-law gave it two thumbs up!

It doesn’t mean that we don’t like sourdough crusty bread—the rest of the family still love and enjoy it. But I feel that these crispy crust rolls are more suitable for elderly people who have weak gums and find hard crusts difficult to chew.

What Makes These Country Rustic Rolls Special

✔️ Poolish starter adds deep aroma and flavor

✔️ Thin, crispy crust that’s not too hard to bite into

✔️ Soft and fluffy interior, perfect for all ages

✔️ Easy to make and versatile for everyday meals

Freshly baked country rustic rolls with golden brown crispy crust

What Is Poolish?

Poolish is a type of pre-ferment that’s made with equal parts flour and water (by weight), along with a very small amount of yeast. It is mixed and left to ferment slowly at room temperature for several hours—often overnight—before being added to the final dough.

This method is commonly used in French and Italian bread baking. The slow fermentation helps to:

Develop deeper, more complex flavor
Improve dough strength and extensibility
Create a light and airy crumb
Achieve a crisp, thin crust

Using a poolish gives your bread subtle aroma and a lovely nutty-sweet flavor without the sourness that comes from sourdough. It’s a wonderful way to bring out artisan-style characteristics in your bread, even when using instant yeast.

In this Crispy Country Buns recipe, the poolish is prepared the night before and left to ferment for about 12–14 hours. The long fermentation helps build flavor and texture naturally, resulting in buns that are both fluffy inside and perfectly crisp outside.

If you’d like to understand more about other types of preferment doughs, please click here.

How To Make Country Rustic Rolls

Ingredients (Yields: 4 Buns)

Poolish:

125g bread flour ((I used Japan high gluten flour - 12% protein)

125g water

0.5g instant dry yeast

Main Dough:

175g bread flour (I used Japan high gluten flour - 12% protein)
30g whole wheat flour or wholemeal flour
1.5g instant dry yeast

6g salt

1 tsp sugar
115g water

Rice flour for shaping and topping (optional)

Step-By-Step Instruction

1. Prepare the Poolish (Preferment)

Make the poolish the night before.

In a mixing bowl, combine the water and instant yeast.
Add the bread flour and mix until a smooth, sticky dough forms.
Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it to ferment in a cool area (around 23–25°C) for 12–14 hours.
Tip: I usually place mine in an air-conditioned room overnight.

2. Mix the Dough

Add all the main dough ingredients (including the poolish) into the bowl of a stand mixer.
Use the paddle attachment to gently mix by hand first—this helps prevent flour from splashing out.
Mix with the paddle attachment on speed 2 (using a KitchenAid) for 4–5 minutes. Then increase to speed 4 and continue mixing until the dough becomes smooth and starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

3. Bulk Fermentation

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased dish. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature (mine is about 28°C).
Perform one set of coil folds, then cover again and rest for another 1 hour.

4. Shaping

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
Divide into 4 equal portions and shape each into a ball.
Place the shaped dough balls onto parchment paper, spaced apart.

5. Final Proof

Let the dough rest at room temperature for 30–45 minutes, or until increased by about 60% in volume.

6. Baking

Preheat your oven to 250°C (top & bottom heat) with a baking stone and lava rocks placed on a lower rack—preheat for about 30 - 45 minutes.
Once ready, slide the dough (with parchment paper) onto the hot baking stone. I use a pizza peel or dough scraper for this.
Carefully pour about 1 cup of hot water onto the lava rocks to create steam, then immediately close the oven door.
Note: Don’t add too much water—excessive steam may make the crust too hard.
Bake with steam for 10 minutes.
Remove the lava rocks and reduce the oven temperature to 220°C. Continue baking for another 10 minutes until golden and crisp.
Remove the buns and let them cool on a wire rack before serving.

Tips for Best Results

Use good quality bread flour – A high-protein bread flour helps develop better gluten structure, which supports both the soft crumb and crispy crust.
Let the poolish mature properly – It should be bubbly, slightly domed, and have a pleasant fermented aroma. Under- or over-fermented poolish can affect both texture and flavor.
Adjust water if needed – Different brands of flour absorb water differently. If your dough feels too dry or too wet, adjust by a few grams at a time during mixing.
Use steam for a thin, crispy crust – The initial burst of steam in the oven allows the buns to expand fully before the crust sets, resulting in a crisp yet delicate crust.
Cool completely on a wire rack – Allowing the buns to cool fully helps set the crumb and keeps the crust from turning soft due to trapped steam.
Use a baking stone or steel (optional) – For even better oven spring and bottom crust, bake the buns on a preheated baking stone or steel if you have one.
Freeze for later – These buns freeze well. Let them cool completely, wrap individually, and store in an airtight bag. Reheat in a hot oven for a few minutes to restore their crispiness.

Notes

Room Temperature for Poolish: Ideally between 23°C–25°C. Warmer temperatures will speed up fermentation, while cooler temps will slow it down. If your room is too warm, you can shorten the fermenting time or refrigerate the poolish partway through.
Using Instant Yeast: You can omit the yeast in the final dough if your poolish is strong and active enough. However, adding a small amount of instant yeast helps provide a more consistent rise—especially useful if you're in a cooler climate or on a tight schedule.
Dough Hydration: The total water in this recipe may need slight adjustment depending on your flour type. Start with the listed amount and adjust during mixing as needed.
Shaping Tip: Try to create surface tension when shaping the dough balls. This helps the buns rise upwards and maintain a round shape
Crispy Crust Maintenance: These buns are crispiest on the day they are baked. To revive the crust after storing, reheat in a 180°C oven for 5–8 minutes.
Flour Substitutions: You may substitute whole wheat flour with more bread flour for a lighter texture, or experiment with rye or spelt for a more earthy, rustic flavor.

Serving Suggestions

With butter and sea salt for breakfast
Alongside hearty soups or stews
As sandwich rolls with soft fillings

Final Thoughts

These Country Rustic Rolls are a lovely alternative to rustic sourdough loaves—lighter, softer, and easier to enjoy, especially for those who prefer a gentler crust. They’ve already become a favorite in my home, and I hope they will in yours too.