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Sourdough Fruit and Nut Rolls
A lot of people love the crust of artisan bread, even to the point of saying the heel is the best part of the loaf. So how can you give people more heel (i.e. crust)? One way is to make rolls. And how can you ensure the crust is still awesome? Make the rolls in your clay baker or dutch oven.
In this recipe, I shape a typical artisan dough into six rolls instead of a boule or batard, giving you almost twice the surface area of crust for the same volume of dough. I did the math to prove this, though you don’t need the geometry to make this easy recipe, and of course, variable oven spring affects volume so your crust mileage may vary.
Six rolls that total the same weight as the single boule
If the dough volume is “6,” then the radius is 1.13 and the surface area is 16.05. If the same dough is divided into six rolls, the volume of each is “1,” then the radius is 0.62 and the surface area of each roll is 4.83. Multiply the 4.83 in roll surface area by six rolls, and you have 28.98 units of crust vs. the 16.05 in the boule.
Different baking configurations
It goes without saying, this recipe is not only about the crust. The flavorful chewy crumb of whole grain red wheat and rye flours burst with tart berries and buttery nuts.
I recommend the rolls toasted with butter or served with sharp cheddar, possibly melted.
Recipe Notes
You can switch the high protein flours i.e. use a “white” bread flour and a regular whole grain flour, and you can substitute other types of wheat as well.
The hydration of this dough may seem high at 89% but the dried fruit soaks up a lot of water, and the dough is quite easy to handle (feels like the low 70s).
You can eliminate the nuts from the recipe without changing the quantity of water in the dough, but if you make the rolls without dried fruit, reduce the water by about 60g or 1/4 cup.
In my first batch, I used dried cranberries and cherries, raw walnuts and roasted chestnuts. In my second batch, I used Thompson raisins and pecans. You can pick whatever dried fruit and nuts you prefer. Toasting the nuts is an option as well, and can prevent them from changing color in the dough.
Sourdough Fruit and Nut Rolls
Crusty sourdough rolls with dried cranberries and walnuts are a treat for the senses with sweet fruit, buttery nuts, and a tangy chewy crumb that is 2/3 whole grain wheat and rye.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Sourdough Fruit and Nut Rolls